Jackie's Corner Table

Beauty and Essex

2011-01-25T20:34:00.002-05:00

The party don’t start till I walk in…ok, maybe it’s already started.

Its “feels like” 8 degrees outside, I’m dressed up (sexy, cause I'm always sexy, but not too sexy – hey I’m married now, no one to impress but the other ladies), coat, hat, scarf, purse, gloves in tow. We get to the restaurant and there is a line outside. It’s not just a -someone is holding the door for a group of people- line. It’s a – this is a club/restaurant and we want to look like even more people are here than really are- line. Or so I wish… Luckily, one of my party members had already been standing in line and was arguing with the bouncer to let her in when we walked up. They let us in, only to realize that there is nowhere to go. The place is thronged with pretty people. This seems to be a turnoff for some Yelpers, but for me… I just blend right in. We get our beeper and shimmy up to the bar. I actually did not ever go upstairs, which I’m told is just as clubby as the bottom floor, maybe even more so.

Let me talk about what happened to me at the bar. We walk up, discuss the order and I start to dive in. There are 8 of us, so I designate myself the one to push through and get a bottle of proscecco. When I’m about to dive in, two girls get up from their bar stools. WHOOPIE! So, my friend and I sit down, talk to the bar tender a bit and order our bottle. About 3 minutes later, which I’m half standing up from the bar stool to check on the bottle, I feel a shove on my back and the barstool is taken out from under me! One of the girls had returned and literally shoved me off the seat. I may not always be the nicest bar-position girl, but I would definitely never go as far as to shove someone off a seat. But hey, this is NYC. There are some bitches out there. Luckily for that girl (man I sound hard core), the beeper rings and we cancel the bottle and go to the front. Once there, we find out that they actually ring the beeper as a warning for you to close out your bar tab and your table will be ready close to eventually soon.

I probably sound like I hate Beauty and Essex, but it’s not true. Would I rush to go back? Probably not. Would I go back if I had 12 friends in town from out of state and they wanted a “taste of NY”? You betcha! This is like a step up from Buddakhan, which is my usual big-party-from-out-of-town choice because the food is good and the place is huge. At Beauty and Essex, not only did I feel cool just being there, but I felt like I was in Vegas baby! Loud music, huge space, surrounded by bachelorette parties. Sorry for partying. Or am I?

Let’s talk food. The menu was staggering and a bit overwhelming. It made me happy that there were 8 people. If I went just me and my husband, granted we would order more than normal people who care about their health and weight, we would be so upset that we didn’t get to try the 15 items we wanted.

I am so fortunate to have such wonderful girlfriends who have such insatiable appetites for life (and booze). We had the tomato tartar, yellowtail crudo, a kale and apple salad, two Jewels on toast, whipped ricotta and avocado and lemon, lobster bisque dumplings, chicken meatballs, seared tuna and some pasta that was excellent but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was made of… crispy hominy, brussel sprouts, broccolini and onion rings were our sides.

Things I would recommend out of those? ALL of the sides (ok, I didn’t have the onion rings but they looked good). Whatever hominy is – too lazy to look it up at the moment – I like it! The Kale and Apple salad was one of my favorites. I like a bitter lettuce. The dressing was tangy and acidic which made the kale even easier to eat.

The tomato tartar was probably the most interesting item we ate; it tasted just like steak tartar. They use all the same seasoning/spices. My only complaint is that I thought it was going to come out just like a meat tartar. But instead, we got little bite size tartars with a small quail egg on top. I like to crack my quail eggs over my tartar, to use the yolks as a dressing. The egg yolks were too cooked. But hey, maybe it was meant that way. It still tasted amazing. My least favorite was the lobster bisque dumplings. Hard to believe since I’m obsessed with lobster and anything fried (again with the health). I think there was just too much lemongrass. I tasted no lobster. I’m semi-scared of lobster bisque because one time at this place, I now cringe when I walk by, called Red eye Grill, on 56th and 7th, I had a terrible allergic reaction to lobster bisque. I think I was poisoned. FYI this was 2004 so don’t get all up in arms. Calm down. The post is over.

Wow, how could I leave this out… if this place wasn’t opulent enough for you, make sure you make a trip to the bathroom. I’m not sure if people hang out in the bathroom because its less crowded then the bar or they are just there for the free champagne and good sounds and good smells… good times.

Although I could barely hear any of you over the loud, thumping club music, thank you to Rehana, Heidi, Erica, Caren, Liz, Jenny and Kate for letting me choose the restaurant once again. Just call me the Queen of scoring reservations one month in advance. Do it. I dare you.

Kin Shop

2011-01-17T18:57:00.002-05:00

I’m baaaaaaaaaacccckkk. After a year (almost to the day) hiatus, I am going to start updating my blog again! Try to muffle your excitement; you can’t can you?

Our journey begins on a blustery winter night… my husband (yup!) and I have been hearing a lot about Kin Shop. We love Perilla, which is probably our most often visited restaurant in NYC. So, we had to try out the new restaurant by Harold Dieterle. Don’t be fooled. These two restaurants have only one thing, other than the owner/chef in common, they are both excellent.

Perilla is the perfect place to go on a random Friday night when you don’t know where you want to go but you know you want something good. I have never made a reservation there and try to go early and sit at the bar. Kin Shop, its Thai relative, has a very different atmosphere. Where Perilla is homey and welcoming, Kin Shop is hip and alluring.

Ok, let’s get onto the good stuff. Oddly, I just had my leftovers for lunch today and I can tell you that hot or cold they are still amazing. (I can’t help it if I like my Asian leftovers cold). My husband and I have an issue when going to a new restaurant. We want everything on the menu and tend to eat like a bunch of savage beasts. I can eat more around him then I would any other person….and, much to my stomach’s dismay I do! When we first walked into the small restaurant, which lies inconspicuously between a bodega and a pizza shop, I was surprised my its lack of bar and coat check. Here we were, 20 degrees outside, perfectly on time for our reservation with nowhere to go… There is a bar, but it’s in the back of the restaurant and not welcoming to a pre-dinner drink. Luckily, we only had to stand around for about 5 minutes before someone paid their check at the bar and we were sat there to wait. Another 5 minutes pass and we are ushered to our seats. The music was great, keeping with the restaurants upbeat aura.

We quickly spotted one of our favorite restaurant wines, the Nikolaihof Gruner Veltliner. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do. It was especially fitting for a meal of spicy Thai! Not-so-to-the-side-note, on the dessert menu there was a Merry Edwards 2008 dessert wine. Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc is by far my favorite wine. I was rather surprised to see it, and although we didn’t try it (because dessert wine is bordering on gross), I’m sure it’s fantastic if you like that sort of thing… But I digress…

We began with the warm sliced snap peas with Diver Sea scallops, which we were told by the bartender was one of the favorites of the house. Granted, I tend to always order a scallop anything. The scallops were perfectly seared, with just the right amount of crisp outside to compliment the scallop’s tenderness. The snap peas added the right amount of crunch and greens to give you the chance to pretend you chose a healthy starter. We also chose the Fried pork and crispy oyster salad. The chili lime vinaigrette is the same that is used on the excellent calamari at Perilla. Its sweet and spicy and very much complimented the fishy taste of the oyster and the hearty fried pork. I am not one to compliment pork belly. But, this was a very well done piece of meat. I could barely tell that I was eating lard.

For our main courses, a bottle of wine later, we got the steamed snapper with green curry, baby bok choy and kabocha squash and the stir fried rice flakes with rock shrimp. If you talked to me a year ago, you would have a hard time imagining me saying this, but I really like Thai food. Its flavorful, doesn’t have to be too filling and you can even go healthy. Steamed snapper? If I knew how to use my bamboo steamer, I could attempt this at home! For my husband, making good green curry is an art form. On the back of the menu, it describes how many ingredients go into curry paste. It was scary. Don’t even bother. But you should bother ordering the green curry at Kin Shop. It was the second best green curry we have ever had (debatable between us, but I win because I’m the writer and he’s the editor). Bringing you full circle to my lunch today, the stir friend rice noodles were/are amazing. I loved the cauliflower addition as well. None of the spices were too hot, which says a lot coming from me, and the shrimp was not overly chewy or too tender.

All said and done, it was a nice way to get myself back into my self important, over indulgent way of spending my time… eating hordes of food and telling my adoring fan (thanks mom!) all about it.

Dumont

2010-01-15T19:09:00.000-05:00

It was a blustery day. So, we decided to travel an entire 10 miles (40 minutes by public transportation) over to Brooklyn! I’ve lived in NYC (now Hoboken) for over 7 years. I have been to Brooklyn twice. The first was for a birthday party at a beer garden, the second was to go to the Brooklyn Brewery. So, basically, to me, Brooklyn = beer. Maybe I need to branch out…

On our way to the brewery we stopped at a place that one of my friends recommended called Dumont, which was two stops off the L train. The front of the restaurant looks like any old diner, but if you venture towards to back, you are in another world. Even though it was 10 degrees outside, we chose to sit in the back patio area, which was covered (by tarps) and had plenty of heaters. Luckily for me, since I’m always freezing, we sat directly next to one of them. I still wore my scarf and hat. But, I was able to take my jacket off. I can see the back patio being a hot spot in Brooklyn in the spring/summer and even fall.

According to the waitress, the burger and the huveos rancheros are the two biggest sellers for brunch, so that made our choice easy. Now, I’m not an expert on huevos racheros, but how can you go wrong with two over easy eggs, guacamole, salsa, black beans and a lot of cheese! All the taste together was a party in my mouth. A Mexican party. I don’t handle spice very well, so I was a little worried, but the salsa was mild yet flavorful. I love black beans. The dish was very hearty, yet I would order in the summer as well, because of course, guac is better in the summer when the good avocados are out.

The burger? It was excellent. Perfectly cooked, with a nicely charred crust on the outside and plenty of flavor. The burger also came with delicious pickled red onions. Most of the patio was ordering the burger and there were lots of smiles around. It was a perfect brunch item.

Great place to hang out and meet friends. We walked to the Brewery after, which was about a mile away (and right next door to the new bowling alley). If you are going to spend a day in Brooklyn, to get away from it all, I suggest you check out Dumont as your food stop.

Ninety Acres

2010-01-15T18:58:00.001-05:00

Out in a quaint little town in New Jersey, a young man had a dream. His dream was to build an enormous ranch style farm-to-table restaurant pushed back from the road for the entire town to marvel. Ok, maybe I made some parts of that up. Ninety Acres might be set far back from a quiet road, but it’s one of the many indulgences of Sir Richard Branson. (I have to add that the website is crazy fancy).

It took us 45 minutes to get there from Hoboken. I don’t know my way around Jersey, but luckily my driver snagged the very detailed directions off the website.

As we made our way up the drive (I’m assuming once entrance is fully built it will be even more fancy looking), we came upon a gorgeous setting. The ranch-style restaurant was lit up from within. It was so quiet and calm outside that we thought maybe we were the only ones there. Granted, it only opened a month ago. But, we can’t kid ourselves. I found out about the place from Urban Daddy. If I know about it, everyone does. That’s just how it goes. We valet parked because the other parking is kind of far away and it was cold outside! Luckily, the inside was warm and inviting. The clientele seemed to be a little older and it sounded (from my eavesdropping) that everyone there knew each other in some way or another and a lot of the people knew the front of the house. There is an open and brightly lit area by the kitchen they will use for tastings and private parties.

Food:
Bacon wrapped Quail – I have never had quail, but I think I may think twice before having it again. First, just like when I saw people eating rabbit, I can not stand eating a leg so small… I felt like I eat eating a baby (bird). Second, it was not very flavorful. Also, I like a crispy bacon wrap, not one that slides around the food just adding fat and oil. Shouldn’t bacon be crispy?
Venison Carpaccio – excellent. This was my second time having venison. The first time was at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, where I imagine that everything you have for the first time basically ruins you for all other times. But, the carpaccio was very good. It was nicely cooked, topped with cranberries and bitter arugula. They all combined to make a very tasty dish.
Salad – greens, cauliflower, apples, vinegar, manchego. There were quiet a few menu items that called for apples. Do apples have a season? I don’t even know. But, these apples (I prefer green, as these were), were intensely flavorful. The flavor spiced up the otherwise bland dish (no knock on the salad maker, just because lettuce and cauliflower aren’t crazy flavorful). The manchego cheese added a smooth, rich taste, while the cauliflower slices added a crunch. The salad dressing tasted like pure vinegar…and I liked it.
Faro – lobster, carrots. Farro is the “oatmeal of pasta”, according to my foodie boyfriend. Who cares? Lobster anything is good, and I actually liked the faro. Pasta itself never has a real taste to it, it is all about texture. The small pieces of faro lent nicely to the lobster chunks (yes, tail meat!) and the sauce was the kind you wipe up with your bread – and we did.
Brussel Sprouts with bacon. These were ok. Blue Hill in the city had better brussel sprouts. These were a tad squishy instead of their normal crunchy texture.
Ricotta and Kabocha Squash ravioli – very good. We have had Kabocha squash once before, and the still-closed but totally amazing Annisa. I looked it up…kabocha is a generic Japanese word for squash. (The website I found had 15 different kinds of squash!) I’m so cultured. Actually, the only way I’ve had this type of squash is in a ravioli form. The standout here was the pasta. As I said before, it is all about the texture. You can tell this pasta was hand-made. It was so delicate and smooth.
Leg of Lamb with parsnip gratin – Parsnips are relatively boring. But, au gratin pretty much makes everything better. I even went out and bought parsnips today. We will see... They are like potatoes. The lamb was not as tough as I was expecting. It was cooked medium rare, which was suggested by the waiter. That suggestion was the only helpful thing he said all night. I like a waiter, especially at a new place, that talks a lot, makes suggestions, and makes us want to come back. This guy just stood around doing nothing. Or maybe we just weren’t that interesting…

Overall, I liked the place a lot. I can’t wait until it’s finished. They claim they aren’t trying to copy Stone Barns, but we will see. If I lived in the area, I would go here a lot more often. I’ll be interested to see how much progress they make before the summer.

Kefi

2009-10-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

Kefi is a nice family restaurant on the upper west side that just recently moved to a bigger space, which I assume, was to accommodate its many adoring fans. By “family” restaurant, I mean to say that it’s not a fancy date place or a girl’s night out destination. Normally I try to stay close to home, so don’t head north, but luckily for Kefi, I was going to a concert uptown. Two years ago, I went on a wonderful honeymoon-like trip with one of my best girlfriends. So, I can say I have had my fair share of Greek salads, entrees, the works. Maybe that was the cause of my slight disappointment in Kefi, after hearing the rave reviews from friends and family. Or, maybe it was the fact that my Greek boyfriend (did you see My Big Fat Greek Wedding? He’s nothing like that…except for the name!) wasn’t overly enthused either. Guess, as the saying goes, nothing beats grandma’s cooking!

We started with the Meatballs, Roasted Garlic, Olives, Tomato and the Greek salad. My Greek boyfriend told me that they tasted just like his grandma’s! I find that pretty impressive. Considering that the only meatballs I have had since starting to eat meat again are the frozen chicken meatballs from Costco, these were a delightful treat! They were soft, plump and flavorful. The Greek salad was quiet a disappointment. It was more like a chopped Italian salad. The dressing was overwhelming and the chopped lettuce fennel (I think that was fennel?) just made the dish look sloppy. In Greece, the salads have large slices of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with a light dressing, if anything.

Next we tried the Sheep’s Milk Dumplings, Tomato, Pine Nuts, and Spicy Lamb Sausage. These were kind of like the Gnudi @ Spotted Pig but bigger, softer and… ok not really like them at all. They are very soft and smooth. I don’t even know how they can make food items that feel like you are eating silk (ignoring the taste of fabric…). The sausage was a step too spicy for my palate. But, it was a good contrast to the dumplings, rounded out the dish.
Our other entrée was the Brazied Lamb Shank, Orzo. Not the best lamb shank I have ever had… who am I kidding, I think it’s the first lamb shank I ever had. But, my date thought it wasn’t the best one he has ever had, so I had to agree. It was on the small side, dry and the sauce just wasn’t good enough to mask the poorly cooked meat. Its kind of sad when you can actually say that the Orzo, a relatively bland from of pasta (as if there are tasty kinds?) was a highlight…

Maybe we just made bad ordering choices. I think this restaurant has potential, especially if you find something you love. The service was prompt the atmosphere upbeat. Good neighborhood spot, not necessarily good for a date (at least not a beginning-of-the-relationship date: too bright!) But, just make sure you don’t travel too far.

Joseph Leonard

2009-10-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

http://www.josephleonard.com/

Is that seriously a website? Way to not seem pretentious…
I guess that is what happens when you are the owner of a couple of the best and hippest restaurants in the west village. I did blog a while ago about Little Owl didn’t I? I will remember the soft shell crab with asparagus risotto forever.

When I first heard about Joseph Leonard, which is apparently the names of the owners grandfathers, all I heard about was that it was a place for “daily candy girls with ponytails and skirts” and that the oysters were for some reason not on ice (kind of gross and probably not healthy…). So, I had a wait a bit to let them work out the kinks and stereotypes. Ok let’s be honest. I am the stereotype. But hey, we “ponytailed girls in pairs” drop some dough on a good wine list.

The dimly lit joint had a romantic overtone, while still having an upbeat and lively vibe. The ex-little owl front of the house man turned owner of JL, Gabe Stulman, is on the scene each night serving up drinks and talking to patrons. We sat at the bar, so we were front and center. The bartender and the owner were ribbing each other the entire time about not paying enough attention to the drinks they were making.

We started with the Shrimp and Grits, because I had read that it was one of the top apps. But, it didn’t jump out at me as anything special. I actually thought the grits were rather bland and the sausage and shrimp just didn’t have enough umpf to get the dish going. Now, I’m told that grits is always bland? What’s the point of that then? I would much rather have a risotto! (I’m obsessed…). For entrees, we had the Skate, which was actually pretty phenomenal, and the turkey. Yes, a restaurant was serving turkey for dinner and it wasn’t even Thanksgiving (too bad, I love Thanksgiving). The skate was lightly battered and cooked. It was easy to peel apart, which is my favorite quality of a skate fish/wing, besides the taste. The turkey was a special that will be added to the menu in the winter. Nothing like a heavy, tryptophan(ic) meal to start off your night! It’s well worth it.

