Big Apple Dining Guide

Welcome

2010-01-01T02:59:00.000-05:00

This blog is dedicated to providing honest reviews of restaurant experiences; including food, service, decor and anything else that might take place while dining out in New York City.

credit to www.lilianafolta.com

BADG Bows Down to Eater.com

2009-10-02T15:12:00.002-04:00

Much like Chanterelle, Cafe des Artistes and the dozens of other restaurants that knew when to say when, this blog will close down in order to make way for stronger reporting of the food world. Thanks! M.

Wines of New Zealand Dinner at Pleasantdale Chateau - October 14, 2009

2009-10-02T08:53:00.003-04:00

This is the last post BADG will make. Please visit my favorite venues on Facebook and see what other Wine Events they'll be hosting:

Pleasantdale Chateau
www.pleasantdale.com

The Manor
www.themanorrestaurant.com

Highlawn Pavilion
www.highlawn.com

Ram's Head Inn
www.ramsheadinn.com

Dining Tour of the Big Apple with Tim Zagat

2008-04-21T10:24:00.002-04:00

Hi again everyone,

Several months ago, I went along with Tim Zagat and a reporter for the London Telegraph for a tour of New York's top restaurants. I could tell the story from my own point of view, but I think the author, Douglas Rogers, does a mighty fine account of it in his article that ran this past Sunday, April 20.

Following is the text of the article and here's a link:

New York: Tim Zagat's gourmet tour

Douglas Rogers joins the founder-publisher of the influential Zagat Survey restaurant guides on one of his legendary New York 'dine-arounds'.

Chefs prepare food at Jean George restaurant

Tim Zagat was missing. Somewhere between the reception and the private dining room of Thomas Keller’s imperious Per Se restaurant in New York’s Time Warner Centre, the founder-publisher of the Zagat Survey restaurant guides had disappeared. I’d been warned about this kind of behaviour.

“You do realise,” Michael Mahle, Zagat’s communications director, had whispered as we set off on a five-hour “dine around” with his boss of the 10 best restaurants in New York, “that with Tim anything can happen?”

There are few more pleasurable – or unpredictable – experiences than visiting the city’s best restaurants with the man who knows them better than anyone. A dashing 66-year-old, with a rasping bourbon-and-cigar soaked voice and meaty 6ft 2in, 250lb frame (testament to three decades of dining out), Tim Zagat is the Orson Welles of the New York restaurant world; a man with a manic enthusiasm for good food and good times that would exhaust a teenager.
What I hadn’t expected was that he would stray off-menu so soon. It was only 6.45pm and we had nine other restaurants to see – kitchens to tour, master chefs to meet, sushi and steak to sample – and already the worry was we’d never make it out of Per Se.

“He’s through there,” said a bus boy ferrying imported Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm into Per Se’s $30-million, 5,400sq ft kitchen.

We headed off down a long, ceramic-tiled corridor, past a wall-mounted television screen beaming live footage of French Laundry, Keller’s Napa Valley restaurant. All around was a hushed, focused intensity that was more science lab than restaurant: chefs were delicately drizzling Russian caviar over plates of iced oysters; wrapping smoked bacon around sirloins of farm rabbit.

Before it opened in 2004, waiters at Per Se took dance classes to learn to serve with added grace. That television screen? It was so that the cooks could keep in tune with their counterparts in the French Laundry kitchen.

Eventually we tracked Zagat down to the confectionery room. He was flirting with two pastry chefs, handing out free subscriptions to his online guide, and helping himself to packets of freshly baked coconut truffles.

It was in 1977 that Zagat and his wife, Nina, both Yale-educated Manhattan lawyers, started collecting reviews of New York restaurants written by dinner party friends. They hit upon an idea: why not produce a restaurant guide written by ordinary diners instead of food critics?
The democratic formula paid off: today Zagat is a vast publishing empire, with restaurant surveys covering 60 cities around the world, as well as guides to nightclubs, spas, hotels, golf courses and food markets. More than 300,000 people vote in the surveys, their opinions are condensed into quotable review form by hundreds of editorial staff at the Zagat offices overlooking the Time Warner Centre on Central Park.

But while the distinctive purple-red dining guide is an institution – the “Burgundy Bible” as New Yorkers call it – Tim Zagat’s tours of restaurants, his “dine arounds”, are the stuff of legend. He visits more than 600 New York restaurants a year, and as part of his rounds will often invite friends and journalists along for the ride. Zagat eats dinner out five nights a week and lunch most days.

My own plan was simple: to visit the 10 best restaurants as listed in the 2008 guide, and eat dinner with Tim and Nina (who would join us later), in the last of them. Mahle had drawn up our itinerary and would ride shotgun to keep us as much on schedule as humanly possible.
Our second official stop was Jean-Georges, the Columbus Circle restaurant of Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the lobby of the Trump Hotel. The seas part when Zagat walks into a restaurant. Receptionists flutter their eyes, maître d’s trip over themselves to offer their best tables, and those who don’t recognise him soon step into line. “I’m Tim Zagat,” he’ll say, holding up a copy of his book. “I do this.”

