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.

Ed's Lobster Bar

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?

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....)

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

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!

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)

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.