I like to count Joseph Leonard as one of those places that you can go for the scene as well as the food. Btw – we went on a Saturday night with no reservations and were seated relatively promptly at the bar.

Yes... I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!: Corton

2009-10-08T20:55:00.000-04:00

Corton
http://www.cortonnyc.com/

The website says the restaurant reflects a light and intimate style. I was thinking more muted and stark. When we first walked in, I wanted to turn around and walk out. You can tell on your first step through the door that the restaurant has no viable atmosphere. The walls are bright white, with a small smattering of colored flowers on tips of whiter embossed vines. It’s tough enough that that area where this restaurant is located is fairly frightening. I felt like I was walking down a dark alley without any mace… except its 2 feet from the Holland Tunnel and in an “up and coming” neighborhood.

There is that man called Paul Liebrandt running the kitchen. I guess he’s a 30ish year old dynamo who just received two Michelin stars. I’m going to be 30 next year…this is the kind of stuff that makes me feel old, boring and unaccomplished (even though I’m young, vivacious and quite generally amazing).

So, all ambiance aside, lets get down to the dirty dirty.

I would call this place a “special occasion” restaurant. Most of the people were about 30 years my senior. The elders know whats up. I went on a Wednesday night (happy bday N), which doesn’t necessarily show the pizzazz a restaurant can have on a weekend night. But, it can show its ability to sustain in a recessionista environment, it was packed when we left.

We had the three course prix fixe menu. The restaurant offered a three course and an overwhelming 10 courses. You know me, I like to eat, but I just wasn’t feeling the whole shebang when I saw how many plates the people next to us actually had at the table. Overwhelming isn’t the right word… it was down right absurd. But, they were loving every second of it, and so did we.

I started with the dish “From the Garden”, its one of their most well known appetizers. It was one of the most beautiful displays of fresh vegetables I have ever seen…on a plate. There were baby carrots, two different color beets, corn puree, and some other vegetables, some of which I could not even identify, but wish I could because they were delicious. The vegetables were topped with numerous delicate, edible flowers. I felt like I was eating something that they had grown in the backyard (ok, so I hope not a backyard in the middle of Tribeca, more like a backyard in the middle of a farm upstate). We also had the Corn appetizer, the name for which does not do it justice. Three dishes came, one with a light corn puree in a bowl, which was topped with sweetbread (which I actually do not care for at all – why do they call something sweet bread, when it is neither sweet, nor bread?). The smaller dishes along side were consommé with a ravioli and corn with shrimp. For mains, we had the Rabbit/Scallop, with artichoke, sweet potato and black garlic, and the Maine Lobster, with heirloom beets, parmesan crumble and bergamot. Poor little baby rabbits, getting eaten again. I couldn’t deal with eating the small little rabbit ribs in Sonoma, and still can’t. Poor Peter and his family (anyone? Peter Cottontail? No? Bueller?). Scallops on the other hand, they are lonely creatures, no family bonds and they aren’t particularly cute either (nor do they have children’s tales written about them). While we are at it, lobsters are probably one of my favorite foods. High in cholesterol, high in taste. The lobster was tender and perfectly cooked, not overly buttery (darn). The parmesan crumble was more like a parmesan crisp and the Bergamot added just the right around of citrus infusion to the dish.

At the end of the meal (after the dessert I didn’t even want) they served the French style macaroons – which are 100% better than the Kosher of Passover ones… sorry mom – and a series of chocolates that I wanted to take home, but thought that would be too tacky… agree? Even the shortbread cookies that were given with the check were great. So to wrap up, Corton is short on atmosphere but it has excellent food from a young chef on the rise.

Marea

2009-07-18T13:01:00.005-04:00

Marea is directly off Central Park South, with view a (past the traffic) from the main dining room and bar. The bar area is great for a before dinner drink or after work with a client. Its backdrop of a glowing cross section of a tree nicely compliments the dark wood interior. The stairway to the bathroom was slightly disorienting. It is very dark, shiny, with almost mirror-like dark wood and quite steep. It felt as if I was walking into a fancy funhouse. However, at the bottom it opens up to a fancy private dining room and nice clean and big bathrooms. I heard that if you sit too close to the street side of the restaurant that it gets noisy. We sat in the back and it was busy yet quiet. The restaurant, although full, was quiet and calm, with servers moving about seamlessly. The sommelier introduced us to a chardonnay that I actually liked! Very impressive in itself.

Trio of Crudo: In general, if you need a like pre-appetizer, crudo is the way to go. We tried the trio because, being us, we can not decide on one thing, and aren’t interested in being confined to things like… dishes or… price. So, we got the trio (which in actuality wasn’t overpriced).
- Scallop with orange and cucumber – This was my favorite. The diver scallops were delicious. They were large slices, not so large that you even got a whole scallop, but for a crudo, it was a decent size.
- Tuna with cucumber. This was just ok. The tuna was good, nice and dark, but it was nothing special. I would have liked some wasabi, spicy sauce and a roll instead.
- Branzino with caviar. We got this because we never get sea bass crudo. It was unimpressive and lacked taste. I don’t suggest getting this.

Zuppa. I can’t find it on any of the menus online, and don’t remember the full name. But, it was a delicious creamy pea soup, garnished with my new favorite vegetable, cauliflower. Ok, so this might sound slightly to very slightly like the soup I had at Convivio. To be honest, I didn’t even realize I was ordering a soup, I thought I was ordering scallops, which is what is in the middle of the soup, topped with trout roe. I only read what I want to read on the menus, I guess! The scallops tasted divine and melted in my mouth. I liked the scallops in this dish even better than the scallop crudo. Plus, I’m one of those few people who actually like the large fish eggs (roe). Yes, they can be a bit scary, but when they pop in your mouth its fun right? You eat chicken eggs why not fish eggs?

Lobster appetizer: Astice – Nova scotia lobster, burrata cheese, eggplant al funghetto and baby basil. My boyfriend loved this dish. The lobster was sweet and tender, which was nicely complimented by the creamy burrata cheese (which is an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream). It was an appetizer portion, so we didn’t expect much, and neither should you. It was probably a small tail wrapped around the dish in a circle. Still good and worth trying.

Mare – Shrimp, clams, scallops and basil risotto. As usual, I got the risotto. The risotto was just ideal for me, not too creamy and not too al dente. Since I love all things crustacean, mare risotto is a never fail dish choice. The only thing I could ask for here is a few more little guys in there. But, even splitting the dish, there was more than enough to eat.

Sturgeon - with spring garlic, morel mushrooms and a sweet sauce. We chose this dish because we never had this fish before. It was a meaty white fish. Not as meaty as swordfish (which I don’t like) but not as flaky as Halibut (which I love). I’m branching out one small meal at a time. I would not even be able to place spring garlic. According to another site, spring garlic is “immature garlic that hasn't yet developed its garlic bulb and has a much milder flavor than the mature bulbs, yet still has that distinct garlic flavor. It can be used in any recipe in place of regular garlic or leeks, and can be used raw or cooked.” Ok… well, that makes sense. It looked like a leek with a small garlic knot on the top, but didn’t smell or taste as potent. This dish was great, simple but a good use of fresh seasonal vegetables that I never would have thought of using. But, that’s why I just eat food, I don’t cook it.

Michael White has done it again. I loved Convivio and now I love Marea. I loved both so much; I am already telling out of town guests and my parents that I want them to check them out. Pretty good response from me, since I rarely have good experiences dining at brand new restaurants. He is one of my new favorites. Not only does he circle the restaurant talking to almost every patron (I obviously did not seem important enough, for he looked right at me and walked away… granted we had just ordered so didn’t have any food and probably looked desperate), but he now has cooked me two good meals in a month. Plus, he looks like a nice jolly fella.

Cornertable does Nashville: Loveless Cafe and Pancake Pantry

2009-07-14T21:34:00.007-04:00

Wow… Nashville is quite a town. I barely know where to begin. If you have never been to a Honkey Tonk, its time to go. It’s a mix between a random college bar, the set of Days of Thunder and the Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY. The first time I went to Nashville, we went to a bar called The Stage. There was a live band, and it was obvious they had followers (some cougars, some servicemen and women). A guy even proposed to his girlfriend on the stage. How romantic… I’m sure they will remember everything with fantastic beer goggles.

Onto the good stuff… about a week before I went to Nashville for the first time, I was watching the food network and they had an entire episode dedicated to the wonderful food of Nashville, TN. The two takeaways I got were the Pancake Pantry and Loveless Café.

Pancake Pantry… let’s just start with the line. They don’t take reservations and won’t take your cell phone or even your name. You just have to stand in line…in the heat and sun. They do give you water in Dixie cups, which is nice. Anyway, I heard this place makes the “best pancakes ever.” This is coming from people who actually live in Nashville and are still willing to wait in line. So, that is a good sign. I tried the regular pancakes. I know what you are thinking… when there are a million pancakes to choose from, how could I possibly choose the regular ones?! Well, its simple, people. I just like to keep it real. The Food Network show just went on and on about the special recipe. I wanted to taste it, in it's true, unaltered form. Turns out, it was delish. BUT, I can honestly say that I have eaten a better pancake… I haven’t been to Clinton Street Bakery yet, but my fave pancake is at The Place in the West Village. They are twice as fluffy. The Pancake Pantry’s pancakes were just flat and regular looking. Maybe I was expecting too much out of a pancake. But sorry… it is what it is… just a pancake.

Now, Loveless Café is in a whole world of its own. It’s about 20 minutes outside of the city of Nashville. When I asked a couple people around, would they prefer Pancake Pantry or Loveless Café, they said Loveless for real down-home cooking. Since I had already been to the Pantry, I went with my parents and boyfriend to Loveless Café. Then, 1 hour and 45 minutes later, we were able to sit. Yes, it was that long of a wait. Granted, they are situated in a small make-shift town like atmosphere, so if you have 20-30 minutes to fill, you can. But almost two? No thanks… So, we drove off with their beeper and came back in an hour. (One issue with doing this is that the beeper makes a really annoying and constant beeping sound since it out of range).

Loveless Café is famous for their biscuits (of which Martha Stewart was denied the recipe) and the fried chicken. So, since I’m a fake-a-tarian now, I ordered the chicken fingers. I really couldn’t go all the way like my fellow diners and order the sampler. I would have passed out. Even the chicken fingers came with two sides, of which I got creamed corn (best I’ve ever had) and hash brown casserole. Yes…. I ate chicken fingers, creamed corn and hash brown casserole for lunch. There goes the last nine years of low blood pressure and low cholesterol. I gross myself out.

Back to the biscuits. They were awesome. In my humble opinion, the secret ingredient is pancake mix… because they really did smell, taste and feel like pancakes. That is it. You heard it here first folks. I am the master of secret recipe discovery.

The sampler was three of your choice of meatloaf, fried chicken, pulled pork, catfish or ham (don’t forget the two sides, in case the entrée wasn’t enough). It is hard for me to even explain what the plates looked like when they came to the table. I mean, the four of us (granted mine was considerably smaller) could have fed a family of 15 with the amount we had. But, no one was willing to compromise and share. When in Rome/Nashville!

Speaking of Athens… ok maybe not, but I needed a segue and figured since I was talking about Rome and it is in Europe and so is Greece..., if you have never been to Nashville, you must also check out the full size replica of the Parthenon. No good reason to tell you… just wanted to.

I heart Restaurant Week...

2009-07-08T21:37:00.001-04:00

http://nycgo.com/?event=view.article&id=171992&cid=srw_coke_event_062909

Reason 41 to not like Restaurant Week... Who are they catering too? Don't you think that they should be catering to real NYers? The people that actually live here and might go to these restaurants more than once in every 6-7 years (assuming that tourists visit here that many times in their lifetime). How about people that work? Make money for the city's economy? Those people cannot go to a summer event from noon-2 on a weekday. When am I going to see something that is geared towards people who eat their breakfast and lunch at their desk? Then, I will accept restaurant week....maybe.

Anywho... back to your regular scheduled programming...

Convivio

2009-07-06T20:34:00.000-04:00

Tucked away in the corner of Tudor City, which someone not from NYC may not even know exists, is the cool little spot Convivio. Even though I saw the sign, I still did not think we were in the right place. I am not sure what I expected, but this was not it. The inside is decorated in a hip chic fashion, with bright oranges against a stark white background. The entire restaurant is understated, in a good way. The tables are not too close together, although I did hear a great conversation from the loud talker to my right. She was very into the NYC foodie scene and apparently has been EVERYwhere and wasn’t afraid to tell EVERYone. Her friends were über impressed. Sadly, I was slightly impressed also. She not only knew about the hip restaurants, but also knew about the owners/chef/gossip, etc. Nevertheless, she just sounded so ridiculous and annoying, yet made good people watching/listening. The mother and daughter next to me weren’t quite as exciting. Ok, ok, I know… This isn’t craigslist’s missed connections (awesome – check it out if you never have).

“OUR MENU IS RECOMMENDED AS A $ 59.00 FOUR COURSE PRIX FIXE”

That is awesome btw. Only $59 for a 4 course meal? Granted, I’m sure the dishes are smaller and you are forced to order a dessert, but still great!

We chose a number of the specials for the evening as our dishes, so you won’t be able to find them on the menu. We had the 4 course tasting menu, starting out with the prawn salad special and the fritedda. Usually I would not start with a soup, since it’s so filling and I like to be able to eat the rest of my meal. But, I went for it. The fritedda is a soup made from fava beans, English peas and artichoke toped with ricotta cheese and pancetta. It was amazing. I love a good pea soup, but this wasn’t heavy on the pea taste. It was a nice combination of pureed artichoke, fava beans (which I happen to love) and peas. The soup was not overly thick and creamy either. I am going to pretend that it had no dairy… just puree of vegetables. The cheese and pancetta just added a meaty flavor to balance out the dish.

This pasta tasted fresh and different. Squid Ink pasta with squid… that’s a lot of squids. Yet, this squid confused me… the waiter told me it was “like calamari” but, I didn’t taste calamari… It was chewier and tasteless. I could have done without it.

Malloreddus – Sardinian saffron gnocchetti, crab, sea urchin – This pasta was excellent with a great balance of the tender gnocchetti, the buttery uni, and crab.

I had some sort of fish. I think it was halibut. I remember thinking it was good, but can’t for the life of me remember what it came with! Oh well for YOU. You should go out to dinner with me more. I can’t continue to do this on my own!...

Costolette di Vitello: The veal chop was crusted with parmesan and was served with polenta croutons, onion salad, veal juice. Ohhhhh polenta croutons. Why do I always flock to the interesting and fun side dishes rather than the main? Granted, there is only so much you can do to a main, in this case veal chop. The veal was good, perfectly cooked, juicy, but it was the sauces and additions that made the dish.

The waiter and sommelier were very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I tried the flat prosecco on the sommelier’s suggestion and it was excellent. I tend to drink prosecco when out with the girls, but never had (or knew that it was available) it flat. He also chose me a nice dry white for my dinner. The evening was calming and delicious. I definitely recommend this spot for a date, dinner with your parents, or really, anytime. I did try to make a reservation for 8 people and they only have one table available to seat that many, so it is not good for large groups.

I’ll be updating the blog with one of Michael White’s other restaurants shortly… because I just can’t get enough.

Basta Pasta

2009-06-24T18:10:00.003-04:00

In case you were wondering… some restaurants do not open until 6pm on a Saturday night. What happened to me that I 1) went to dinner that early on a Saturday and 2) didn’t care? I love Basta Pasta. It is a great neighborhood spot… that really isn’t in a neighborhood in particular since its on 17th between 5th and 6th; pretty random area. A group of super friendly Japanese guys runs it and they have a knack for making updated Italian food.

We started out with the Insalata di Cesare - Basta Pasta’s original romaine lettuce Caesar salad. Wow… fancy. Just kidding. It was just a way for us to get an appetizer with greens. I enjoy a good starter salad.

One of my biggest food pet peeves is a crab cake without any crab. You know what I’m talking about; the crab dishes that come with mostly breading and something crunchy but not enough pieces of crabmeat. Luckily for them (cause I’m kind of a big deal), Basta Pasta’s crab dish had plenty of meat to go around (plus, not fried!) I could have done without the grapefruit jelly. However, that is only because I can’t stand grapefruit. I think the citrus and the consistency of the jelly is probably a good combination with the crab… maybe orange jelly? Just a thought… the apple and daikon were a nice side. I love green apples and daikon, although seemingly tasteless, does add a bit of a crunch to the dish. BTW – if you are thinking of ordering: Tortino di Granchio – Crab Meat, avocado, Green Apples, Yukon Gold Potatoes and basil aioli with grapefruit jelly, daikon radishes & chayote

Another patron tipped us off to the specialty of the house was the pasta in a cheese wheel. What is that exactly? See here (to the left). They bring out a huge block of parmesan, melt a bowl shaped area, put the pasta in and toss it around. It was definitely the biggest piece of cheese I ever cut… I mean saw… On the menu its called Spaghetti con Prosciutto d Parmigiano, which is spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano & parma prosciutto. I actually thought it was going to be a little too cheesy and greasy, but it was not at all. It tasted as if the pasta was cooked lightly in butter and then fresh partially melted cheese pieces were tossed throughout. The prosciutto was a nice salty addition to this savory dish.

My date got the Orecchiette al Pollo Organico as his main. Kind of a change from the usual for him, as the meat he orders tends to be closer to the gamey type and farther from the ordinary. The dish is Orecchiette pasta with free-range chicken ragu, fresh tomatoes and sliced prosciutto. The chicken ragu was a step up from what I could make at home (I’m assuming here since its pretty obvious that I don’t cook from all my posts).

The pasta here is just good. Not as good as Babbo (which will be talked about in a future post) but, for a random neighborhood spot, it just can’t be beat.

Anthony David's: CornerTable does Hoboken

2009-06-17T21:58:00.004-04:00

Yes, sometimes I find myself in Hoboken. I used to be scared. Scared of admitting there was a place in Jersey that wasn’t too bad. Scared of leaving the little city I live in. But, I’m over it. I’m getting over myself one day at a time.