Still, I was surprised to find Vongerichten himself waiting at the front desk to give me a tour of his café and fine-dining restaurant. In the kitchen I sampled a freshly baked cinnamon marshmallow petit-fours that comes with an espresso order; it evaporated in my mouth like a magical sweet foam. “Room service,” Jean-Georges smiled. Guests at Trump’s hotel get the food of the sixth-finest restaurant in New York sent to their rooms.

Two French restaurants have vied for the top Zagat rating for the past five years: Daniel, on the Upper East Side; and the seafood restaurant Le Bernadin on West 51st Street. Le Bernadin was next, and we hopped into a chauffeur-driven town car and headed south.

The genius of Zagat’s guide – at least for Zagat – is that although he doesn’t write the reviews, restaurants still fawn over him as if he did. However, he never accepts complimentary meals, and when a team of waiters at Le Bernadin scurried round offering wine and champagne, he ordered water and made sure Mahle paid for it. “I try not to drink on a tour until the end,” he said. “Otherwise, I’d get stuck in one place.”

I didn’t have the same problem and tossed back a pricey glass of burgundy while chef/owner Eric Ripert, a friend of Zagat, guided us through an elegant dining room lined with 19th-century French paintings and past a private upstairs salon where 40 Japanese bankers were cutting deals over plates of sea-urchin caviar and escolar with miso butter.

Le Bernadin slipped to third in this year’s Zagat ratings, but Ripert seemed unfazed. He reminded Zagat to come to the party he was hosting the next night for the launch of My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals, at which Ripert (who is on the book’s cover), was to roast a Puerto Rican whole hog and administer a whippet shot of truffle foam to the mouths of the guests. “Must I?” Zagat grins. “I hate this job!”

When we arrived in the Four Seasons Hotel lobby to visit the jewel-box sized L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (ranked 10th), a dapper gent in a tailored suit and pink tie greeted him warmly as we walked past. “That was Peter Browne,” Zagat shrugged (Peter Browne as in assistant to the Beatles and name-checked in John Lennon’s Ballad of John and Yoko: “Peter Browne called to say 'You can make it OK, you can get married in Gibraltar near Spain’.”)

Most of Zagat’s energy comes from an insatiable love of food. Arriving outside Sushi Seki, a cult Japanese hole-in-the-wall in the Upper East Side, rated ninth in Zagat, his car door lightly bumped a cyclist ferrying a Chinese food delivery. Zagat apologised, and then his eyes lit up: “What you got there? Noodles? Mmm... smells good.”

There are 2,069 restaurants in the 2008 guide, but as we drove around Zagat would tell the driver to stop if he saw an establishment he’d not been in before; then he’d run in with pad and pen to make notes.

“Go into a restaurant and you can tell if it’s good without eating in it,” he explained. “I look at the people inside, the menu, the kitchen – it has to have a liveliness, an animation.” He paused. “I tell you what, if you really want to know great New York restaurants you really should meet Sirio. Driver, take us to Le Cirque!” And we veered deliciously off course again.

Le Cirque is not in the Zagat top 10, but it’s one of the most famous restaurants on earth.
Opened in 1974 by Tuscan-born Sirio Maccioni – “the world’s great maître d’ and owner,” said Zagat – it’s been a gourmet playground for global high society for 30 years. It recently moved to the sleek glass-and-steel Bloomberg tower on East 58th Street, where, incredibly, Maccioni, 76 and a cross between Don Corleone and Marcello Mastroianni in his black tux and dark glasses, still greets his guests at the front door. He gave Zagat a hug and was soon gliding me through a sumptuous circular dining room set below a billowing silk circus tent, the walls a shiny, lacquered ebony.

We’d just missed Nancy Reagan and Henry Kissinger, but the banker Sandy Weill was at one table and the scent of money and power in there was as strong as the smell of black truffles on the plates of foie-gras ravioli.

Adjacent to the bar, Zagat showed me a wall of photographs of Maccioni with friends: Sinatra, Jackie O, Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi. The story goes that Pope John Paul II once asked if he could reserve a table at Le Cirque. Maccioni told him: “Of course, but can you guarantee me a table in heaven?”

“My ambition,” Zagat said dreamily, “is to make it up on this wall!”

Le Cirque is not all about celebrity. Maccioni popularised such dishes as crème brûlée and pasta primavera, and helped launch the careers of master chefs Daniel Boulud and David Bouley, whose eponymous restaurants are rated one and seven respectively in Zagat.

