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.

Ninety Acres

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.

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.

Marea

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.

Convivio

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.

Allen and Delancy

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.

Socarrat Paella Bar

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.

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...

Stanton Social

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.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

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.

Boqueria

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

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)