On my way to self destruction…I mean discovery… I am allowing myself to experience the culinary mastery that is Hoboken, NJ. I have eaten at a couple places around town, but never went so far to blog about it! Whoa. Calm down there.

Anthony Davids wasn’t our first choice, but it was on “the list” so I’m glad we got to it. It was Mother’s Day, so there were people dressed up with families and babies and mommies. There I was in a t-shirt and a baseball cap (Go Marlins!). So… no worries, they take all kinds. Onto the purpose of this blog, since I can wax poetic all day.

We started with a hearty yet crisp romaine salad with caesar vinaigrette, parmesan (shaved and sliced) and a crostini dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and an olive tapenade. Of course I needed to try the Lobster Risotto with saffron and crisp peas. My only complaint was that the rice was more my-mom’s-paella, less good restaurant’s risotto. Granted, the description did say saffron, but I was thinking just yellow rice. The crisp peas were great as peas always are, so that made up for it a little bit. I had a taste of the lamb, which was very meaty, like a steak, not the tender juicy lamb I’m used to. Yet again, the dish was saved by the accompaniment, the blue cheese mashed potatoes. You can only imagine the smelly creaminess of it all.

The outdoor seating was a plus, as Hoboken is a cute little town, which I will soon call home. But, I’m a little scared if this is some of the best that Hoboken has to offer. I’ll still come back into the city for the good stuff.

CornerTable Barcelona Edition! : Commerc 24

2009-06-15T21:32:00.015-04:00

Well, my boyfriend is, as you might have realized, very into food. When we decided to go to Barcelona, Spain for a quick jaunt, I knew I would be in for it on the eating front. So, he did a bunch of research and found this place Commerc 24 (named for its location’s number and street). It was a quiet, dark and loungy restaurant, decorated with a modern bourgeois flair, with a lot of red, black and yellow. We weren’t seated for 10 minutes when the waiter asked if we had been there before and started to explain the menu, which was the point where he was quickly stopped and told that we wanted the Grand Festival Tasting. Yes, even the name of the tasting menu sounded crazy. 12 courses later, I had finished one of the most unique meals I have ever had.

Luckily for me, they were nice enough to give us a list of the dishes we had on the menu. Two of the 12 courses, amuse bouche and dessert, were actually multiple small items. For the amuse we had: Olives stuffed with anchovies, golden macadamia nuts, chicharróns with guacahina, filo/parmesan/lime and basil, avocado and lobster makisand French oysters (Marennes d’oleron). Now, that may seem like a lot of food, and we were actually very shocked that this all came out at once, it was a little overwhelming and we tried to guess how many courses they would count it as. Turns out it was the first of many.

Course two: Marinated sardines with blood orange and wasabi. Ugh sardines… they are little gross and slimey. I tried my hardest to eat one, but I couldn’t even put it in my mouth.

Course three: Cold infusion with flowers, vegetables and clams. Wow. Not only was this dish really pretty and cool looking but it was also a great soup. The soup wasn’t too salty or heavy, it was just a perfect blend of light and flavorful.

Course Four: consommé with truffle, parmesan and egg. This dish was equally as interesting as the last. In the soup dish, as you can see pictured, was a trio of encased fillings. The white parmesan, the black truffle and the yellow egg. I tried each of them separately at first, and they tasted as they should (which was only a guess because I have never tasted a bubble of yellow egg, let alone a black truffle), but the kicker was to crush them all together to flavor the consume. I believe this was how it should have been eaten, but I couldn’t pass up tasting the flavors one by one.

Course five: Razor clam and tangerine Yakisoba – I don’t remember this one at all. I have been avioding clams in general ever since I found out I'm slightly allergic.

Course six: Pizza-sashimi with tuna. This is one of the favored dishes in the restaurant. It was decent, but not as wonderful and unique as the rest. The tuna sashimi, as with the next dish, was good, but the pieces were so small and I’m not totally sure that it should be considered pizza. It was more a cracker topped with tuna.

Course seven: Tune tartar. Same as above. Nothing special, but still good.

Course eight: Kinder Egg. After two basically mundane dishes, the eighth course came back with a vengeance. The hard shell of the egg was filled with a frothy, salty foam made of the egg whites. I have never eaten egg foam before, nor have I eaten out of an egg shell. It was almost like a salty dessert, because who really eats foam for a meal?

Course nine: Duck rice with foís gras. I didn’t eat this. Who really liked fois? WHO? Where are you and can you please explain to me why this is so popular? The rice was sticky it was flavored like duck....can't go wrong there...

Course ten: Sardines… I don’t really have much to say about this. I tried it, because hey… when in Rome (Spain). But, sardines are just gross little slimey things.

Course eleven: sirloin with roses and berries. Again with the flowers. Now I know I love roses in every form. The steak was a little well done, but the presentation, thin slivers of roses and a berry sauce was a great combination, bringing a little life to an otherwise dull piece of meat.

Course twelve: Dessert overload.

Mandarin-passion-mint

Muesli-yogurt-passion

Sable with pineapple and meringue

Bread, oil, chocolate and salt

Nougat with tuille cigar, chocolate and coffee

Black sesame Oreo with vanilla

Chocolates

Its too hard to go into the exact description of every dessert. There was A LOT of them. I was surprised when they brought everything out, the waiter didn’t say “TA DA!” at the culmination. My favorite dessert was the bread, oil, chocolate and salt. Not such a great menu description? Actually it was. It was literally a piece of bread, pieces of chocolate and an accompaniment of oil and salt. All my favorite things wrapped into one: starchy, sweet, salty, oily goodness. Ok, fine, some of the other dishes were more imaginative, but sometimes less is more, especially at the end of a 12 course meal. There was only so much I could take.

At least we didn’t have the wine pairing. I think that would have put me over the edge. Instead, we had a nice bottle of white which the server poured us throughout the meal. I really liked everything about this restaurant. I like to non-overbearing, yet great service; I liked the wine; I liked the interesting and unique food combinations and the glamorous presentation. I’ve only been to Barcelona for 3 days in my life, so I can’t say it’s the #1 place in the city and you definitely need to go there (ok, I’m pretty positive that Il Buli is the #1 place… in the world…) but, if you are looking for some place to spend the evening and perk up your sense, Commerc 24 is a good start.

Ok, ok, we also went to the famous Bar Pinotxo in the Boqueria. You MUST try it if you head to Barcelona. The Boqueria is the coolest food market on earth (that I have been too…). The seafood is ridiculous looking; huge lobsters with claws as big as my hand, crabs as big as my head, tuna steaks as big as my thigh (which is huge...I’m a food blogger). The owner/chef of Pinotxo, Juanito is awesome. Stop by and let him pick the plates for you. He is a legend in Barcelona and quite possibly the most photographed person in the Boqueria. He has been written up in magazines and is the cutest little funniest looking man ever. He served us wonderful cockle clams, squid with white beans and langoustines. They were all great.

*Random Note: Gwyneth Paltrow's random blog/email called GOOP mentioned this restaurant!

Allen and Delancy

2009-06-14T15:27:00.003-04:00

The first time I went to Allen and Delancy was, I believe, one of my first dates with my boyfriend after officially becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. While some might think it would hold a special place in my heart, I must admit that it only holds a place in my subconscious because I was half-asleep (its amazing we are still together after that showing). I am not sure what it is about that place that raises my melatonin levels so much. Maybe it is the fact that there are no windows, or that it is so dimly lit you can barely see across the room, or the quiet lull of the background muzak. This time around, I was a little perkier.

There is a tasting menu, but we passed since we wanted other things. I’m not into seared/charred octopus. I started with the Vialone Nano Risotto with baby shrimp, English peas, peas shoots and mint. As I have said many times in the past, I love risotto. It’s really difficult for me to pass it up, especially with peas! Remember that Top Chef episode when Carla made the side of peas? My mouth was watering like crazy. The risotto was made perfectly, not too creamy, not too al dente. The worse thing that can happen to risotto is cooking it al dente. What’s the point? We also had the diver scallops with Israeli couscous, lemon confit and cauliflower capers. The scallops (my other fave) were great as well. This was the scallops off the appetizer section, not the raw bar, where I prefer the smaller Nantucket bay scallops. There were 4 huge scallops in the dish, which is more than I would normally expect for an appetizer, so I was pleasantly surprised. The scallops were seared to perfection, with no heavy salt water or fishy taste or smell. I’m glad cauliflower is sticking around in dishes. I was introduced to cauliflower puree as a substitute to mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and never turned back. Anything with an accompaniment of cauliflower puree is already on the right track.

For entrees, we had the Cioppino of Day Boat Halibut with Great South Bay clams, and seafood sausage and the Beef Ribeye with morels, asparagus, white pearl onions, potato purée. The Halibut was decent. It was well cooked and served in a broth filled with clams. I am not a huge fan of clams, especially now that my allergist told me I was allergic #2 out of 5. Nevertheless, I still went for it since he said it was not that big of a deal and it was up to me if I wanted to avoid them. So… of course… I ordered them immediately. One day I will listen and care about what I put into my body. The seafood sausage was ok, its just seafood mashed together and stuffed in a sausage like shape. I have seen it on multiple menus recently and still have no idea what’s actually in it. I guess it’s a part of new wave of side dishes. The ribeye was fantastic and cooked to perfection.

Even though we didn’t get this dessert this time, I can not fail to mention the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart with whole milk sorbet and whiskey-vanilla milkshake. I’m told (as I am not a dessert eater) that it is heavenly.

Our waiter was mostly M.I.A., which was not too bad because we were served in a decent amount of time after ordering. The drinks there are tops. They have a decent and random beer selection if you, or whomever you are with, is some sort of beer connoisseur. The bar scene is slightly more upbeat than the restaurant itself (maybe because you are near a window?) and you can eat at the bar and chat up the cute knowledgeable bartenders.

The LES is not as scary as it seems (for us west-siders). Yeah, it’s far, but it also has a lot to offer in terms of hot new restaurants and even two year old A&D. There are a couple of cute after dinner drink spots for a solid romantic date, but I don’t want to give away any (more) good secrets.

Momofuku Ko

2009-05-28T18:12:00.003-04:00

The piece de resistance: Momofuku Ko. What kind of restaurant doesn’t have a phone? (or at least claims it does not have one). A good one. What kind of restaurant stays alive with only 24 patrons a night? A great one. What kind of restaurant has a chef that consistently wins awards, yet still works in your face with only two other people helping out? An amazing one. And there we have Momofuku Ko. You can barely tell where it is on the street, as there is no sign (just the peach). Then, once you get inside, show your email and ID, you are seated in front of a pretty small and very clean kitchen. Just you and the 11 other chosen ones. The seatings are spread out so, if you are lucky, the people next to you or down the way are a course ahead, so you get a little bit of a preview. You can close your eyes, or pray for the first seating, if you want. It doesn’t matter anyway, the food is better than it looks from a far, so not matter what you see, you will be more than happy when it comes your way.

For your reading and drooling pleasure, I have done my best (with a little help from a friend… ok, a lot of help) to let you know what could possibly be in store for you on your adventure into eating a 10 course meal.

Pea amuse w biscuits – pea soup. I love pea soup. Specifically I love a thick, puree of split pea soup. This was better than that. The sweetness outshined the thickness and even though it was only a small portion, it was wonderful. The pea amuse was paired with a small freshly made biscuit topped with a honey syrup drizzle. A perfect way to start to meal, a little sweet and a little savory to open up your taste buds.

Fluke sashimi buttermilk, white soy. This was our second time at Ko. The first time, we had the fluke sashimi as well. Having this before did in no way alter its brilliance. The sashimi was fresh and thickly and precisely sliced by David Chang himself. The buttermilk and soy added a creamy texture to an otherwise meaty fish dish.

Dashi soup, uni, chives, pea shoots. This salty light soup was a nice segue into the heavier courses. Typically I avoid uni because it’s a weird color and weirder texture. But, like a good little eater, I just went for it. I’m glad I did. I am not longer totally afraid of uni….only slightly now. The pea shoots were split open with the peas seemingly placed one by one in their pockets, as they were crispy and shelled.

Smoked egg, caviar, fingerling potato chips, onions. The smoked soft boiled egg was also a part of our first meal at Ko. It was also the most memorable for me and one of the most unique dishes they serve. To be honest, I do not believe I had a soft boiled egg before Ko. They’ve ruined me forever since every soft boiled egg I have from now on will never live up to this.

Hand torn pasta, pecorino, chicken skin, snail sausage. Everyone loves their sausage… not sure about that chicken skin…. This dish was an interesting mix of textures, with the crispy skins, the smooth soft pasta and the rubbery cheese and sausage.

Foie Gras, Riesling jelly, lychees, peanut brittle. Am I the only one on earth that doesn’t like this dish? It’s tough, since I don’t like fois gras or lychees… so… how can I comment?

Snapper – so I had this instead. A small but fresh and tasty piece of snapper. It wasn’t the most impressive dish, but my bad for not wanting the specialty of the house.

Soft shell crab, celery noodles, hearts of palm, old bay. I talked to David Chang. Yes, I did. I asked him when they started serving soft shell crab. I knew it was just starting to come into season and knew it wasn’t actually in season in the northeast. I am so smart. S-M-R-T. (Does anyone watch the Simpsons anymore?) They just started serving them that week, and imported them from the Carolinas.

Deep fried short ribs (sous vided for 48 hours), scallion purée, onion Way too fatty for me, but my boyfriend LOVED them.

Guava sorbet with cream cheese skin I actually tasted dessert… a cold ice cream like dessert. I only did it because I was interested in the cream cheese skin. You know when you bite half way through a watermelon jellybean? You can see the green skin around the red middle? This was kind of like that. It was red sorbet with a white candy shell (except cream cheese, not candy).

Funnel cake with black sesame ice cream, lemon curd, coconut milk. WOW. I love funnel cake. Love it. I can’t help but like fried dough. It was the prefect ending to the perfect meal, a little playful and something I can never imagine making for myself but I would dream about it.

Take it from someone who has been there twice and will be going again and again, if the internet allows… It is worth putting an Outlook reminder 10am every morning for the opening of the week’s reservations. And even a little random checking in case of cancellations. Also, make sure you cancel any plans you have that night because unless you are going out partying with some famous people for free at a club you never would be able to get into any other way and it will make you an instant star, anyone who would consider themselves a foodie, or even a person who just likes to eat good food should go to Ko when the green check mark says they can.

River Cafe: CornerTable goes to Brooklyn

2009-05-24T12:27:00.005-04:00

Let me set the scene: it was a gorgeous night, no clouds in the sky; a perfect early summer night in NYC… or should I say Brooklyn?
Yes, I went to a borough.

The River Café’s famous setting is why people go there, for the views of Manhattan and the flowery surrounding garden (which smelled amazing). The décor and the view made you feel like you were on a boat on the river. Yet, what they are lacking is the reason people go back to restaurants time and time again… the food. Who cares about the view when you are spending $98 a person (all meals are price fixed) for food you can get anywhere. It is just not as impressive as the skyline.

The tasting menu sounded meek (and was $125 btw), so we went for the two app, two entrée scene. Of course, now that it is summer time, there was a soft shell crab appetizer special, which we promptly ordered. We also went for the rabbit and ravioli. The soft shell crab appetizer was a rather large crab with…to be honest; I don’t even remember what was on the side of the crab. It was decently cooked, but considering I had a decent soft shell crab entrée the night before at a random restaurant/bar in Hoboken, I wasn’t enthralled. The Rabbit and Ravioli appetizer was rabbit loin wrapped in panchetta on top of hand-made cheese ravioli. I was expecting the cheese to be of the stinky, flavorful variety to balance out the gamey taste of the rabbit. To my chagrin, both the rabbit and the ravioli were bland, nearly tasteless, considering all the potential it had.

Now, before I go onto the entrees I must tell you the real reason I will never go back to River Café. It should be obvious that I didn’t care much for the food, but it was the despicable service that did me in. Consider this… I had no idea who was actually our waiter. There were about 5 people working for us, filling water, clearing silverware, folding napkins, etc. But, until we were seated for, let’s underestimate it at, 20 minutes, we were not asked what we wanted for drinks. Then, once we actually ordered a bottle of wine and some prosecco, we waited, again underestimated, 20 minutes until we were asked if we were ready to order. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all for a leisurely dinner, but there comes a point where you are sitting there at the table with your menu closed with no one in the restaurant acting like you are there, when you realize that something has gone wrong. Did our waiter quit? Do we not have one? Oh! There he is. Once we ordered, we got our food within another 20 minutes (rather quick actually). But, at the end we were completely ignored for the check. After 3 hours of dining, when half the restaurant was empty… we just sat there…wondering…maybe we should have dined and dashed?!

So, onto the entrees. I had the branzino with tomatoes and some lemon sauce that I chose not to put all over my fish. They unhappily left the sauce at the table for me when I told them I wanted it on the side. The fish wasn’t horrible. It was covered with a baked almond crust and stuffed with shrimp and chorizo, which is the reason our “waiter” (and I use that term loosely) told me it was a better choice than the sea bass with artichokes. My date had the rack of lamb, which was supposedly one of their specialties. I found the lamb to be extremely fatty, so much so that there were huge chucks of fat left on the plate with each piece. The dessert was decent, and came with the price fixed menu. I don’t normally order a dessert, so I ordered the fancy Brooklyn bridge mousse, where chocolate was formed in the shape of the bridge. It was cool. I took a picture.

One we were finally able to pay and leave, we found that we were at the edge of Brooklyn with no way to get home! Luckily, I scored a cab, where we got to hear the end of the Cavs game (Lebron is ridiculous) and got safely back to the city.

By the way, if you have been there, please let me know if you also think that the dining room is slanted towards the water? It was a little disorienting.

TBSP

2009-05-12T21:24:00.009-04:00

On a quiet Saturday morning after a night of horrible heartburn, all I wanted was pancakes. I figured I deserved them, because I had not eaten for 24 hours.