It was way past 10pm now and it was clear we were not going to make it to Peter Luger, the Brooklyn steakhouse, nor to Chanterelle, the French classic of David and Karen Waltuck in Tribeca. Mahle called Nina to say we’d be dining at Bouley in Tribeca, but first we’d see two more restaurants uptown: Daniel and Sushi Yasuda. And it was there, inevitably, that the wheels came off.

In Daniel, a haute-Renaissance palace of red velvet carpets, Venetian pillars and coiffed Upper East Side sophisticates dining on frogs legs and foie gras and milk-fed pig, I ordered a basil-infused vodka cocktail at a gorgeous gold-leafed bar counter to survey the glamorous scene. Zagat, forgetting his no-booze rule asked me for a sip – and then downed the whole drink. He turned to Mahle who also had a cocktail. “Come on, Michael,” he growled – and downed his drink too. “Right,” he said, “anyone for sushi?”

Sushi Yasuda was 22 blocks south. I’d never heard of it, but it’s the highest-rated Asian restaurant in Zagat’s history. It was on the ground floor of a nondescript commercial block on East 43rd Street. The décor is unremarkable – blond wood, bright light – but the dozen tables were heaving, and behind the counter Naomichi Yasuda, a big, bald Japanese chef in his fifties, was rolling rice and cutting fish with the flourishing precision of an orchestra maestro. When he saw Zagat walk in three stools miraculously became available at the counter. “Mr Zagat,” he smiled. “Sit. Sit. I take care of you…”

It started with Long Island Spanish mackerel paired with a sake served on a miniature bamboo mat. Then a portion of Idaho rainbow trout with a different drink. Florida Eel came next, spiced up with a rare, rich shot of soy sauce. A piece of Rhode Island bonito went down, smooth as an oyster. Each portion of fish was paired with a sake from a different Japanese region, which we swiftly knocked back. Then came an extraordinary, sloppy, pungent sea urchin from Santa Barbara. “Best aphrodisiac in world,” said Yasuda.

Mahle briefly popped out to call Nina to tell her we were running late. While he was out, Zagat ate his portion of Hamachi yellow tail. “Don’t tell him,” he ordered – then ate his own. I asked the young couple next to me how they chose the restaurant. “We found it in Zagat,” the woman said. Zagat heard her and winked. “It’s a great book, isn’t it?” Then he drank more sake and another tuna slice. “You wouldn’t think we have reservations at Bouley tonight, would you?” he grinned. “Hey, do you want to come with us?”

I suspect they might have, except it was then that Nina marched in. A soft-spoken brunette, she had the definite air of someone who had seen her husband in action many times before. She suggested it might be best we call it a night before her husband created more havoc. Zagat’s schoolboy grin briefly gave way to disappointment; it was clear who wore the trousers around here, he would have to go home.

Mahle ordered me a cab while I watched Nina shove Zagat into the back of the town car. As it sped away, he managed to stick his head out the window. “Go to Bouley!” he commanded me. “It’s brilliant!” And then he they were gone, off to their Upper West Side apartment overlooking Central Park. It was way past 1am.

Zagat's top 10 New York restaurants
1. Daniel 60 E 65th St, between Madison & Park Aves (001 212 288 0033).
2. Sushi Yasuda 204 E 43rd St, between 2nd & 3rd Aves (972 1001).
3. Le Bernardin 155 W 51st St, between 6th & 7th Aves (554 1515
4. Per Se 10 Columbus Circle, 5th fl; 60th St at B’way (823 9335).
5. Peter Luger Steak House 178 Broadway at Driggs Ave, Brooklyn (718 387 7400).
6. Jean Georges 1 Central Park W, between 60th & 61st (212 299 3900).
7. Bouley 120 W Broadway at Duane St (964 2525).
8. Chanterelle 2 Harrison St at Hudson St (966 6960).
9. Sushi Seki 1143 First Ave, between 62nd & 63rd Sts (371 0238).
10. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon 57 E 57th St, between Madison & Park Aves (350 6658).

Zagat New York Restaurants (£9.99). Zagat London Restaurants (£9.99). To join Zagat.com, where you can rate restaurants, read members’ reviews, and have updates such as menus, maps, food trends and new openings sent to your email address or BlackBerry, visit www.zagat.com/account.

Story from Telegraph Travel:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/northamerica/usa/newyork/1895101/New-York-Tim-Zagat%27s-gourmet-tour.html

Bondgård - Allendale Cheese Shop

2008-04-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

Some news to share with all of you. I will be leaving my position as Manager of Corporate Communications at Zagat Survey to pursue my dream of owning a cheese shop.

Please feel free to follow along with me as I build my new business: http://cheeseshopblog.com

Thanks!

