Kin Shop

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.

Joseph Leonard

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.

Braeburn

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?)

Bar Blanc to Reopen as Bar Blanc Bistro

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.

The Charles

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).

10 Downing

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.

Commerce

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.

Wallse What?

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.

I want Mas (Farmhouse)

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.

Bar Blanc

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...

L'Artusi

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?