The line at Clinton Street Baking company was over an hour long (at 9:45 am…it opens at 10). So, we went over to a neighborhood spot that we had walked by a number of times. Spoon catering company is a quiet family owned business, which opened a small restaurant, TBSP, with delicious looking brownies behind the counter and a very pleasant staff. Last time we tried to go, there was a very long line. So, this time, we weren’t expecting much. But, maybe this sleeper spot actually serves the sleepy and doesn’t wake up until after noon.

“tablespoon is founded on the idea that fresh, local ingredients and quality recipes make for culinary success.”

I agree. I like the new locavore movement. If I had any natural light coming into my apartment or any type of balcony and/or open air space, I would probably be growing my own herbs and possibly my own small fruits or vegetables (I would also probably be a bit happier). But, being a poor New Yorker, I must rely on restaurants stepping up and serving the freshest food they can.

The menu (to the left) had no simple options; everything was unique sounding and filled with flavor. We had the breakfast pizza (egg pizza) and the blueberry pancakes. The pancakes were wonderfully buttery, but undercooked, almost raw. The bacon was a little fatty, but, because bacon supposedly cures all ailments, I had to eat it…The breakfast pizza was two poached eggs, on top of a salad of greens, tomatoes, manchego cheese and bacon. The bread was crisp and starchy… The base for it was "pan tomate", a Barcelona specialty, which I hear is actually an excellent segway into my upcoming posts on the food extravaganza that is my trip to Barcelona, Spain!

All that being said, I was sick so I can’t 100% say with confidence that it was the best meal I have ever had, but it is definitely worth a stop by if you are in the neighborhood. Ah, I love Chelsea.

Co.

2009-05-03T14:51:00.012-04:00

A pizza place, that’s all it is right? Well, this is not Pizza Hut or Pizza 33 (ok, that second one is actually a favorite of mine). Check out the menu, this place is gourmand. Want a regular cheese pizza? Don’t be a loser. You didn’t go to Co. just for a cheese pizza. You have to order the one with the salad on top. Sorry to include me in my inner monologue…

Co. (or as the sign reads on the store front: Company) just recently opened for lunch, so I had to check it out. You can see by my other post about this restaurant that I tried to go to lunch there a couple weeks ago and it was not an option. What a waste of a 5 block walk (lazy bum… sorry... inner monologue). I don’t know what to say about this place. It’s pizza. The dough is excellent, but a little burnt on some parts (which you may like). It’s very dusty, i.e. when you eat it your fingers turn black with soot (char?). I ordered the Popeye (pictured..half eaten). It was a crispy spinach salad on top of a pizza pie. There was supposedly cheese on the dough, but I barely tasted any. Not to say it was bad, because it wasn’t. It’s a lot less greasy than the normal pizza I tend to eat and way more unique. I’ve become a fiend for pepperoni and was slightly disappointed that there was no pepperoni option, only a couple different sausages. But again… unique is the operative word here. I also had a piece of the Ham and Cheese (pictured). Again, not too much cheese here, way more ham, or really prosciutto. It was nice and salty, which I love. The picture doesn't even do it justice, since it looks like I took some bread in my kitchen and threw prosciutto on top. I might even actually try to make this one, as it seems pretty simple.

The décor is a mix between restaurant and pizza parlor. It is very non-descript… I probably shouldn’t be saying that considering I’m trying to describe it… I guess I should say, it was just simply decorated, yet not as simple as the typical pizza joint in the city. Co. is much more upscale and more like a restaurant.

There are a bunch of small two tops and some big tables in the middle. It would have been nice if the restaurant, which lets in semi decent light, was a little more open-air accessible. There is a rather large wine selection considering it’s just a pizza place (I know I keep saying that, but its true.) There are another menu options, including choice of the oh-so-minimalist cheese. I don’t have to go back. I’d say give it a try once, maybe for an early Sunday dinner, but you are going to go back to your local shop or the old staples like Patsy’s (actually in the same area and they deliver...) and Grimmaldi’s which are still tops in my book. I would have wanted to see a bigger selection of pizzas. Maybe that will come later. Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if this place wasn’t around for too much longer unless they really come up with something special to keep people coming back.

Time magazine article mentioning Co.: http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1896713,00.html?cnn=yes

Nobu

2009-05-03T14:36:00.012-04:00

Today I googled Nobu. Not, the restaurant or the chef, but the actual word. It means prolonged or stretched in Japanese. I know you wanted to know that…

Friday night, went out on a raining night to the original downtown location (I try to generally avoid midtown when not at work or in the park). I wanted to go to Nobu for a long time. It was on the list. I felt that as a good New Yorker, I needed to experience the restaurant that everyone has been to; I’m just a jealous person.

Happily, I came across a promotion that Continental (my new airline of choice) was running called International Restaurant Week. I am going to Barcelona in a couple weeks, so I wanted to check it out in case they were running some special at a restaurant there. Unfortunately (and fortunately?), the restaurant week was actually for internationally themed restaurants in NYC. Does that not encompass every restaurant?

Well, it did have Nobu, and for every $100 you spend there, you get $50 in Continental money. So, we figured, we were eating for ½ off! Nice recession thinking….

Speaking of recessions, wow… Nobu was getting hit pretty hard on that front. We walked in for an 8:45 reservation and the place looked like it was 4:30pm. I think there were about 5 tables full of people. Granted, by the time were were ½ way done with our meal, it had filled up. Yet, there is no bar scene, there were no people waiting for tables. Is this because I’m the only one left in NYC that hasn’t been to Nobu? Is this because it was raining? (We all know that this sadly deters people in the city from going out and people outside from coming in.) Is it because Nobu is overplayed and overpriced? It could be any number of those reasons.

We originally thought about ordering the Omakase. But, when hearing what it was (just a parade of the signature dishes, nothing off the menu or special), we decided to take a little cheaper route and order the dishes we actually wanted. Granted, some of those were the signature dishes, although after eating them, I can’t really understand why…

We started out with the Bigeye and Bluefin Toro tartar. The dish was very small and the poor presentation made it look even smaller. The toro itself was good, but that’s what you pay a heafty price for it. Our next dish was the Yellowtail Sashimi with jalapeno (pictured). I was told I needed to try this by a co-worker. While it was good sashimi in a nice sauce, the jalapeno was extraordinarily hot. No one's fault here but my own. I just can’t handle the heat! Next, I think because of the continental special, we were given a free appetizer by the chef. It was a lobster salad and was the worst dish we had the entire meal. It was lobsert claw meat (which isn’t the tastiest part, or the meatiest) in no sauce and served on random pieces of butter lettuce. Thanks? We were then partly saved by the Black pepper crusted Ahi Tuna salad. The tuna was good, but the sauce/dressing overwhelmed the dish. The lettuce on top was dry and the lettuce in the bottom was sopping. Granted, the dressing wasn’t bad, I just didn’t like how it was used. To end our foray into the cold apps, we had the squid pasta. I thought this was going to be pasta with squid. I probably wasn’t listening to the explanation… ok, I know I wasn’t, because we got a bowl of squid. It wasn’t like sautéed calamari. It was different. These were huge pieces of squid tenticles. If it sounds gross. That is because it was.

Our first signature dish, the Rock Shrimp Tempura (pictured) with creamy spicy sauce was decent. It was not spicy at all (good for me and explained as such by our waiter when we ordered). But, everyone makes rock shrimp tempura nowadays. If you are going to eat this, go to Lure Fishbar. Its amazing. Also, try the calamari there while you are at it. That dish was followed by the Black Miso Cod (pictured). I didn’t like this at all. All restaurants serve a version of this now, and Nobu’s was probably the worst I have tasted. The miso sauce was excellent. Yet, the fish was dry and tasteless. Cod isn’t the most tasty fish out there, actually I think its pretty bland. But, restautants have been able to transform this boring poor mans fish to a culinary hit. Nobu just failed me. Yes… there is more… We had to try the sushi. We ordered the house special roll (all of the other rolls sounded incredibly boring) and some extra pieces of Spanish mackerel, Red Snapper, Eel. The sushi was decent. But, I guess there is no point in expecting good sushi from a restaurant not known for its sushi. You are better off going to Yama, Blue Ribbon, Sushi Yasuda or Sasabune.

Since its also the week of the Tribeca Film Festival, there were interesting characters in the restaurant. Next to us was a table of complete randoms. Maybe a film crew? Maybe the mob? The table was filled with about 12 people that had very heavy accents and were abnormally tan (considering we have only seen 2 days of sun this spring). It was someone’s birthday. They got him really odd gifts and probably thought I was a freak by starring at them. Whatever, I love people watching.

Maybe I should have gone to Nobu when people actually cared about it. There are so many new and better restaurants. Nobu was acclaimed for its innovation years ago, but now that all restaurants with the same theme make the same dishes, but better. There is no reason to return. I feel bad for myself and my boyfriend that we dragged ourselves there with high expectations.

Blue Ribbon Sushi

2009-04-29T20:34:00.005-04:00

I always tell people that it is un-New York to not eat sushi. It’s my little way of getting back at the people who tell me it’s un-American to not eat ice cream (which I do not like). What are the best sushi places in NYC? Probably the ones I cannot afford to go to…

Citysearch has an interesting list , with Blue Ribbon coming in a strong 4.

Of those, I have also been to Yama (love it – on Irving), Morimoto (on the most expensive blind date ever, excellent food…) and Bond Street (decent, but more sceney than foodie).

Most of these places have been in NYMag’s list for years. I won’t spoil this entry with talking about my experience at Sasabune (because nothing compares). I guess good sushi will always be a staple in New York's diet.

I had only been to Blue Ribbon Sushi once before, so it was like the first time all over again. It’s difficult for me to describe sushi. I’m just hoping most people know what it is…

The Sake Tataki (salmon tartare) is one of the best in the business. I am not a huge salmon fan (too fishy and boring) and I really liked this dish. A couple of years ago, I had my first face off with a quail egg on top of tartar. Are raw eggs good for you? I know body builders love them, why shouldn’t I?
The Kanpachi Usuzukuri (thinly sliced amberjack with yuzu pepper) was next. I have never tasted amberjack. As usual, I looked it up. There are many pictures on the web of very excited people holding up their catches. Being from Florida myself, it’s a wonder that I have never eaten amberjack, yet they are found there.
Wakame (seaweed with sesame dressing): This is just a general favorite of mine. I think it’s the sweetness and the different textures. I would much rather have seaweed salads than 8 pieces of iceberg lettuce with ginger dressing.
Spicy Tuna & Tempura Flakes with cucumber inside out… do most real sushi eaters find spicy tuna a non-choice? It is definitely the one I, and all my friends, tend to go after at every place. For a while, I told myself that I was on a quest for the best spicy tuna roll in the city. Then, I realized that was a dumb quest and that tuna are filled with mercury and I shouldn’t be eating it more than once a week.

Where have I had a spicy tuna roll you ask? Let’s go through a few places: Yama, Aki Sushi, Sumile, Taka, Lure Fishbar, Blue Ginger, Blue Ribbon, Bond Street, Haru, Hakata Grill, Natsumi… ok ok you get the point? Some spicy rolls are overly spicy (Hakata! Thankfully the one by work closed), but Blue Ribbon has hit the mark. The roll is not overloaded with the spicy mayo nor is it 90% rice, 10% fish/mayo combo.

Spicy Crab Roll (blue crab & shiso) This is just another twist on a spicy tuna roll… with crab. I happen to love fake crab (kani). However, you really need the real crab in the good rolls, which Blue Ribbon had.
Madai (japanese red snapper). This was my “random sushi piece” choice of the night. I’m sorry to mention this, but Sasabune’s snapper sushi put this piece to shame (I mentioned it again...)
The Karai Ise Ebi (spicy lobster with egg wrapper.) I decided to test this one out because it was the most unique of the sushi choices and one roll just isn’t enough to fill me up. The egg wrapper was interesting. It reminded me of a crepe, very thin, no overpowering taste. The sushi piece came with a sizeable piece of lobster, no skimping here.

Blue Ribbon Sushi is a great choice if you don’t mind spending some dough to get some grub. We waited in the entrance way and were allowed to order drinks and appetizers (people were even eating full meals there) and waited 40 minutes on a Wednesday night at 8, table of 3. As a side note, I believe the people next to us were on a date, even though they were both married. Very awkward, yet, as usual, great NYC people watching.

Braeburn

2009-04-17T17:38:00.002-04:00

I needed a place to bring my parents. This is not easy task. It was requested that I bring them somewhere like the places I write about, yet it can’t be too expensive (so I couldn’t go crazy) and it couldn’t be loud (which took out about 95% of the restaurants I would normally try). Therefore, off I went on a search for the perfect place.

I thought I knew the west village. Yet, another restaurant has popped up that I never knew about and never would have considered going to, if not for an equally obsessed foodie friend. Thanks Nick! (No not my nick, another nick). Its reasonably priced and reasonably quiet, not to mention they liked the food (and the company, which can’t be beat!)

I feel like we all really got to know Braeburn. There were four of us. We ordered 4 appetizers and 4 entrees, basically the entire menu. For appetizers, we ate the Clam Chowder with littleneck & razor clams, chorizo, dill, the Spring Mache Salad with breakfast radish, bacon, sherry shallot vinaigrette, the Quail “Sausage” with baby white turnips, smoked mustard sauce and the Roasted Beet Salad with Braeburn apples, spicy walnuts, goat cheese fondue. I don’t really feel the urge to discuss the salads, other than to say that they were good, as salads go. The clam chowder was excellent. It was what I would consider in a light cream sauce. It’s no Capital Parker’s, but sometimes you can do without the heavy appetizer. The chowder was nicely spiced, a bit “crunchy” for my mom’s taste, which was because of the crispy dill. Sounds gross? Tasted great. The quail “sausage” not only was an interesting dish to eat, but it was also a conversation piece. What is a quail sausage you ask? Well, I assumed it was quail spiced and in the shape of sausage. I was incorrect. I still think I am correct. My dad… disagrees. Yet, we did agree that it was rather tasty and uniquely creative. I suggest that you try it, if you are adventurous enough to taste a small helpless bird that never did anything to you anyway. Sorry – a little of the old vegetarian coming out there… back to reality (oh there goes gravity).

Continuing on our tour of Braeburn, we ordered the Top Sirloin of Lamb with crushed peas, mint, and garlic sausage, the Skate with bok choy, honshemeji mushrooms and maine mussel broth, the N.Y. Striploin with grilled radicchio, pickled cippolini, and balsamic vinegar and the Petite Veal Rack with fava beans, red shallot puree, and Madeira jus. To be honest, we only ordered all of these things because everyone else, less me, wanted to order to the lamb. I told them that was ridiculous, and because I’m boss they listened... How can I write a blog about one entrée? I’m selfish… So, we all ordered different items. I had the Skate, which is like a sting-ray. You can tell if you buy it in a store, or go to a restaurant that serves you hefty portions, the you are getting a big chunk of wing (yummy thought…). I love it. I first fell in love at Lure Fishbar (excellent). But Braeburns’s skate was equally as good. I like the way you can peel apart the fish in segments. I can’t help playing with my food. I did try everything. The lamb was excellent, and although I found it to be a little fatty, it was the better of the other three entrees. The steak was cooked well, but its just a steak… The veal rack was also well received. All in all, we had a good time and an excellent meal.

Random side note that I think is cool: They also have a $30 comfort menu that you can substitute with Passover menu until April 15th (I posted too late for this to matter; assuming anyone even reads this blog and/or takes my recommendations?)

Union Sqaure Cafe

2009-04-10T12:07:00.006-04:00

Has anyone in NYC not been to this restaurant? It’s been on the Zagats top restaurants since… I don’t know how long (literally no idea; just know it has been a while). Its part of the Union Square Hospitality Group (thanks Danny Meyer! http://www.ushgnyc.com/_pdf/company_overview.pdf).

So, I love the restaurant Cookshop. It’s not only close to my apartment, but its also consistently great food. I tend to get a lot of the same thing over and over again, but I have never been disappointed. I have heard that one of the faults of Cookshop (never in my mind) is that the menu is too small. The food is good, but there’s nothing to choose from. So, here comes Union Square Café.

They don’t have a brunch menu, its called lunch. I’m scared.

It was 1pm. Do you know where you are going to eat? (How annoying is that news channel slogan?) Turns out that lunch at USC far surpassed my imagination. In a very not-me move, I didn’t even check the menu. It wouldn’t have mattered. The menu is so large that I wouldn’t have been able to just decide in advance and stick to my decision; especially after I saw all the plates going by. I never thought I would be having seared scallops on a random Sunday lunch. That is my normal dinner go-to. We ended up splitting the scallops and the tuna salad sandwich. Yes, I typed it. Tuna Salad sandwich. I consistently refused to eat that as a child. Mayo really isn’t my thing. My mom would make my brother and herself a sandwich, and I would make my own… with honey mustard dressing. More healthy? Maybe, but that wasn’t my concern 20 lbs and 10 years earlier. I just think mayo is disgusting. (Melanie – if you are out there, feel free to post photos of the greatest all time mayo fight). I try to avoid lobster rolls with a lot of mayo (hello Klee). I make them at home with just the plain lobster on a toasted bun. Why ruin the goodness? But I digress….

As I mentioned, we split the Seared Sea Scallops (with brussels sprout-bacon farrotto and black trumpet mushrooms) and the Tuna Salad Sandwich on Tom Cat White (with slab bacon, arugula and garlic potato chips). The scallops were a no-brainer. I saw them pass. I love black trumpet mushrooms, even though I think they look like a charred green vegetable. I love USC’s scallops (check out the other link to the restaurant). They did not disappoint. As you can see to the left, the scallops were large. As you cannot see, they were also tender and cooked to perfection. The tuna sandwich was probably the best I have ever had (sorry mamma). Yes, there was mayo, but the overall taste, including the slab-o-bacon and the delicious bread glazed over my hatred. I’m glad we split it because it was enormous (my half pictured – which I couldn’t finish). USC, being the delightfully elegant place it is, split our dishes so we didn’t have to pick them apart.