Michael

Park Avenue Bistro "Blog Dinner"

2008-03-28T14:41:00.009-04:00

Here's a quick explanation: Several of the city's food bloggers were invited to participate in a dinner-discussion about food/restaurants by the proprietor of Park Avenue Bistro. The intent, I surmise, was to drum up reviews of the new restaurant or at least get a buzz going on about it. As I'd find out during dinner, the owner isn't about to change what he's doing based on a few comments here and there (his words, not mine). About a dozen showed up including Midtown Lunch, Habeas Brulee, Eats.com, NYC Foodie, and the Bridge & Tunnel Club.

So I think the best way to "review" the experience or more to the point, the food we had, I've gone ahead and commented on the menu we were given. Is this a harsh review? Perhaps, but there is no excuse for a restaurant handing out a menu as poorly written as this. I freely admit that I have spelling, grammatical and syntax errors all throughout my blog. But this is simply a diary or personal food journal of my restaurant visits for myself. It's not a job, I'm not trying to gain advertisers/business and I'm not attempting to win any awards for my writing/blogging. I'm still not even sure if more than 10 unique visitors have stopped by.

Anyway, much the way you can judge the character of a person by the way he or she plays a round of golf, the same can be said of how one presents their business - whether it be via a website, a menu, or other branding. If that's true, Park Avenue Bistro needs some serious work. At the very least, if you aren't ready to host a party - don't host a party. There's nothing like running out of booze - unless of course you hand out the following menu... (click on it to make it larger)

Bruno Jamais, February 2008

2008-03-05T17:26:00.003-05:00

Bruno Jamais

I had the pleasure of being invited to dinner at Bruno Jamais a week or so ago and was surprised to see that such an interesting restaurant existed on the Upper East Side. I'd never heard of it, truth be told, and had zero expectations walking in.

Oh, and I'll come right out and say it - a friend of the restaurant owners invited and paid for my meal, but I assure you that what I write below is honest and accurate.

You could walk by the townhouse the restaurant is nestled in and never know that a restaurant exists there. This, I suppose is part of its success at giving off a secret, club-like vibe where only those in the know, know. However, its inconspicuous location and set up isn't going to help with walk-ins or even getting people to notice it. That's a gamble that Mr. Jamais has taken, and by the look of the crowd inside, it seems to have paid off.

The people inside are, quite frankly, attractive and have what you might say some deep pockets - at least their clothes and overall style would suggest so. It's a peculiar place in that some of these people looked as though they were treating the restaurant as a pre-game to a long night ahead, others looked like it could be a quick bite out before going home to retire for the evening and still others looked like they'd nibble a bit here or have some drinks, go someplace else for a few hours and then find their way back at 1:00am for some appetizers and cocktails to close the night up. I would guess they'd make it more like 2:00am for their return visits on weekend nights, which is when the restaurant is open until. Who knew?

Reading up on the place, it had previously been labled a supper club or private dining club of sorts. This really isn't the case. There are, however, many regulars (you can just tell), but certainly not a private club of any kind. I bet if it became an Open Table restaurant, it would have a better chance of dispelling this rumor.

On to the food

Appetizers

We started out with a signature dish, the lobster creme brulee and the terrine of foie gras. The foie gras was respectable in every way. I liked the toast points - rectangular blocks instead of the traditional sliced brioche, but why fix what ain't broke? The portion size was perhaps too big, but I suppose the size justified the equally large price tag for it. The lobster creme brulee could, we surmised, be either very good or very bad. In the end, Danna didn't really care for it - something to do with the texture, but I enjoyed the flavor and the amount of lobster. But I think the presentation could use some work. I can see how people would either love or hate this dish though I find myself in the middle - enjoying it just enough.

Entrees

Danna ordered the duck and I will stop right here to say that this dish was fantastic. The best dish of the night and one that you 'll walk away knowing you'll remember it for quite some time. This is the dish to order at Bruno Jamais as far as I'm concerned. I ordered the short ribs, which were good. Nothing wrong with them, but not at all special - compared to some of the versions that I've had the good fortune of trying around the city. But again, it was very good, sound cooking, remarkably tender, etc.

Dessert

Danna ordered an apple tart of some kind and I, though totally full at this point, ordered the clearly store-bought sorbets. In fact, none of the desserts were made in-house as far as I could tell. Though Danna enjoyed her tart and gave it a passing grade regardless of where it was made.

Overall we loved the vibe of the place. It was alive, but not manic. The service was excellent and the food was above average if not priced a bit high...but then again, for the neighborhood, I suppose I understand.

I'd go back, and will probably get a later reservation to see what the nightlife vibe turns into. It looked like it was going to be a pretty fun night the night we were there...and we left by 9pm.

South Gate, February 29, 2008

2008-03-01T10:28:00.000-05:00

South Gate

Kerry Heffernan, one of the nicest chefs you'll ever come across, is back.

He's ditched the Hudson Yards Catering gig for a restaurant in the Essex House Hotel. And what a restaurant it is!

The place is beautiful. The location is ideal. The food is terrific.

