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.
Showing posts with label Meat Packing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meat Packing. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Chelsea Market on your to-do list
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….
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….
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I miss you Gin Lane
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)
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)
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