I suggest that everyone give USC a try. I have now eaten there for dinner (pre-blog starting so you didn’t get the pleasure of reading what I thought on my first try) and now lunch. There’s a reason that this place has been on the top of everyone’s list for years: it’s a wonderful restaurant with excellent food, great service and a non-disturbing atmosphere. It doesn’t try to be something its not, but it puts all those places to shame. You can just ask the guy I sat across from: with hair down to his bum, covered with a doo-rag, a Redskins jersey (why?) and workman boots, the guy was enjoying a Sunday Funday with two buddies wearing their softball uniforms, drinking three bottles of red wine and some beers and eating everything on the menu. I don’t judge, I’m just glad that I wasn’t the least dressed up person in the joint.

Bar Blanc to Reopen as Bar Blanc Bistro

2009-04-10T12:03:00.001-04:00

Bar Blanc to Reopen as Bar Blanc Bistro
Random rant: I’m not sure if this is justified, but when restaurants tout their menu as cheaper “recession friendly” and the prices are the same, something smells fishy (no pun intended). Granted, at Bar Blanc Bistro, the bar menu is cheap eats; but it’s not nearly as appetizing as the “bistro” menu.

Socarrat Paella Bar

2009-04-04T12:46:00.005-04:00

On an unassuming street (2 blocks from my apartment, also unassuming…) in Chelsea – the best neighborhood in NYC – there is a small 20 seater restaurant called Socarrat Paella Bar. Seemingly run by a family (the guy who took my coat seemed very vested in how much I enjoyed my meal), Socarrat has been getting a lot of buzz. Therefore, because I am into the new and buzzed, I went last night to see what everyone was talking about.

The dimly lit restaurant was crowded with a different scene. The lighting and atmosphere makes you feel like you may just be in a small restaurant in Spain. The staff was extremely friendly, clearing, cleaning, suggesting dishes, partially (mostly?) because they are hurrying you along so the next person can sit. Usually, I would be annoyed by this, but I think their attitudes and the fact that the paella takes 30 minutes to cook, makes it feel like you, not them, are dictating the time. It is hard to come by a restaurant with one long table, high chairs and such a mix of old and young, business and casual. That must speak volumes of the place if so many different people are willing to give it a go (or at least speaks of the people that have reviewed the place before). They do not take reservations and I heard that the line on a Tuesday night could lead you to an hour wait. So, at 7:30 on a Thursday, I was prepared to wait at least an hour. Either the food gods were looking down on me, or the recession is taking its toll, because we only waited 5 minutes.

We started with some tapas, even though we had read that they were more or less a waste of your stomach space compared to the paella. We ordered two of the specials, the white asparagus (a favorite among us) and the lamb chop. The asparagus (available year-round, spring is the best season for fresh asparagus. Crops are harvested from late February to June, with April being the prime month) tasted and felt like they came out of a can. They were very soft in texture and overly pickled, served on a yellow cheese sauce with crispy serrano ham on top (actually the tastiest part of the dish).

The lamb, which you can see a picture of on the website or in real life to the left, was overcooked. Yet, it was nicely seasoned and the sauce and potatoes were good. Generally, I like my potatoes a little more crisp, but we were not ordering home fries with brunch, so what can I expect? Our third tapas was off the menu, the Canelones, which are a wrap of thin pasta stuffed with shrimp, spinach manchego and drizzled with vizcaina sauce. I was not in love with this dish, although it was creative and relatively good. It was one of those dishes that is hot and cold at the same time. The wrap was cold and the inside was hot. On the other hand, maybe it was sitting for a while? I don’t know.

Onto the main course: The Paella we have all been waiting for… This isn’t your mom’s paella (my mom makes a mean dish). No yellow rice and saffron. See to the left the picture of Socarrat, which refers to the sticky rice at the bottom of the pan, where the servers scrape the bottom of the cast-iron dish in order for you to get the good stuff. We ordered the Paella Socarrat. The rice was topped with chunks of chicken, fish & beef, shrimp, cuttle fish, edemame, mussels and cockle clams. You have to order the dish for 2 or more people. Its huge an takes up to 30 minutes to cook, so come prepared. At a semi-steep rate of $21/person, this paella did not disappoint. To be completely honest, the rice was awesome. However, that’s where it ended for me. I had one bad shrimp, which was overcooked, soft and hard the weirdest texture and I was done. It was really hard to get over that. My date, on the other hand, said all the shrimp he ate were great. So, guess it was just a bit of bad luck on my part. The mussels, clams and even the beef (coming from a semi-non-meat eater) were all properly cooked, which has to be hard when everything is possibly cooked together. Usually the “meats” in a paella dish are overcooked and chewy, but this was not the case here (less the bad shrimp).

They deliver and do take-out for lunch only, which may be good for office orders. This is a good place to try if you are in the neighborhood and looking for something different than the typical Asian-fusion cuisine that abounds in Chelsea.

Corner Table goes to Wine Country

2009-03-30T22:13:00.011-04:00

Welcome to Healdsburg

When planning a trip to wine country, everyone has their own suggestions about where to go, where to stay, where to eat. Well, here is where I went, drank and ate. Do with it what you may:

Gary Farrell - full tasting and complimentary cheese. Our tour guide sure did know a lot about Gary Farrell. This is a great starting off point. We had a 10:30am reservation and were the only ones there. The tour was long enough to learn about how they make the wine, but short enough to not get bored. See below for info:
Gary Farrell Wines10701 Westside Road, HealdsburgPhone: (707) 473-2900Website: http://www.garyfarrell.com/Daily tasting and tours by appointment. View & Spacious Tasting Room, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay.
Grove Street Wine Brokers

Merry Edwards – full tasting – Our pourer was very knowledgeable about wines. I definitely learned more about the region and wine country than I did about Merry Edwards (a change from Gary Farrell). We were sat in a private room, with no interruptions. I assume that if you are there at a busy time and not such a big group (we were 6 people) that you may share your table with others.

Siduri – This is a random spot in the middle of a business park, great small family winery
http://www.siduri.com/

Twomey – very nice building and outdoor space. Extremely friendly wine pourer. Gave us good restaurant recommendations. $5 fee, but get a wine class for free.

Twomey Cellars – 3000 Westside Road, HealdsburgPhone: (707) 942-7120Website: http://www.twomeycellars.com/

Rochioli – said to be first pinot makers in the area, contested – give grapes to gary Farrell
J. Rochioli Vineyards & Winery6192 Westside Road, HealdsburgPhone: (707) 433-230511am - 4pm. Picnic Area, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc.

Papapietro – small family owned in group of wineries

Papapietro Perry Winery4791 Dry Creek Road, HealdsburgPhone: (707) 433-0422Website: http://www.papapietro-perry.com/ Open Daily from 11 am - 4:30 pm. If you have a passion for Pinot, come join us in our tasting room.

Bella Caves – horrible wine, in caves, so interesting.
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves9711 West Dry Creed Road, HealdsburgPhone: (707) 473-9171Website: http://www.bellawinery.com/

Martinelli – quick tasting, no personal attention.
http://www.martinelliwinery.com/

Hop Kiln: We learned that mustard is planted to supply nitrogen to wthe soil when wineries replant. So, when we were told at Twomey that there was a mustard tasting at Hop Kiln winery, we couldn't pass it up. Whats better than 100 bottles of wine to taste? 100 different kinds of mustards? Could go either way... Well, this change I enjoyed. I ended up with four different kinds of mustards, probably more mustard than I will ever need.

Lunch: Willie’s Seafood

We went to this place on a recommendation from one of the pourers at the winery. It was totally overrated, but the crab cakes and the calamari were excellent. Granted, you have to consider that we went here after a serious stop for mustard tasting at Hop Kiln and with four wineries under our belt. So, it could have gone either way.

Dinner:

In town: http://www.scopahealdsburg.com/
Scopa is a great little Italian place in the center of town. Seating is limited, with only one large table (semi-outside). But, it was packed. Even after 10pm, which I would assume in a quiet wine country town is pretty late for a neighborhood spot, people kept pouring in. The service was good, with a just-off-the-boat Italian guy helping out our knowledgable waitress. We went with a bunch of small plates, the best being the Burrata Cheese (some of the best motz I have ever had), Polpette Calabrese (Meatballs) and Lamb (small but spicy). Great thin crust pizza, but regular is the best way to go, you can skip the special.

Madrona Manor: The restaurant was very quaint yet extravagant in an old era type of way. It is expensive to stay there, but definitely worth the dinner stop. Great for a special occasion. http://www.madronamanor.com/ . There is a very liberal tasting menu – can choose you own size (3,4,5 courses and your own menu, or get the traditional tasting). Extraordinarily nice service, chef came out to greet us (young and to be honest… pretty cute). Standouts from the tasting menu included an asparagus course, with quail egg, the rabbit tasting, rabbit four different ways, fois gras tasting (I’m not a fois gras fan but I hear it was great: seared, terrine and torchon, stone fruit, savory popovers, uplandcress) and the halibut. No need to order the tuna appetizer (Oh-Toro Tuna Crudo sea beans, edamame, ginger, ponzu "froth"), it was two extremely small pieces of raw tuna on a huge plate, never a good idea.

They are famous for their homemade ice cream ($250 a lb vanilla from Tahiti, Cart "à Glace"Ice Cream Sundae, instantly hand "churned" tableside using -324º nitrogen. Served with chocolate sauce, almonds, whipped cream, cherries on top). Not an ice cream eater myself (I know, sacreligious) I was told from all the other diners that this sundae is the greatest sundae of all time. No joke.

Harbour

2009-03-30T21:18:00.007-04:00

Too bad this isn't Harbour Island...

When I received the email from Thrillist (one of the many list serves that I read to find out NYC happenings), I though that Harbour was a place I would like. It had everything I needed: In Tribeca (I’m trying to spread my wings away from the west village), seafood (everyone knows my love of scallops, et al) and brand spankin new. Ok, so I don’t have the best record when it comes to picking restaurants. Most of the good places I have gone to have been because my boyfriend is obsessed with food, and therefore obsessed with reading reviews and picking the best places. I, on the other hand, love going to new places, even though the first week a restaurant opens isn’t necessarily the best time to go. Restaurants need time to come into their own. But, this place was different. There are 10 wines under $20. That is unheard of in NYC, let alone anywhere. I needed to give it a chance.

That was the only chance I will ever give Harbour. An almost eerie copy of one of my all time favorite NYC restaurants, Lure Fishbar, Harbour is decorated like the inside of a ship. No, not a spaceship, which would have been super dope, but, more like a super fancy sailboat. The decorations reminded me of something my parents would have picked out for their home in 1989. Not ugly, just not right. But again, there was the wine under $20. I just kept repeating to myself…

Let’s get something straight before we start: Just because you serve an amuse bouche and a light dessert/palate cleanser at the end of the meal, doesn’t make you a four star restaurant. For appetizers (we were with another couple) we ordered the Sea Bream sashimi, scallop ceviche, clam chowder and the topneck clams. Let’s start there… the sea bream sashimi, although I did not taste it, looked proper enough. The scallop ceviche wasn’t THAT bad. Remember my complaint about L’artusi’s scallop ceviche? Sea urchin… I’m not 100% sure why restaurants think it’s a good idea to mix soft, supple raw scallops with tough unappetizing sea urchin. I guess it’s an acquired taste that I have yet to acquire. The scallops and the sauce were good, although I’m not sure which kind of scallops they were, as they were not whole, they were more like slices. The clam chowder, again I did not taste, looked really odd. That’s the best way I can start describing it. I’ll finish by saying that clam chowder should not be brown. Or, if you are going to be serving brown clam chowder, at least note it on the menu that it will be as such. The topneck clams, all three of them, were mediocre as well.

Then comes dinner (after our first bottle of, actually great, $19 liter bottle of Gruner)… I ordered the Red Hake. The menu was very small, so the options few. I had never heard of Red Hake, but for the sake of trying new things, and because I didn’t want to eat chicken at a seafood restaurant, I gave it a go. Red Hake is a tough white fish with no apparent taste. It was a bad choice, although the other choice, mussels, didn’t seem that good of an idea either. Mussels are a boring substitute for a meal. But again, no choices here. The red hake had no taste, was tough, and was covered with spicy yellow curry foam. The only saving grace of the dish was the two small shrimp shu mai, if you could find them.

No reason to go to Harbour, unless in the next couple of months you feel like it will improve in some way… note: the only other restaurant that is worse in the city is AGO. I went there the first week it opened and the only good part of the meal was the fresh parmesan cheese on top of the salad. I hear that it is still bad there.

I almost forgot to mention that on a Saturday night at 9pm in NYC, there was not a soul at the bar. Ok, so that street in Tribeca isn’t the first place one would normally choose to hang out, but still not a good sign.

But, $20 wine…

Late Addition: I was told to say that two of the diners at this dinner had the best part of their meal before we entered the restaurant. I should have taken it as foreshadowing when the boys insisted on ordering two CrifDogs before dinner.... we would have been better off staying and going to PDT. But, please dont tell anyone that...

The Charles

2009-03-16T19:36:00.002-04:00

WE HAD A FEW CANCELATIONS THIS EVENING AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD STILL LIKE TO JOIN US AROUND 8… LET ME KNOW

CHARLES
234 W.4TH ST
(THE CORNER OF W4TH @ W10TH)

Oh… thanks… although considering I already had a reservation confirmed for 7:45, I’ll pass. If only I saw this before I got there! We sat immediately at 7:45 on a Saturday night and there were probably only two other tables filled at the restaurant. I guess that is what you get for having your windows boarded up as if they place is condemned and don’t take walk-ins. Anyway, enough complaining (for now).

The Charles is actually a very cool new spot in the west village. Like I said, it looks like it’s a boarded up place outside (be careful of the door with no window). Inside is a different story all together. The design is so cool that it reminded me of the architectural digest exhibit I went to when the Time Warner Center opened a couple of years ago. The walls were grey, studded leather (or so I thought) and the dim lighting made it feel like you entered into a speakeasy. The music was awesome. We Shasamed (IPhone app) ½ the songs and sang along to the other half throughout the meal. The only issue was the seating. When we sat at the two top, we were the only ones in the section. This lasted for about an hour until the place really got packed. We were then smashed in between two tables of 8 like sardines. To be honest, I actually felt a little claustrophobic. Because of the last table that joined in on the fun, we had to move our glasses or water and wine to the other side of the table. One of the girl’s hair almost dropped into my water, and she knocked my friends martini into her food (not 100% her fault as there was really just no where to go, although she seemingly did not notice). Luckily, we were done with our meal and moved to the bar area, which was small but hoppin. Great for a quick drink before dinner or to meet up with a friend to catch up (although very few seats available, they did have hooks for our coats!). The drinks were good as well. I had one of the drinks on the menu that the waiter said would “put me on my ass” but, no fears, it did not. Still good and different. Oh, right and the drinks were $16 a pop. Nearly forgot to mention that little fact. Might make some recessionistas steer clear until they come back down from the moon.

Ok, onto the food. Immediately upon sitting down, our waiter told us that everything on the menu was made without butter. What? NO BUTTER? But then how will my food taste good? Isn’t that the point of going out to dinner? Taste? But, ok, I’ll embrace it and hope to be pleasantly surprised…. Which I was!

My date (thanks for joining me HH) and I each ordered appetizers that were the specials. I had the crab cake (as the waiter said – made with all crab) and she had the tomato soup (remember… no butter or cream). In between ordering and getting our apps, we were able to enjoy the hot grilled flatbread with olive tapenade. (Remember, no butter, so they had to get creative with what they served with the bread.) The tomato soup was amazing. My friend asked if it was more like a gazpacho, but it was not (since warm). I was still expecting a puree. This was more than that, as it didn’t have the chunky consistency of a puree. I was very flavorful and creamy, without the cream. The crab cake was as called, all crab. I didn’t notice any bread filling. It was slightly pan seared to a light brown, served with a small salad with light dressing. For entrees, my friend went with the salmon (semi-reluctantly, as we both think salmon is pretty boring) and I had the scallops (I’m going to try going forward not to order the same thing over and over again… but we will see). The salmon was nicely done, nothing terribly special. The Scallops were very tender and tasty, not fishy whatsoever and not overcooked. They were over a cauliflower puree, which is the winter favorite for NYC restaurants. I think this is because it’s a lighter and tastier mashed potato-like option. In addition, the scallops were topped with a sliced green apple salad, another favorite for restaurants to prepare with scallops. Overall, the food wasn’t overly imaginative, but it was still simple and good. Its worth the email traffic to score a reservation. Plus, any out of town guest will think you are in-the-know. Definitely easier than getting into the Waverly Inn, and although most likely not actually chicer, it does look like it.

To get reservations you can email: reservations@restaurantcharles.com

Tell them Jackie sent you… or not since they apparently have no idea who I am (re: email above).

Corner Table goes to Harbour Island, Bahamas

2009-03-13T17:54:00.008-04:00

So, I went on a awesome little vacation this past weekend and figured I would share with my many (many) readers the culinary delights I experienced throughout the island.

If you haven’t taken a trip to the Bahamas this winter, now is the time to go! When its 20 degrees and a wintery mix outside, there is nothing that makes life seem worth living like a 75-degree walk on an empty pink sand beach. In addition, since you did so much walking, you might as well partake in America’s favorite past time… eating.
The island is very small, only 3x1 miles. Yet, it’s filled with culinary genius (as a good tourist trap should be).

First, we started out for lunch at Sip Sip (pictured left) to enjoy our greatest lobster quesadilla ever (pictured). It was a fight to the bitter end for those, as it was 86ed after we ordered, much to the dismay of a fellow customer. The Snapper sandwich, although not my first choice (we ate late so the menu was limited) was a great find as well. We loved Sip Sip so much, that we went back for lunch again two days later… and ordered the same thing. Dinner was split between The Landing (where we stayed) and Rock House (next door). Both hotels/restaurants are set on the harbor side of the island (vs the ocean side re: Sip Sip). The Landing is an island rustic laid-back hotel with friendly staff and even friendlier chickens. Rock House is island chic, with a more hip dining area and bar. Both dinners were excellent, although we decided to go back to Rock House for a second time. The best meal of the combined dinners was as follows: the Grouper at the Landing, the blackened Wahoo at the Rock House, the lobster and crab spring rolls at the Rock House and the best mozzarella and tomato stack I have ever experienced at the Rock House (ok, so now you can see why we went to Rock House twice.)