My only issue with the decor is the display columns at the bar. It seems out of place to have on display the bottles of booze the restuarant carries in the way that they've set it up. It seems off. I would have put vases with seasonal fruits or something like that in the glass cases instead of the bottles of Johnny Walker, Cointreau and the like.

But the food is great and brings back memories of a previous incarnation of Eleven Madison Park. The food isn't too frilly. You won't see crazy food combinations or even super over the top artsy presentations (like Dovetail, or the current Eleven Madison Park). What you get is perfectly cooked dishes in presentations that are approachable.

Some items have made the journey including a Chicken sandwich with St. Andre cheese but new items like the pork belly that I had show that this restaurant has legs.

I've always enjoyed this chef's soups, and was pleased at the semi-deconstructed french onion soup, which they simply call an onion consomme. It had all of the ingredients of the bistro favorite but instead of cheese oozing all over the top, it had three or four cheese dumplings floating in the rich-hued broth. Clever, but not too clever and effectively tasty.

The pork belly, served as two logs, were also delicious and served with an Chinese leeks and kholrabi puree. All of it excellent - though the level of thinness that these purees are being made to make me think that its purpose is more about being a sauce than a starch. Similar thing happened at Bruno Jamais the other day.

Anyway, a great meal in a great space with terrific service. Can't ask for much more than that.

Asiate, Jan. 29, 2008

2008-01-30T11:29:00.000-05:00

Asiate

Several things were at play for this meal. For starters, Jan. 29th is my birthday and my employers are kind enough to fit the bill for lunch on our birthdays...or at the very least its become a tradition and turning back on us now would be gauche. But I respect the fact that it is their money, so I took advantage of Winter Restaurant Week, which takes place around this time of year, to revisit a terrific, fancy restaurant that is normally a bit on the expensive side.

Asiate, as I've said before, is really a great restaurant. The room is terrific and the whole floor that it shares with a cocktail lounge and hotel spa is very welcoming. And of course there is a Dale Chihuly piece as you walk out the elevator. And lastly, the food is very good.

My colleagues and I were seated in a booth, which was excellent and afforded terrific views of the limestone beauty known as 15 Central Park West - also known as the new home of much of the city's wealthiest people (Sandy Weil, par example). Here's what we ate:

Scallop Chowder with root vegetables
The menu today was ripe for comparisons to my recent lunches at Jean Georges and Eleven Madison Park. So I decided to repeat my orderings - knowing that it would yield significantly different results. Of the three root vegetable-based soups I've had at these restaurants, this was the weakest. As far as chowders are concerned - this was very good. Nothing at all wrong with it, per se...it just didn't wow like the soups at the other places. Presentation was also weak in comparison.

Beet salad
This was served with some micro greens, pomegranate seeds and I believe a blue cheese of some kind. By my two colleagues accounts who ordered this - it was just fine.

Crab with Tagliatelle

I've had this dish before at Asiate and remember it to be very good but a bit stingy in portion size. I think they are consistent. My colleague Nick, who took many of these photos (thanks Nick!) thought it was delicious. Looks good too.

Salmon with asparagus and spaetzle

My colleague Betsy and I both ordered the salmon which was served with an incredible baked uni sauce on top. Wow! The sauce alone made this dish. The salmon was cooked perfectly well. It was much better than the salmon I had at Jean Georges a week or so earlier and was probably more exciting than the salmon at Eleven Madison Park though not necessarily prepared better. The uni is what did it for me.

Sea Bass
Tiffany ordered the sea bass which looked, and apparently tasted, terrific.

Quinoa Chicken

This looked delicious and gives me some ideas for home cooking. The chicken was cooked perfectly, as were the supporting cast of vegetables. The quinoa adding a flavorful and contrasting texture to what could have been a truly plain jane dish.

Chocolate Mousse

Wow. Really rich and a charming presentation. Reminded me of something Will Goldfarb would do and/or has done. Very rich chocolate and a nice, crumbly, buttery cookie to go along with it. My only complaint would be the texture/consistency of the chocolate. It was pretty hard - thus clearly being refrigerated in the glass for quite some time...it wasn't freshly dispensed.

Fruit Dessert
I honestly don't recall what this was...a flan of some kind for sure and I believe the fruit was pineapple and mango. Apparently it was very good. Nice photo (thanks Tiffany).

Overall a great meal and fairly priced for what you got. I also like that they've moved away from the bento box offering for Restaurant Week and give you typical a la carte offerings. If you haven't checked out Asiate yet...I recommend doing so.