Also, the island has good places for a quick snack. I had the conch fritters at both Valentine’s Marina and Gusty’s. I prefer Gusty’s fritters, maybe because the owner, who was very excited as I believe we were his first customers, (they had just started opening for sunset) made them. However, Valentine’s did have amazing Grouper Fingers. They were salted and breaded to perfection. I guess Harbour Island just had great grouper. So, definitely try it when you are there.

Another famous treat (I say famous because the customs guy at the Nassau airport told me to go here) is Queen Conch. We got a made-to-order conch salad. The huge conchs were cut up and the vegetables (onions, etc) diced right in front of us at a stand on the side of the road (picture). They even had us taste it before we left to make sure it was spiced to our liking. That is what I call service. Supposedly, people like it there so much that they ask for tubs of this stuff to take home on the plane. I wasn’t a huge fan, but I guess I like my conch fried better than fresh.

Note to travelers: Do not drink the tap water there. I asked for it the first day and it was salt water (as is the shower water which made us smell GOOD….)

10 Downing

2009-03-13T17:50:00.003-04:00

I would like to start by giving a shout out to my girl Famke Janssen who lovingly stole my table. On the other hand, maybe I should thank the hostess, whose idea of “just a sec” is a little skewed. Enough with the disgruntled New Yorker-style writing…

Even though this place was crushed in reviews (by actual restaurant critics and my own slew of restaurant obsessed friends), I had to check it out. I have this burning desire to try all the new places in the city….which I guess is why I started the blog in the first place. 10 Downing is located on a great corner in the west village, Downing and 6th Ave. across from the fab spot Bar Pitti. Maybe that is why it is so popular? Location. Location. Location. Granted, Thursday nights are a big night out in NYC, but this place was crowded.

The restaurant itself is small and bright, with a slim bar area. I don’t totally understand why people would gather at the bar. The restaurant is too bright to find your special someone in a dimly lit corner (a girl can dream) and WAY too loud to have an actual conversation. Actually, thanks for bringing it up, the acoustics in this place were atrocious. I sat at a two top near the bar and couldn’t even hear the waiter speak, let alone my date. I would just nod and smile and hoped no one noticed…

As usual, we ordered for 4 people, even though we are only two (which I guess benefits the reader slightly more than my waistline). We started with the Ocean Trout Tartar and Duck Meatball Cassoulet (because I am a semi-meat eater now). Maybe it is just me, but when I order a tartar, I am expecting a certain texture and saltiness. This was a tartar of a different colour (not in actual color since it was red, so I used the English version of color). The tartar (with mustard seeds, chorizo oil, pine nuts & quail egg) itself was not bad, it was the pine nuts that threw me off. Their nutty taste slightly overpowered the relatively bland fish flavor, while adding a crunchy texture to a usually smooth (slimey?) dish. However, have to chock one up to the chef for introducing me to an interesting way of serving this normally uniform dish. The Duck Cassoulet was also decent. I’m not expert on meatballs, so I ate one and thought it was dry. I was then promptly told that they were in fact very juicy for meatballs. The dish was filled with pimento beans, which were soft and very flavorful, as generally this dish was spiced nicely. For my entrée, I ordered the Striped Bass. NYC restaurants are overloaded with Artic Char and Stripped Bass. I don’t think I have been to one recently without those fish on the menu. I chose the bass for the black trumpet mushrooms. They were delicious. They looked like cooked Kale, but tasted like the wondrous fungi of the forest that they are, salty and tough (not in a bad way). The fish was cooked nicely, although I will never figure out why restaurants cannot actually spice the fish itself, as most of the flavor tends to lie in the crusty skin. For those of you that do not like mint (I know there are a few weirdos out there), the mint pesto had no resemblance to anything minty. As a side, we shared the brussel sprouts, which is a dish I have just recently learned to love. They were fine. Nothing more to say about that.

My date decided to order the appetizer size of two pasta dishes. The Squid Ink Agnolotti (with peekytoe crab, piquillo peppers & lemon butter) was dark and mysterious. Not really, but it was tasty. The Gnocchi (with wild mushrooms butternut squash, cavolo nero & sardinian sheep cheese) was a bigger hit. It was probably the softest gnocchi I have ever had, although I’m not 100% sure that it wasn’t just mashed potato disguised as gnocchi, which is totally fine with me!

Overall, I did not dislike this restaurant as much as I was told I would. Yet, I will not be going back. Coming from a weekend away in the Bahamas where we were the only people in the restaurant on a Saturday night at 9:30pm and could talk to each other in a light whisper and still understand, it is tough to want to go back to a place where I couldn’t hear myself think.

The John Dory Brunch Edition

2009-03-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend was the John Dory’s first weekend open for brunch. Maybe people don’t all get the constant food blog updates that I do, because the place was pretty empty at 12:30. Who was there you ask? Oh, just me and Tom Colicchio (with wife and son). No biggie. Just the head judge of top chef and owner/chef of the Craft restaurants. I tried my hardest to speak loudly when rating the food, just in case he needs a pedestrian judge next season. So, with my two celeb chef sightings (April Bloomfield was in the kitchen), I was ready to eat!

I’m not a cheater. So, don’t take this as me cheating on Cookshop. I still love it, just want to spread my Chelsea wings (or I guess Meat Packing District wings).

We started out with the apple and Guinness fritters. (Days when I plan to not workout at the gym, I make sure I eat the most fattening item on the menu.) They came to the table looking like donuts, with the crispy sweet crust of a glazed munchkin. In fact, they were apples coated with donut tasting dough, topped with beautifully crispy bacon. The bacon pieces were small but delightful and a great salty addition to the dish. The apples were warm and crunchy. Next, we had the Crab en Cocotte and the Hangtown Fry. I had to look up Cocotte to see what that meant: “a small fireproof dish in which individual portions of food are cooked and served”. That is exactly what I got (and what Mr. Colicchio’s son ordered in case you were keeping tabs). There were chunks of peaky-toe crab served in a soup of eggs (I had to crack the yolks), cream and mushrooms. The dish was a little heavy for my tastes, but very delicious. The soup (ok, it wasn’t a soup but it’s hard for me to describe it any other way since it came in a bowl and was liquidy in texture.) was accompanied by crispy buttered bread.

The Hangtown Fry came with a back-story, always a nice addition. (Supposedly) In the time of the gold rush, rich men would come into restaurants and ask for the most expensive item on the menu. Back in those days, the most expensive items were eggs and oysters. Therefore, a new dish was born. The Hangtown fry was a very thin frittata with grilled oysters on top. Sounds a little odd, but it was great. Frittatas are normally too heavy or dense, but since this was so thin, it was perfect. Ok, I just looked up Hangtown fry and this is what I got for you:

Hangtown fry could possibly be the first California cuisine. It consists of fried breaded oysters, eggs, and fried bacon, cooked together like an omelet. In the gold-mining camps of the late 1800s, Hangtown Fry was a one-skillet meal for hungry miners who struck it rich and had plenty of gold to spend. Live oysters would be brought to the gold fields in barrels of sea water after being gathered in and around San Francisco Bay. Such a meal cost approximately $6.00, a fortune in those days.
However it came to be, ordering a Hangtown Fry became a mark of prosperity for gold-rich miners, the status symbol of the day. The recipe swept the entire Northwest Territory, from California to Seattle, in the mid-1800s. A few drinks and a Hangtown Fry were considered a gentleman's evening.

The John Dory was one restaurant where I wish I remembered to bring my camera. Not only for the celeb sightings, but also for the food. The menu is small yet unique and flavorful.

Macao Trading Company

2009-03-01T16:07:00.002-05:00

Set on a quiet Tribeca street, the only thing that notifies a passer-by of Macao Trading Company is the red light above the door. Oh yeah, and the bouncer ready to pounce. Other than the bouncer thing, Macao Trading Company is a seemingly compete departure from the owner’s first place, Employees Only. (The bouncer there is either your best friend or your worst enemy. He once suggested that I call the cops on him, as I was first in line to get in with three of my girl friends, I guess us quietly talking to each other and patiently waiting made him think I was upset about something? Little does he know…)

This place deserves the buzz it’s getting. Behind the velvet curtain (and the bouncer… who cares if you are there for dinner or drinks at 7:30?) is a dimly lit restaurant with a lot of style. Don’t forget to check out the owner’s rendition of a phallus wall on your way downstairs. The restaurant takes reservation for the upstairs, which I would guess seats 50. The downstairs and the bar are first come first serve. We got there at 7:30 and the place was pretty much empty. We were given the option of sitting upstairs in the main dining room, but could only have the table for an hour (er… no thanks) or we could sit downstairs in the lounge which serves the full menu. We chose the downstairs, which can also be rented out for a private party. If you are looking for a place, this would be great. There is a separate bar, separate music and a separate entrance/exit. Perfect for a b-day party, although I have no idea how much it costs. I didn’t see too many large tables for groups, but the lounge area is great for apps and meeting up with friends.

To start, there is a good wine list and a very imaginative cocktail menu. As you can see, the menu is split into Portuguese and Chinese styles. We chose the Chinese style shrimp, Portuguese style meatballs and mushrooms for our small plates, as well as the Portuguese style pork ribs and Chinese style sea bass. Most of Chinese small dishes are fried (not hearing any complaints from me). I got the mushroom and shrimp dishes on a recommendation and I would recommend these along. The shrimp was served with a spicy sweet chili sauce accompaniment while the mushrooms croquettes were wonderfully done with the inside made of mushrooms and cream with truffles (awesome). The meatballs were tender and excellent. Not being a full on meat eater, its not often I enjoy a meat dish without any complaints. The meatballs came in a red sauce and were filled with cheese (maybe that was the kicker). The large or house dishes were not as enjoyable as the smaller ones. My suggestion is to stick to the apps. The pork ribs were more like pork tips, very fatty and covered in sauce. I couldn’t even eat a full one. The bass was decent, over a light soy sauce. There were parts of both dishes that we couldn’t eat because of the fat (ribs) and the tough middle part of the fish.

Overall, I liked this place a lot. The prices are reasonable, especially in comparison to other similarly sceney restaurants in the city. I think our cocktails were more expensive than our appetizers. Some of the small dishes are hard to share with more than two people, as they mostly came in orders of two to three pieces. It seemed like a very cool and hip scene. I will definitely go back, if not only to meet people at the bar. Anyone want to hit up Sway after?

Chelsea Market on your to-do list

2009-02-24T19:03:00.006-05:00

You like my play on words there? Chelsea Market had everything that I needed on a rainy Sunday. The Lobster Place (also on Bleeker), Amy’s Bread (best grilled cheese in the city), an Italian supermarket stocked with freshly made and cheap raviolis (among other things) and the piece de resistance… Fat Witch Bakery. If you have not had a brownie here, you haven’t lived. (Find a list of the many other places here: http://www.chelseamarket.com/)

Let’s start at the beginning. Chelsea Market is located at the top (north) of the illustrious meat packing district, in the building that houses Buddakhan and Morimoto (opposite sides of the building). The Food Network films their shows in the building as well. If that isn’t enough for you to want to venture over to the west-ness of the Westside, I’ll tell you about my lunch there and you will be changed forever.

Like I noted earlier, Amy’s Bread has the best grilled cheese sandwich in the city. I have heard rumblings about Wilfie and Nell, a new bar on 4th and Charles in the old Absolutely 4th location, but just don’t believe the hype. I’ve been eating Amy’s Grilled Cheese since I started at my current job (6 years ago), because there is a Hell’s Kitchen location. To be honest, they are a little heavy on the butter and cheese, but the addition of the greens, tomato and onion make you forget about the fat. They are made in the morning (but pressed to order) and run out quickly (in the uptown location) so make your decision early. You will never look back once you taste the hot gooey NY state cheddar cheese in your mouth.
I must add that I also love their White Been Puree sandwich and the Beet and Quinoa salad (which is big enough for two to share or one to crush).

After my foray into the hot food, I also split a lobster roll from The Lobster Place. When you walk into this store, you cannot help but be overcome by the smell of seafood. The smell is as if you are standing on the docks and the fish looks that fresh. Some you can buy whole, but most are filleted for you already. Since the night before Pearl and Mary’s failed to serve me a lobster roll, I had to cheat and check out this new place. (Not really a new place, just new to me). It was great. Some mayo, some additions, but it is the big chunks of tail meat that gets you hooked. Give me a lobster roll on a toasted hot dog bun anytime and I’m satisfied (is that sad?). I can not wait to try the sushi. Is there such thing as too fresh?

Two words to live by: Fat Witch. Some think “mother-in-law”, I think brownies!!! I actually stopped there first. Who knew that on a whim I could go there and get a signature brownie sample? I thought that only happened in my dreams. Don’t let the cute little emblem scare you off, these are serious brownies. Dense yet smooth, intense yet sweet. If I wasn’t watching my weight (er?) then I’d eat one after every meal.

So, that’s just a little insight into the wonderment that is the Chelsea market. There is so much more to explore, from the Italian and Thai specialty markets, to the pot pies at The Green table. I’m just excited I had the chance to go… Although, I was told by my boyfriend that he may never speak to me again for not bringing him there earlier in our relationship. If he only knew….

Bar Q Closed

2009-02-18T17:08:00.004-05:00

Guess I wasn't the only one who didn't like this place (read my blub at the beginning of the Annisa post).

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/02/anita_lo_confirms_that_bar_q_h.html?mid=grub-street--20090218

My hopes and dreams are answered...

2009-02-12T16:30:00.003-05:00

Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration... BUT, look what happened!
(For those of you that do not remember, this is the place I tried to go to before I stumbled upon Klee).

Lunching
Co. Pizzeria Opens for Lunch

The newly famous pizza spot adds lunch to their repertoire, including their béchamel-enhanced flambé pizza. Unfortunately, delivery is still just a dream.

411:
12:00-3pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 230 9th Ave (at W. 24th St), 212-243-1105, menu available here

Thanks UrbanDaddy for cluing me in!

Annisa

2009-02-11T20:52:00.005-05:00

Unlike its sister restaurant Bar Q (opened by Chef Anita Lo more recently), Annisa has a great atmosphere and phenomenal menu. The décor is welcoming and warm, not stark white like Bar Q. I went to Bar Q when it first opened a couple of months ago and was severely disappointed. I didn’t want to blame the chef… and now I do not have to. Ms. Lo totally redeemed herself in my mind. Or really pre-redeemed herself? Maybe it was my fault for trying a new place before the old?

We were seated immediately and greeted by a very attentive and knowledgeable waiter. When we thought about ordering the tasting menu, the waiter gave us some suggestions, but there were too many things we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to try.

I started out with the Smoked Trumpet Royale Mushroom with Kabocha Custard, Bacon and Thyme. Wow. The Kabocha (Kabocha (katakana: カボチャ) is a Japanese variety of winter squash. Delicious and nutritious!) custard was the best thing we ate. I can eat it for every meal. It was similar to a very smooth polenta, and by similar I’m just trying to give you an idea of what it looked like, not the taste. It was so sweet and smooth I couldn't help but want more. I love eating dessert for an appetizer!

We also tried the Seared Foie Gras with Soup Dumplings and Jicama. As this is a signature dish, I was told it was a must try. Soup dumplings are an interesting idea. I have never had one before and it was very enjoyable. It reminded me of an upper crust French Onion soup dumpling from Stanton Social. The dumplings were beautifully made, very tender. But as I have mentioned many times now, I do not like fois gras, so I believe the overall taste was lost on me (Sorry Rachel). My wonderful valentine’s date loved this dish.

I always comment on the salad starter. Why? Because it’s boring but really important. Like any real NY girl, I love a good salad. But, I also appreciate the fact that it takes up room in my stomach so I don’t eat as much during the meal… I kid! (Kinda…) Anywho, the Field Green Salad with Fresh Herbs salad hit the right chord.

Oh right… my meal. I had the Sautéed Filet of Madai with Morels, Mitsuba and Myoga. Say what? Madai is a Japanese red snapper. We found that everything on the menu that we didn’t already know what it was, was Japanese. Broken down, this was a snapper with bok choy and mushrooms. But, much much better. The fish was a little tough, but tasteful. The vegetables were the main attraction in this dish. I love hen of the Woods mushrooms. These were very similar and very salty (another favorite quality.).

N had the Grilled Australian Lamb Tenderloin with Szechuan Peppercorn, White Soybeans and Garlic Chives. I tried a piece of this. I read recently in an interview with Adam Platt that a good reviewer must me an omnivore… I’m trying people, I really am. The lamb was nicely cooked and tender. Although I did not like the peppercorn crust, my date was entranced by the entire meal. The beans were cooked beautifully, soft yet meaty.

I loved this place. Big thumbs up, three stars, or however you want to rate it.

Late Addition: Wow… I didn’t realize people cared so much about my blog? Wait, no one does, just the one who experiences it all with me. Thank you Mr. I thank you not for helping me with the blog although I have asked you repeatedly, but for telling me all the things I forgot that were your favorites. Sorry for the late addition to the post, but I totally left out the dessert. I am not a huge dessert person, so this isn’t at the top of my list to discuss/tell people about. Yet, it was good enough to be worth mentioning. On our waiter’s suggestion, we ordered the lemon poppy bread pudding. I happen to really like lemon poppy muffins, so this was a treat for me. The dessert was excellent. A warm and crusty outside was balanced out beautifully with the non-overpowering smooth taste of lemon. It was a light and sweet end to a wonderful experience. I suggest you try it, because although out of the ordinary, it was extraordinary.

Restaurant Week Rant Continued...

2009-02-11T15:24:00.003-05:00

NYC Restaurant Week Has Been Extended!

Now through February 27Presented by NYC & Company

Great news! Over 120 of New York's hottest restaurants will continue to servethree-course, prix-fixe $24.07 lunches and $35.00 dinners.

Oh Happy Day! Now I can go to the Russian Firebird Restaurant for lunch before the matinee...

Commerce

2009-02-10T14:20:00.003-05:00

Let me start with a little rant on Opentable… I think it’s a great new addition to the restaurant scene, especially since I just got my first $20 check in the mail! However, I also feel like it is some sort of a scam. When the restaurant called to confirm our reservation the day before for 8:30 on a Thursday night, there was an excess of tables available around that same time. Yet, when we walked into the restaurant it was unbelievably packed.