Eleven Madison Park, RW - Jan. 23, 2008

2008-01-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

Eleven Madison Park
Winter Restaurant Week '08

The last "nice" lunch I had was at Jean Georges, a place that I believe is arguably the best, most consistent restaurant in New York City. I stand by that statement although it is certainly loose footing when you have restaurants like Eleven Madison Park. I've been to EMP and JG about the same amount of times - perhaps a few more times at JG and only a handful of times while DanielHumm has been in the kitchen at EMP. But every time, the food is outstanding. For the second consecutive time, we didn't get our corner seat - though we did get (again) the table next to it. So at least they are consistent in some regard. When asked if we could have that particular table (which was, truthfully, set up as two tables together), the staff girl said it was, um, reserved. Now, no one sat there during the duration of our meal and the restaurant was practically empty, so I call BS on her for that. If I wanted to sit there...the Danny Meyer playbook, I assume, would say that I should be sat there. Whatever. The young, bespeckled sommelier recognized us and was, as usual, awesome to work with. He picked out a great Mersault to go with our salmon. A '94 with just the right minerality. Anyway, the room was nice as usual, service was awfully chipper minus the hostess, bread and water service was efficient and the food...well, the food was great. And, on purpose, I chose more/less the same dishes that I recently had at Jean Georges. I must say that in all respects, each dish was better at Eleven Madison Park.

Parsnip Pear Veloute with Chestnuts
Differences here include that a) it wasn't poured tableside, I guess because of the foam; b) it was free of annoying strands of rosemary; c) it tasted better and looked better. The even consistency and coloring of the soup was remarkable. The flavors were perfect, and completely identifiable.

Salmon with citrus (blood orange, etc.)

This was great. Unlike the overly salty version at Jean Georges, this was served skin up, which gave that extra bit of texture in addition to a nicer, fuller flavor to the fish beneath. The blood orange wasn't too sweet nor too bitter and really worked with this dish nicely. Perfectly cooked and presented.

Araguani Grand Cru Chocolate Symphony with Caramel and Maldon Sea Salt
Make no mistake - this was delicious and far better that it looks. The caramel on the plate and in the "cookie" was remarkable. The cocolate ice cream was fudge-like and of great texture. Awesome.

Jean Georges (Nougatine Room) - Jan. 11, 2008

2008-01-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

Yet another lunch at the usually fabulous Nougatine Room at Jean Georges. Unfortunately, this lunch wasn't as stellar as others - but still very good nonetheless. Minor quibbles I suppose. The bartenders at JG are, for the most part, awful. This guy has been my bartender about three times now and each time he seems to irk me more and more. He reminds me of a less cockney version of Spud from TrainSpotting with less of a heart. But he's not the worst of the lot. That would go to a female bartender who's name escapes me. And I've delayed in returning to Jean Georges strictly because I don't want to deal with her. But there's another guy who's been at JG since it opened a decade ago who is pretty nice - but is a bit slovenly (time for a new apron! the thing is shredded). Anyway, on to the food...

Parsnip soup with honey roasted chestnuts. The soups at JG are almost always incredible. This was no exception - but, like a dish here and there - had one thing that was unnecessary - the rosemary. The rosemary added little to no flavor but did add the undesirable task of having to eat around them. I was suprised to see whole pieces of rosemary in it - one would expect, perhaps, to see a rosemary oil of some kind dotting the bottom of the plate instead...

Slow baked salmon with crispy mushrooms, etc. This was cooked flawlessly, and was no doubt a very good piece of salmon...but it was overly salty and the aioli was too, making it impossible to try with the fish.

Hazelnut cake, milk chocolate ice cream, passionfruit disk. This was pretty uninspiring. The chocolate ice cream was hard as a rock, the cake was pretty boring but the passionfruit flan or whatever it was, was nice and perky - a good foil to the chocolate. It just didn't wow.

Telepan - Winter 2007

2007-12-16T09:51:00.000-05:00

This is about the third (or is it fourth?) time I've been to Telepan for lunch and each time has been a satisfying experience. I've tried new things just about each time and therefore have more/less covered the menu from stem to stern. All of it is good though rarely is any of it ever exciting. So to see crabcake poboy sliders on the menu with spicy cabbage/slaw and spicy housemade potato chips - I finally got excited. And there's much to be happy here. Everything worked, and as usual, was cooked to perfection. I'd give these a visit again.

The apple fritter was also very good. A bit rich and certainly very filling - a great guilty pleasure to top off the meal.

Stone Park Cafe, December 9, 2007

2007-12-10T17:56:00.000-05:00

Stone Park Cafe

Brooklyn, NY

This was a dinner to celebrate our friend Allison's birthday. I was lucky enough to find parking right next to the restaurant, which put me in a terrific frame of mind. The restaurant, at first glance is charming and although it is definitely more Brooklyn than Manhattan in style, it could have easily have been in Atlanta or Charlotte.

We sat at several 2 tops put together against a wall across from the bar. My seat was against the wall, and the three of us that sat against the wall were blasted with intense heat while my wife, sitting across from me, was chilly. Note to owners: your heating setup is drastically flawed.

Service was pretty poor. Our waiter, clearly new to the game (or just poorly trained over the years) wasn't confident in reading specials but to his credit, was really nice and tried hard. Can't fault him for that. I can, however, fault the girl that took our drink orders. It took at least 15 minutes to get my Old Fashion despite several re-requests for it and being about 2 1/2 feet away from the bar. The pill-popping (true, it could've just been Advil) bartender is really the one to blame. She failed miserably at making a basic martini, not once, but twice. Or you could blame the kooky managerial staff who sort of just loiter between the bar and kitchen without really doing anything except get in the way.

Alas, the cooking, or at least most of it, was really good. I started with the frisee salad that had the usual ingredients but with some tweaks. The soft boiled egg was crusted with either panko or bread crumbs and, while not nearly as good as the one at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, it was pretty good. The frisee and dressing was fine; the lardons were kind of scraggly and not the best it could've been and the potato cubes/home fries were unnecessary.

The somewhat inaccurately named Lamb Cassoulet included, as seen below, two chops, a curl of sausage and, unseen in the photo, shredded bits of lamb among the beans. Everything was good, but unfortunately wasn't a traditional cassoulet as I'd hoped for...but this was very good and I'd recommend it. The portion size was good as well. At first I thought it small, but by the end, I was stuffed.

I wasn't in the mood for dessert, but Danna ordered the chocolate brioche pudding with caramel ice cream. This was fairly disappointing. The brioche lost its tell-tale deliciousness in what seemed like overcooked chocolate. Presentation was pretty weak too. Overall, not a good dish.

I like this restaurant as a local place, but it certainly is not a destination for anyone outside of Brooklyn. I'd probably give the original Blue Ribbon a shot before going back here...and would certainly try to get a table at Al di La first as well. Pretty good, but has some things it needs to work on. Fortunately the cooking is mostly solid - and they left us alone so that we could enjoy each other's company for 2+ hours.

Five Guys, Mee Noodles, Wondee Siam II and Joe's Shanghai

2007-12-06T17:12:00.000-05:00

In search of some cheaper lunch options near work, I found my way to Five Guys, Mee Noodles, Wondee Siam II and Joe's Shanghai recently.

Five Guys

The burgers are pretty well known, but I guess I didn't know enough about them when I ordered my regular cheeseburger and found myself biting into a double decker. The burger, despite being cooked "well done" by order of the owner, wasn't dry and had some flavor to it. Not the best burger - not even a contender - but good nonetheless and is a better option, in my opinion, than the overrated burger at burger joint at Le Parker Meridien.

Mee Noodles

I had the pan-fried "meat" dumplings in clear soup ($4.80) and was pleasantly surprised at how far a five-spot can go (plus tip of course). The dumplings were porky and sort of what you'd expect - except you get quite a few (6) and they are on the larger side. The soup itself was quite good on a cold day and not as salty as I'd feared. Decent enough for a return visit.

Wondee Siam II

To get my Thai fix, I visited the 9th Ave. outpost of Wondee Siam. I'm infatuated by Sripraphai's version of Penang Curry and have yet to find one elsewhere that is as good or better. Unfortunately, Wondee's doesn't come close either, but I do like their version - especially because of the pineapple that's added to the dish. It gives it a very different flavor and cuts the heat (of which was fairly minor) nicely. Service was pretty bad and the decor is hideous, but I'd likely do take out again from here instead of Pam Real Thai, another local option.

Joe's Shanghai

I'll never forget the first time I had the famous soup dumplings at the Pell Street location. They were truly a unique experience at the time and, having been a few years, were due another go. So I walked over to the midtown branch and found myself in another ratty looking room with fairly brusque but not necessarily mean, service. I placed my order: crab and pork soup buns and an order of the pan-fried, pork dumplings (and an order of the spicy shredded beef to go for dinner later that night). The soup buns were as good as I remember them - though more expensive and of fewer numbers per order (6 compared to 8). The pork dumplings were actually not good at all and my dinner later that night was simply passable if maybe a little too tough.

Blue Ribbon Sushi & Grill, November 30, 2007

2007-12-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Blue Ribbon Sushi & Grill

I'm sure I've said this before, but there are some dishes I simply look forward to having at specific times of the year. And I often like to have them at different places for comparison's sake. For example, bone marrow. The last time I ordered the dish as an appetizer was the first time - at Blue Ribbon on Sullivan Street. It was served with an oxtail marmalade and a perfect bread and was, by all accounts, memorable. I've been itching to have that dish again or something similar for several years, although one could say my annual ordering of osso buco satisfies both needs (the bone marrow part, and the annual dish thing).