The restaurant, which looks like a glorified diner, is super loud with an overly crowded bar area. I was hit multiple times with people going back and forth in the walkway between the bar and the tables. Although, it looked like people were not going to be seated with their reservations (the dreaded overbooked or ghost reservation), we were sat within 20 minutes of us all getting there, which is decent in NYC.

On to the important stuff… I have been to Commerce three times now (which I guess says a lot for it). The first time was almost a year ago to the date. I think it was too early to tell then if the place was going to make it past the hubub and into small group of stable west village eateries. The best thing that came out of that meal was the Oysters in Champagne. I know, sounds uber weird, but really, it was amazing. I love to pick the most random looking thing on the menu and give it a go. It really tends to show off the chefs creative prowess. This time, I went for the Grilled White tuna as an appetizer and the Mushroom ravioli appetizer as my meal (ok, so I don’t pick the weird things every time…). One of the great things about Commerce is that they have twice as many appetizers than entrees. I love that. For some reason I just find appetizers much more…well…appetizing. Because I’m a little aloof, when the tuna came grilled I was taken aback. 100% my fault. I thought I was ordering sashimi. The menu was completely obvious (as in it said grilled and I just completely overlooked that fact). Even with the little surprise, I was happy. The Mushroom and Fontina Ravioli w/ sunchoke puree & parmesan emulsion was great. Two words, truffle oil. Considering that truffle oil is a delicacy (?) of sorts, Commerce uses it very liberally in this dish. It was so strong that the entire group smelled it when my plate came to the table. It smelled like a little piece of heaven. Oh yeah, and the Salad of 20 Herbs and Lettuces with manchego cheese, olive oil and lemon isn’t half-bad either.

It’s a good restaurant on a very secluded west village street. Not a special occasion place, but good for a random night outing.

Late Addition: If you care about this stuff, I was just reading the bio of chef Harold Moore. He has been an apprentice to some of the most noted chef's in the city.

Ed's Lobster Bar

2009-02-09T12:39:00.005-05:00

The poor man’s Pearl Oyster Bar? Well, it did stem from the same kitchen….

I went on a Sunday to check out the $33 Clam Bake at Ed's Lobster Bar, but at 7:30 they were sold out. Actually, they were sold out of pretty much everything. The only saving grace was that we were sitting at the bar area and heard every time the chef came into the kitchen to tell the waitress to 86 this and 86 that. I thought I heard that the lobster rolls were done for the day. We were about to get up and leave for Mary’s Fish Camp (Pearl is closed on Sundays), when she said they had two left! Perfect for me, not so much for all the people coming in after.

So, after a taste of the clam chowder, which was not as thick as I like but had whole clams in it and was tasty, and two oysters, a recommendation from the waitress, we each got our own lobster roll! I like Ed’s because the lobster rolls are just that… Lobster. There is no celery or any other random vegetable in the mix. In addition, they are skimpy on the mayo, which is a good thing in my mind. We got full chunks of lobster, not just the veiny leg pieces (like my Klee mini rolls). The bun is nicely, but not overly, buttered and the pickles that come on the side are wonderful. The salty fries aren’t half-bad either.

Overall, the restaurant screams random shack in New England (to a New Yorker or Floridian in my case). I’m all about restaurant competition, so bring it on Pearl and Mary’s. I would be happy to be a part of a serious Lobster Roll off. I think I’m qualified. I've had them all.

Wallse What?

2009-02-08T17:20:00.003-05:00

What is Austrian food exactly? The only meal I remember when I was in Austria last year was the amazing fondue restaurant we went to in St. Christophe. Not the norm. I decided to check out Wallse on a whim on a Wednesday night. It’s in the middle of the west village, on the same block as the ever popular (whywhywhy) Spotted Pig and the discrete Turks and Frogs. You would think that would mean it would be good… not so much.

Not that this should deter you from going, but there was NO ONE there. We had our pick of the front or the back of the restaurant and naturally chose the back (way cooler…). It was us and a random old couple. Awesome. The one saving grace of this restaurant was that our waitress was actually great. She legitimately was Austrian (or German?). She had a great knowledge of wine and gave us recommendations for the menu. I do not fault her for the food being totally mediocre.

We started out with the Lobster Ravioli and the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with spinach salad and mandarin-ginger vinaigrette. Both of these dishes were unmemorable. I barely even tasted any lobster in the ravioli, and I love a good ravioli (check out my upcoming post on Commerce). I then, not surprisingly, had the Wild Striped Bass with risotto and herbal zweigelt sauce. The fish was tasteless, but at least the risotto was creamy and tender. One point. To make matters worst, my boyfriend had the Classic Kavalierspitz with root vegetables, potato rösti and creamed spinach. Kavalierspitz, for those of you who do not know (everyone), is beef shoulder. Yummy… I believe the comment was “I never have to try beef shoulder again.” This comment was quickly followed by “I never have to go to that place again in general.” So, needless to say, we didn’t like the place. Negative 10 points… just don’t go.

Poll Results! (Hold your breath....)

2009-02-08T16:56:00.002-05:00

So, the results are in. Thank you to the 11 people who read my blog... or maybe its just 4 people voting more than once. Either way, it wasn't just me who voted... I swear...
Sadly, I did not end up going to Suba on Thursday night. I read that it was closing in a month (being bought and turned into a Mexican restaurant). So, I figured that 1) it would be a waste to blog about it 2) the chef could probably care less and the food wouldn't be as good and 3) its on the LES... I don't go to the LES. So, I ended up going to Commerce... more about that later.
Back to the poll. Turns out that I liked Annisa that best! What a little hidden gem. It’s on the same street as One if By Land, Two If By Sea and of course Barrow Street Ale house. I will be writing about my experience soon. Thanks for caring. j

Devo's Dishes

2009-02-04T13:40:00.002-05:00

So, I tend to inspire greatness wherever I go... my blog should be no different. Check out my friend's blog http://www.devosdishes.blogspot.com/
Devon is awesome. She is very trendy and hip, not to mention in love with the same thing I am... food. Congrats Devo on your big step forward in the 21st century.

Welcome to the Cookshop!

2009-02-04T10:20:00.002-05:00

We are all creatures of habit, right? That must be why I go to the same restaurants and order the same thing every time I go? I should try to stop it… but I JUST CAN”T. I am mentally unable to not order the Egg Scramble (3 eggs, caramelized onions, creme fraiche, dill & buttermilk biscuit with smoked salmon) at Cookshop for brunch. I have looked at the menu multiple times. I figure I could be happy with the salad, or the heuvos rancheros or even the frittata. BUT I CAN”T DO IT!! It is my favorite breakfast in the city (apart from a homemade omelet with tater tots). Scrambled Eggs with lox and sautéed onions on the best buttermilk biscuit you will ever taste. Go there. Try it. You will not be disappointed. It’s even better than the peanut butter and jelly French toast.

Welcome to the Cookshop. Located on a corner of the unassuming, and semi sketchy, part of west Chelsea, this restaurant is a real gem. I have yet to come across anyone who does not appreciate the fresh, well-made meals that Cookshop dishes out every day and night of the week. I would know; I have been about 20 times. I looked the restaurant up on menu pages; the menu is different and the $$$$ a plenty (don't believe the hype). I posted a picture that I ganked from NYMag (love it). In the back of the restaurant is a huge blackboard. On the blackboard is a list of all the farms where the food came from that day.

I do not want you to think I haven’t tried everything on the menu, because that would be false. It’s just the breakfast that I can’t steer away from. Dinner is a different animal all together. I’ve had the amazing banana bread (hint of chocolate!); all of the salad starters, two different scallop entrees, all of the “snacks”, two different pizza apps, and of course the Halibut.

The servers and hosts are always very diligent and nice. The atmosphere is homey and welcoming. I have sat inside, outside and at the bar, all with seamless service. Not that this should sway you in any way (and I hope to not deter you…) but Gweneth Paltrow gave it as one of her favorite restaurants in Manhattan. Granted… I have never seen her there. I kind of hope not to, as I like the anonymity of it all.

I want Mas (Farmhouse)

2009-02-01T18:56:00.005-05:00

One of the best things about a good restaurant in NYC is when no one you know has been there, no one evens knows it existed, and it’s still amazing. Mas is discreetly located on a very busy corner, right next to the popular Blue Ribbon (regular, not bakery, sushi, etc) and across the street from Blue Ribbon Wine (never been, is it good?) on Bedford and Downing. If you are looking for a see-and-be-seen place, where the people are dressed fancier than the food, Mas is not the place for you. But, if you are looking for a 4 hour tasting menu where you don’t even realize that time has passed, you came to the right place. We weren’t planning on the tasting menu, but the waitress convinced us with “they serve items not on the menu to show off the chef’s talent.” Uh, how can I say no to that? Especially when the chef is a winner of a James Beard award....

I’ll just go down the list and write tidbits on what I thought:
Duck Confit (ok, so I realized I don’t like duck, but the presentation was nice). Instead of this starter in our meat heavy tasting menu, I would have liked to try the Chilled Lobster Salad And Roasted Beet Carpaccio red cabbage, orange segments and a raspberry vinegar dressing, which I would have ordered if left to my own devices.
Prime Tenderloin Steak Tartare with fried quail egg moutarde violette and red endive salad(Actually great! I never had Steak tartar before. A little salty but savory)
Scallop (not on the menu – it was the best course we had. Perfectly cooked and delicious)
Roasted Monkfish in a Mushroom Stew with Carrot Puree, Roasted Pearl Onions and Cauliflower(thought it was chicken, seriously, when it came to the table I did, shows how little I know about chicken…)
Roasted Long Island Duck Breast organic farro, brussels sprouts and cranberry compote(again… duck)
Pork Belly (the boys loved this)
Dessert: We all got different ones, which is an amazing concept. The best was the Huckelberry - Hazelnut Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream & Honey Crème Fraiche. I have never heard of huckleberry before, but I think it’s like blueberries. All the desserts were different and all very good. It was great to have so many options to choose from at the end of the meal. I would be happy with one small piece of chocolate, but not everyone likes that.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere. It is very cozy, not necessarily romantic, but still date material. Impeccable service. No rushing. 9:15 reservation, left at 1am. The waitress was very helpful and knowledgeable. The water was constantly filled (always have to comment). We sat in the quiet back room with a lot of space between tables. No music or it was so soft didn’t distract us and kept the overall volume in the restaurant down. The main room was a little more crowded with closer tables and a big main communal table. A bountiful wine list just adds to the elegence of the restaurant.

If you never heard of Mas, and want to impress someone (like a date or even your parents), it is time to check it out. The menu changes daily, so do not be expecting the same as above.

KLEE

2009-01-28T18:55:00.004-05:00

I’m not sure when this place opened, but it’s been getting a lot of buzz. So, when we attempted to try the new pizza place Co. (or as the sign on the building says, Company) and it was closed for lunch (harsh!), we ended up at Klee.

What a pleasant surprise! Maybe I like lunch/brunch better than dinner? I’m not sure, because I sure loved my soup and lobster rolls! A very attentive hostess sat us and helped the waiter throughout the meal, filling our water (yay) and clearing the plates. The ambience and experience were relaxing and enjoyable.

We each tried a soup (the two on the menu). I had the Bean soup consommé with almond milk herbs, porcini mushroom dumpling and N had the Creamless five color carrot soup with smoked cheese shavings and salted pretzel croutons (as good as they sound). To be honest, I was a little worried about the almond milk. I do not drink milk (yet I do eat cheese/yogurt). But, both were fantastic. A little salty, which I love, but it’s not for everyone. The presentation was very posh, with the soups in a carafe and poured onto the vegetables and cheese at the table by our nice waiter.

I then ordered the four mini lobster roll sandwiches with citrus aioli and diced celery. The rolls were on overly buttered but fresh baked bread. The bread (with the rolls and the soup) tasted like they just took it out of the oven. Small complaint about the butter: I’m fine with a little butter here and there, but no need to leave a pat under the sandwich. I left a lot on the plate. There could have been a bit more lobster in my lobster roll (its no Pearl Oyster Bar or Ed's Lobster Bar). But, overall the sandwiches were very tasty. N had the Schnitzel on baguette (veal lightly breaded and pan-fried) with lingonberries, pickled cucumber, which came with salad. I appreciate a salad over fries, especially when I’m not hung-over!

I say go, give this Chelsea restaurant a try. Will have to hit that pizza place up late night.

BTW - I looked up Almond Milk... I had nothing to worry about: Almond milk is a milky drink made from ground almonds. Unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol or lactose and can be used as a substitute for animal milk in many recipes.

Bar Blanc

2009-01-25T14:38:00.005-05:00

Nestled on a quiet west village block, Bar Blanc took over the space that The Place’s sister restaurant once occupied. The walls are pretty stark (i.e. Blanc), but there is a vibrant energy that contrasts the décor nicely. I had a drink at the bar. The bartender was very nice and attentive. That type of service resounded throughout the meal. Our water glasses were never empty and wine glasses always full. Our waiter was often accompanied by the floor manager and another server, so all the food came out at once and all the plates were taken away in a timely manner.

Now… onto the food….

We tried both of the two salad apps, as well as the scallops (of course).

Scallops were cooked very nicely, seared on top and bottom to a golden brown. But it was still cooked with enough heat to partially cook the inside of the scallop enough so it was not slimy in the middle. The scallops were accompanied by a green sauce that was so good it might have made the dish. We were sopping it up with bread. (Ok, maybe not, but if I was with the BF instead of girls, I definitely would have.) The salads were just salad. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing bad. The baby Boston lettuce salad actually looked more like a heart of lettuce (which is a restaurants nice way of saying half of a head of lettuce that has no nutrition value but will fill you up just the same).

I had the Halibut (a go to lately). My halibut, although cooked fine, actually tasted very fishy, which is not the norm. I was surprised, and a little taken aback, by the crusted skin on top. I actually peeled it off, which I shouldn’t have because that is seemingly where all the taste laid. Squash, being in season, was used in many of the different main courses we ordered. I know I’ve talked about risotto before, I love it. But, I only appreciate a well cooked risotto. Al dente risotto is the bane of my Italian food eating existence. This al dente risotto was overwhelmed by the butternut squash sauce, or should I say soup. Why not just call it like it is? Butternut squash soup with rice. That way, people won’t be disappointed when they get the bowl of soup with barely cooked rice.

Like I said before, the service was really great. Bar Blanc is frequented by many of the girlfriends, probably because it’s very girly. I don’t think I’ll be hearing any of my guy friends saying they really want to go, or the bar scene is great. It’s good for a date. I would suggest it as a date, as the atmosphere was nice and food was decent. I’m sure I’ll be back.

Late Addition: I guess I need to add a disclaimer here. I didn't hate this restaurant. There were issues with my food, yes, but other people really enjoyed it. I'm just trying to be honest here, but I do realize that I am often very harsh with my critiques. Some people like al dente risotto...

Restaurant Week Follow Up

2009-01-22T07:58:00.004-05:00

As a follow up to my previous rant on how stupid Restaurant Week is, I must say that I'm happy to see at least one restaurant is taking it seriously. According to Grub Street, Gramercy Tavern (a totally overrated old school restaurant) gave away gift certificates to their diners. See, that's what I'm talking about! Restaurant Week should be used to create some sort of buzz for your restaurant. It should not be for the restaurant to just get people in the door, you need a reason for people to stay (which isn't going to be because of the weak menu options) and come back.

Good job Gramercy Tavern. Way to step up.

BTW - I hear the bar menu is actually worth a stop.

Coming up...

2009-01-21T16:05:00.006-05:00

Bar Blanc (Birthday Dinner, Happy BDay C!)
Mas Farmhouse (thank you for enabling me K&J)
Wallse (Date Night)
Suba (thank you for the recco B, and for your company J&A)
Annisa (Early VDay Dinner)

What do you think will be my favorite? If I can figure out how to post a poll, you can vote! (exciting I know...)

L'Artusi

2009-01-18T10:28:00.009-05:00

I doubt anyone wants to hear about the Boca Raton Diner where I had a very dry yet satisfying Boca burger yesterday for lunch. So, I’m going to tell you about L’Artusi, where I had dinner with The Pod (Happy Bday H!) Thursday night.

This new spot hails from the chef-partner from Dell’anima, one of the west village hot restaurants. Needless to say, I like neither at first glance. I went to Dell’anima the first month it opened, which I came to find from most new restaurants in the city is not a good idea. I did not enjoy it. Yet, everyone I know likes it there. Is it because I’m a food snob? Is it because I tried it to early? Maybe I just didn’t care for the wine. Who knows? I vowed to try it again, and I will one day. Next time, I’ll sit at the bar on the kitchen. I like to have the experience of watching my food be prepared.

I digress… I had a similar experience at L’artusi. The Pod (consisting of my two best friends H and R) raved about this place and we went for a little girls dinner Thursday night (Thursday is the new Weekend night around NYC). The hostess attempted to seat us upstairs, but no one puts The Pod in the corner, so we quickly asked for a seat in the first floor dining area. Our table was situated in front of the bar, which I assume lead to me not being able to hear any part of the conversation (lest any chance of eavesdropping which I love doing at restaurants). The bar area was not crowded, but I think the acoustics of the place was just horrendous. I read elsewere that someone called the restaurant energetic and cozy, I would agree if it wasn't decorated so trendy and energetic meant extremely loud. I think a place can be energetic without being overwhelming, but maybe I am wrong.

We, being girls, ordered a meal for one for three. We started with the Marlin crudo and Nantucket Bay sea scallops as our apps. The marlin, albeit tasty (never had Marlin before and was pleasantly surprised), was mixed with pieces of ginger which completely overwhelmed the taste. The slice of green apple (a fave) was a nice compliment. The dish would have been better off as a simple marlin tartar on the apple slice and it would have been much more enjoyable. Remember how much I love scallops? Well, this appetizer was a huge letdown. Nantucket Bay Scallops are small and sweet. Like the marlin, the dish should have been left simply as the scallops, with a hint of citrus. Now, I can’t be sure, but I think that the scallops were not even Nantucket Bay scallops. There were slices of scallops (instead of whole) in the dish, which made me feel like they were regular scallops cut up into pieces to look like the small ones. I believe that Scarpetta (see blog post) might have done the same thing. The L’artusi scallops do not hold a candle to The John Dory or the Union Square Café scallops, both phenomenal. I would not even suggest you get them. I heard the other scallop dish was far superior.

The rest of the meal partially made up for the noisy restaurant and the depressing appetizers. The skate was cooked nicely (I like Skate a lot, especially at Lure Fish Bar), but coming from a pescetarian, there was no need to throw in a piece of pork belly in the mix. I would say that usually when people order fish, they want to eat fish…or else I would have ordered a land walking animal. The brussel sprout side dish was excellent, well cooked and flavored nicely. The best out of all the dishes was to Pizzocheri, which N had at the last place we went Insieme (see blog post). This dish was slightly different, as his had meat in it and the pasta was obviously handmade. This was purely a well cooked buckwheat pasta dish severed with a generous portion of fontina cheese on top and then seemingly baked, because the cheese had melted and hardened on top. If you do go here and order pasta, I definitely recommend.

Needless to say, I do not need to go back any time soon (at least the company I keep is great!) I heard, but did not see, that they have a very nice group dining area on the second (quiet and uncool) floor. Yet, just like Dell’Anima, maybe I am being too harsh for a first try and will probably go again. Feel free to prove me wrong and try it yourself. I would appreciate any challeges. http://www.opentable.com/single.aspx?rid=26869&ref=1244

I could not find a website and the menu on Menupages is outdated. If you google map it, you should note that is the same spot as Maremma. I hope for L’artusi’s sake it fairs better…

Late Addition: I can not believe I forgot to mention the horrifyingly bad service! We sat at the table, after we told our waiter we would be odering wine, for atleast 10 minutes before he returned (after a mean look and hand gesture). When we got our food, all the dishes came without serving utensils, so we again had to wait for the waiter (who obviously had better things to do) to bring them to us. Eventually, someone did. This happened at each course. The only thing this guy did right was to bring the correct food we ordered, which I guess is a plus?

INSIEME

2009-01-15T17:19:00.003-05:00

Brought to you by the fellas that brought you Hearth.

I was going to see a show the other day in the theatre district (Spring Awakening), so I took a suggestion from a co-worker to try Insieme. It is one of those restaurants that you always walk by, wondering whats inside, but you would never go because who eats in Midtown? Well, I found out who eats there. Suits.

We were surrounded, not by big tables for client dinners, but more by intimate work dinners with two people just wanting quiet and a good meal. I did stumble downstairs to find a really nice and big room for private parties. It looked like it sat 20 people. It was very secluded.

Those suits knew what they were doing. The food was excellent. There is a pasta tasting menu that looked so good that I ordered two of the appetizer size items off the tasting menu (yes, they let me!). All of the pastas we had (we each ordered two apps) tasted as if they were made by hand by a little grandma in a hot kitchen. That poor little lady, she can really make her pasta. I had the Tortelli – pumpkin, Amaretti and Mustard Fruits. Tortelli are huge tortellini. There are four in the app size and they were served in olive oil, covered in a sweet sauce with a crispy topping. Next I ordered the risotto (I always order risotto) – Porcini, Hen of the Woods, Crimini Mushrooms and Thyme. It was a very large serving for an appetizer, so note you can order as your dish. The rice, cooked beautifully soft, was mixed with a creamy dark sauce. I happen to really like hen of the woods mushrooms, so that was a treat! I’m a simple girl. Obviously, by now you can tell I love scallops. But, I also love Risotto. Its a very simple dish at heart with so much depth.

We did order the Insalata di Misticanza – lettuce, vegetables, 3yr Old Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. This came with a tender pumpkin slice, cauliflower (amazing) and raisins. An interesting mix to say the least. However, it worked.

Notes about the ambiance: Excellent water filling. Quick service (we noted we were going to a show). Very quiet and dimly lit. I had a 6:30 reservation, called and came at 6:50 was fine. On Opentable, this restaurant was not eligible for OpenTable points. Unsure why?

If you need a good restaurant for a show or a client, Insieme is an excellent choice.

Late Addition: I was just yelled at by a co-worker (thanks B!) for not trying the Lasagne.
Luckily, N got the lasagne and loved it, so I am in the clear.

Dan Barber

2009-01-15T16:51:00.002-05:00

Note to self: You are not the only person in love with Dan Barber and Blue Hill (re: did you seeTop Chef, SO timely to my recent jaunt to westchester)…
I would write about my dream, but its too ridiculous. Mr. Barber, if you ever read my blog (fingers crossed), I’ll tell you about it in person. Just give me a call.

Curried Scallop, Edamame Succotash

2009-01-14T17:09:00.004-05:00

So, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to learn how to cook. Considering how much I like food, I shouldn't totally stink at making anything. I figured, other than starting this blog, I might as well learn the basics!

However, because I am me, I never actually start at the beginning. Instead, I try to jump in halfway and figure I’ll figure it out. To that point, last night I made Curried Scallops with Edamame Succotash (with my own little twist, i.e. I didn't have the curry powder like I thought so I used chilly powder. Same?). I got the recipe from one of my new favorite sites http://www.foodienyc.com/. Check it out; I put on the website watch list on the left.

The meal looks elegant, yet it was so simple! I learned how to sear scallops (I know, it seems intuitive, but remember, I suck). I learned that a bag of frozen corn doesn’t compare to the real thing… but its close! In addition, who knew that blanching nuts meant that you had to leave them in water instead of pretending the ones you bought were already blanched (whatever that means)? Oh well, good times!

Overall, it was a success and I loved it. Check out that website for ideas for your own kitchen! And remember the abductor muscle…

Stanton Social

2009-01-13T13:58:00.005-05:00

Stanton Social is an old (well, semi old) restaurant on the Lower East side, an area I tend not to venture to, especially in the cold snow. However, this past weekend was a special occasion. I was going out to a ladies lunch. Seven ladies and a baby (is that a movie?).

I have been to dinner at Stanton Social many times (actually the last time I went there is when I became bf/gf with N!). The menu is practically the same for brunch and dinner. I was expecting more. Brunch additions were (as the entire restaurants is tapas) small eggs benedict, silver dollar pancakes and an egg bruschetta, to name a few. The breakfast bruschetta was the hit for me. Scrambled eggs, asiago cheese and tomatoes on crusty bread. The perfect size for a small bite of well cooked breakfast.

We ordered an old favorite French Onion Soup Dumplings. They are amazing. Six of them in a dish which is literally a french onion soup filled dumpling. Watch out, the first bite is tricky as it may burn your mouth! Next, some people ordered sliders (always a fave) and I ordered a grilled cheese. I am a lover of grilled cheese and this did not fit the bill. I had to open the sandwich (size of my palm) to look for the cheese, which was non-existent. Total and complete letdown. Some onions were involved that made it look grayish yellow. The quesadillas and fish tacos were mediocre at best. Yes, again with the fish tacos. I can’t help it. The fish tacos, albeit flavorful, were stuffed so full that the fish and add-ons (fiery mango & avocado salsa) squeezed out the ends with each bite. The ricotta fritters were unremarkable with their bland crust. They tasted more like a donut.

Good thing I was drinking… I suggest if you have never been to Stanton Social, go to check out the scene (it was in an episode of the new MTV show The City). The bar area upstairs can be fun and you can order dishes at the bar, if there is any room. First timers may be impressed by the inventive food options, but it gets old. Time for a menu change.

American Express - The Dish

2009-01-12T12:06:00.002-05:00

I just joined The Dish today through American Express. Check it out.

https://thedish.amexnetwork.com/my-dish.action

"Thank you for registering at New York Dish. As a Tastemaker, you now have exclusive access to finding – and saving at – some of the top restaurants in the city. To get started, we encourage you to explore the special features on the site – like lists of some of our Cardmembers' favorite restaurants – and start searching for offers you'll love.
To redeem an offer, just make a reservation on the site and use your registered American Express® Card to pay the check – no coupons necessary.
After you dine, come back to the site to share your experience in a restaurant review, such as whether you "Would Go Back" and "What to Go For." As a Tastemaker, you now have access to exclusive Dish offers – and new ways to find exciting places to dine. So we hope you'll visit the site often."

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

2009-01-11T17:27:00.010-05:00

It’s magically delicious.

This was my third foray into the Blue Hill experience. First, at the illustrious Blue Hill at Stone Barns, next @ the Blue Hill in NYC and back again for the winter menu at Stone Barns. The main difference is that time I went with three other couples, instead of just me and N (whose friends all said should be writing this blog, as he is the real foodie, but he will not participate.) Thanks for spending the 3 hour meal with us B, L, J, H, C and E!

The Experience:
When you first pull up to Stone Barns, you realize you are in for an experience. The restaurant is in the middle of an enormous farm. I have been during the day, and suggest it as a nice weekend trip. Stone Barns is a self sustaining farm, which produces all the food for its restaurants. The valet takes your car and you walk into a beautiful courtyard where anyone in their right mind would want to hold a wedding (we saw one there last night, ended at nine, so pretty unusual). The restaurant bar area looks like a hotel bar area to me, with a fireplace, plush chairs surrounded by wooden benches, it is a little stuffy. One of the four greeters comes to take your coats and valet card (so they can call your car when you are paying for dinner). We sat right away once everyone got there and you can tell immediately you are not in NYC. There is enough arm room to move around and you can talk across the table without having to yell. The dining room is decorated simply, dimly lit with a big wooden table in the middle of the room, more for decorating and storage than anything else. Serving our meal were 8 doting men and women. All of our plates for the courses came out together in a grandiose sweep of plates and people. The head server explained what we would be having for that particular course.

The Meal:
Although the five course meal has the main amount of food (bigger portions per serving), we opted for the seven course tasting menu. Before the medley of courses began, we were served a series of amuse-bouche. First we were served a deliciously warm parsnip consume with crackers made of dehydrated parsnip. The second selection was vinegar coated baby carrots, small pieces of cauliflower and edemame, all served on a seemingly home made serving dish. Next came the pancetta wrapped winter vegetable (some sort of root). The piece de resistance was the beet sandwich. The sandwich consisted of a quarter sized sweet pastry puff bun filled with crushed beet and goat cheese. Even though we actually had this same amuse-bouche last time, it stole the show. The sweetness and fluffiness of the tiny bun along with the tart of the cheese and supple homegrown beet was music to my taste buds.

The eight courses begin:

Beet and Fluff Salad with Pine Nut Butter. The combination of the sticky nut butter and the sweet fresh beets were a wonderful start to our very long meal.

Fois Gras (Scallop). Not the best scallop I have ever had, but still nicely done, soft and sweet. I hear the Fois Gras was very good too.

Bread crusted soft boiled egg over lentils.

Bass in vegetable pistou. Pistou sauce, or just pistou, is a cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. I am in love.

Bacon wrapped butternut squash (mushroom gnocchi). When my mushroom gnocchi came to the table, I initially thought it was a plate of mushrooms. In fact, it was very delicate and flavorful pasta.

Venison (yes, I ate this too!). Tender and juicy.

Yogurt/Ice cream in sauce (creamsicle). I do not eat ice cream, but I heard this dish tasted like a creamsicle.

Chocolate cake with ice-cream/fruit and nut cake with ice cream
Second serving of the Chocolate. Everyone at our table was commenting about the fact that we did not all get the same dessert for this course. There were two options and everyone wanted the chocolate. Moments later, the head waiter brought us out four more plates of the chocolate cake! Great treat.

Chocolate, marshmallow, pecan all coated with honey. An amuse bouche dessert. All of the items were on separate dishes. I opted to eat them as a Smore. The honey was a sweet addition.

This is an amazing restaurant for special occasions. The combination of the service and delicious food make it a wonderful overall experience. You just have to be up for the drive. I suggest going in the summer when the vegetables are more plentiful and you can go a bit early and check out the gorgeous self sustaining farm.

Grub Street - Best Email I get all day

2009-01-09T12:55:00.002-05:00

No Offense Mom. But, the one e-mail I truly look forward to getting each day is my Grub Street daily e-mail. I have added the link to my Favorites. It is written by columnists from NY Magazine. It tells readers all about restaurant openings, chef changes, table availabilities, etc. All in all a great read.

NYC Winter Restaurant Week

2009-01-09T08:28:00.007-05:00

Oh boy, here we go again. Restaurant Week(s) is coming up. Originally, restaurant week was only one week a year, designed to get people to try out restaurants that they normally would not have. The lure was that you get to experience the restaurant, at a fraction of the cost of a normal meal. The catch? Limited menu. Coming from a person that is going to a place tonight and ordering the 7 course tasting menu with wine pairing, that doesn't seem too spectacular of a deal. Why can't they serve the regular menu? The menu choices never do the restaurant justice. I just think if you are trying to get the word out for your restaurant and/or trying to get people to come back, you should do everyone a recession favor and serve a regular menu at 1/2 price. I am sure the restaurant will still make money. Maybe I am wrong....

Anyway, I am all for trying new restaurants. Therefore, if there is something you really want to try and you snag a rezzie, go for it. Let me know if it is great!

This is "Top Chef", not "Top Scallop"

2009-01-08T21:31:00.002-05:00

Possibly the best line ever said on Top Chef. Thanks Fabio!

I love scallops. However, the reason I am writing is because the BF (let us call him N) makes a killer fish taco and that is what I am having for dinner. It puts Melissa's to shame, so I think. Someone told me that I could not really judge the food purely by looking at it on TV - untrue. I think the right chefs were sent home, with their knives.

Are you wondering about Mr. T? I tried to be all-creative and find a cartoon about Scallops. When I searched Google for "Cartoon Scallop" this picture was in the mix. Why? Unknown.

Re: N's Fish Tacos. Buy any hard shell tacos. Some come with taco seasoning, but it does not matter. Any taco seasoning will work. We have tried many brands and all are the same. You can also make your own seasoning blend using paprika, coriander, etc. Any tuna steaks will do, 1.5 inch thick. Rub taco seasoning on the tuna steaks. Add olive oil to a skillet, and heat to hottest temperature. Sear tuna steaks (seasoned) one min per side, rare. You can heat the taco shells in the oven. Cut up Avocados, tomatoes, red onions. Tonight we used black beans, but I find they overpower the other flavors. Make your own tacos. Easy as pie (a saying I do not understand since I do not find making a pie easy... not that I have ever tried). This is a quick, tasty and healthy dinner option.

Boqueria

2009-01-08T08:47:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine went to Boqueria last night (http://www.boquerianyc.com/). She loved. I love. So, had to tell the world...which right now consists of my one follower: Thanks Mark!

Boqueria recently opened a new shop in Soho. I have not been and they do not take reservations. About a year ago, I went to Boqueria in Chelsea/Flatiron and it was wonderful. We sat right away and the server was extraordinarily friendly. Maybe too friendly... Pretty sure she wanted to be our best friend. To be very honest, I cannot remember what I ate, but I do remember it being very good and very reasonable. Great date spot. Mood lighting and all. Tough bar area as the restaurant is small in the front. Check out the menu: http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=39721&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0

I miss you Gin Lane

2009-01-07T20:42:00.007-05:00

No, no I do not.

I do not if anyone remembers the short-lived Gin Lane, but it really was not very impressive. Now, maybe it is because I had a serious love for the Village Idiot (http://www.clubplanet.com/Venues/71760/New-York/Village-Idiot) which closed because it could not afford the increasing rents, or maybe it was just because I love food...

I was going to name this post "The Seemingly Elusive Scarpetta". That is because even though I live very close by, I never once walked by randomly for a drink or snack at the bar. In addition, it took be about three months of trying to get them to say that they had any reservations at all on any decent night of the week. Has anyone been to Opentable recently? It’s like a free for all on that site now. Therefore, I got a reservation for 8pm this past Sunday. Pretty decent for those of us who like to drop $125 for dinner (No Drinks) for two on a Sunday, when they should be sharing a $10 pizza.

As for the food, it was actually good. I had nearly given up on this spot. As you may have gathered from earlier in this post, I didn't really like Gin Lane. The food was terrible and the clientele a little douchy (no offense to the many people I know who invested in it...) I just remember having the worst seafood tiered platter ever.

Ok, back to Scarpetta. There were two of us. We shared the Scallop tartar, which paled by comparison to the amazing scallop dish @ John Dory (best) and the wonderful scallop app @ Union Square cafe. We also shared the Beet and Goat cheese salad. Anyone that has ever eaten with me ever knows I love these two foods, and the combo is even better. Although the beets were nice, I could swear that one piece of cheese on the plate was Goat and one was something else... not good. For my meal (yes I was still hungry) I had the Black Maccheroni. This was excellent. The pasta was tender and tasty, it wasn't overly oily and the mussels (minus one or two random weird looking ones) were good. It wasn't too much food either, so I didn't feel overwhelmed or like a heifer when I finished the entire dish. My wonderful date had the Pancetta- Wrapped Veal Loin. Now, I am a pescetarian so it’s tough to give any feedback on the Veal, other than it looked icky. I have seen a lot of Bacon or Pancetta wrapped food in my time and this just looked totally unappetizing.

The atmosphere was nice. The back room, as always, has a roof that looks like it can open up, although I do not believe it does. The decor is nice and the service was excellent. One thing, if you continue to read this blog you will notice, that I often focus on at restaurants is how many times I get my water filled in a seating. I always give a big thumb down to a place that never comes by to fill my water. My poor waiter @ Scarpetta must have filled my water 7 times. I like.

I haven't decided how to rate yet, so I'll just say that I think Scarpetta is definitely worth a try. It is one of the least stuffy and less pretentious of the Meat Packing restaurants. It’s good for a date and if you have to wait for your table, the bar area is expansive and welcoming. As for big parties, we did sit across from two groups of 8, who seemingly had enough room for everyone to eat and share plates. The only issue was that all the big tables were put directly next to each other and sat at the same time. There was mass chaos for a while. I'm sure this place gets crazy on a weekend night.

Ok, since this is my first post, I'm going to leave it at that.

Visit Scarpetta @ 355 W 14th St, New York 10014At 9th Ave http://scarpettanyc.com/ (weird shot because it’s actually a lot bigger than the website makes it look)