So after seeing the band Ween play a rocking concert at Terminal 5, I made my way back near my office to try out the newly opened Blue Ribbon Sushi & Grill, and more importantly, their bone marrow dish. This version was cut horizontally into two long pieces instead of the vertical tri-cuts at the SoHo outpost. And there wasn't any accompaniment to the marrow either, though the same delicious bread was in attendance. Overall - very good, but I felt like something was missing...maybe it was the small amount of marrow on the bones? In any event, this was fine and the pork shumai I ordered was equally adequate but not outstanding. I ordered just one piece of sushi - amberjack - and was disappointed with the size and lack of flavor in the fish and rice. Blase. I'll probably return for lunch, but it isn't the great place I'd hope it'd be just yet. Maybe some happy hour cocktails there with some coworkers will help shine the light on this place.

Irving Mill, November 30, 2007

2007-11-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

Irving Mill

Irving Mill could be my kind of restaurant. It makes a great effort to create country charm in a bustling part of the city. I love the imported mill stone in the center of the restaurant and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow text on the banquettes brings a modern edginess to the room - despite the antique typeface. The for-asthetics-only wood beams, tall ceilings and otherwise appropriately appointed room creates a very warm and inviting space.

Service comes with a smile and is, as reported elsewhere (Grub Street/New York Magazine I believe), very attentive. Then again, there weren't many people having lunch there the day I visited.

The menu is fairly limited...and though everything looked good, nothing at first really grabbed my attention. The appetizers that I thought looked good didn't seem to have an entree companion that would make sense.

In the end, I went for the chicken liver crostini to start and the monkfish dish with chorizo and potatoes as my main. Both were good. The crostini was equal in quality to the amuse you get at BLT Prime - but that being said, the one you get at BLT Prime is a freebie. The monkfish was cooked adequately but didn't necessarily wow me. The menu needs to get deeper here but the cooking, decor and service tells me that this place has legs...it just needs to be brave enough to show a little more of them.

Restaurants I Want to Go to: A top 10 list

2007-11-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

An updated list of places I'd like to go...

I'm sure I'll go to others before these, but nevertheless, these are on the must-try as soon as possible list.

The second list are ten restaurants that I'd eventually like to get to but aren't top priorities. Note that some of these are not in New York City but all are in the States.

Visitors are welcome to suggest dishes for any or all of these. Thanks

ASAP List

1. The Tasting Room
2. Irving Mill

3. Blue Hill (in NYC)
4. Little Owl
5. Cookshop
6. Applewood
7. Saul
8. Hill Country

9. Chanterelle
10. Mas (Farmhouse)

Missions Accomplished

Al Di La

Cafe Boulud
L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon
Insieme

Everything's Eventual

1. Masa
2. Per Se
3. French Laundry
4. Chez Panisse
5. Bouley
6. Cru
7. Peter Luger
8. Alinea
9. The Herbfarm
10. Inn at Little Washington

P.S., if you need a date for one of these restaurants, just let me know.

Thanks, MM

Al di La, November 9, 2007

2007-11-10T10:23:00.000-05:00

Al di La

Doug and I went out to Brooklyn on Friday night for two reasons, the first to support my friend Jeff's business and/or clients, two of whom were having a gig at Southpaw, and secondly, to check out Al di La, a restaurant that has been on my To Do list for two years.

I dropped Doug off in front so that we could get a table or get on line, as this place is known to fill up fast. I finally found parking a block away (after circling several blocks) and entered to see Doug sitting down with menus at the ready. A very good sign, as there were about four groups of people coming in behind me.

Al di La is a perfectly charming restaurant on a nice street in Park Slope and despite the constant action inside, the staff is very cordial. It took awhile for them to get back to us to take our order, but the food made it to our table in good time and the space between courses was also respectable. Here's what we had:

Doug ordered the pasta special...which was a dry (not fresh) pasta with shredded pork shoulder. Cooked to perfection, this dish was a winner and is a good example of why the restaurant has been compared to places like Babbo. Everything about it was "good". Might not have "super incredible" but exactly what our expectations could be for it. Solid.

I ordered the ricotta gnocchi in sage and brown butter sauce. This was luscious and similar to the gnudi you can get at the Spotted Pig. Very tasty, but I would give the Spotted Pig the edge if I had to compare.

Doug ordered the fish special which was hake served with carrots and lentils. Very solid dish. I ordered the quail special, a slightly hefty sized quail filled with mushrooms and served atop a delicious starch. Solid dish overall.

We didn't have time to order dessert, and sadly I don't recall the exact name of the bottle of Barbera D'Alba we ordered, but it was solid (nice, inexpensive wine list!).

I'd like to throw some props out to two bands: Care Bears on Fire - who were incredible regardless of their age (11 years old) and Mink who also put on a fun show, even including the little kids on stage toward the end of their set. They were truly good sports and made some kids' nights. Good times.

Jean Georges, November 9, 2007

2007-11-09T22:24:00.000-05:00

Jean Georges

I eat at the bar at Jean Georges fairly regularly. The food is nearly always delicious and the service when it's "on" is terrific despite the occasional, lengthly lag time between appetizers and entrees. And overall the staff is a delight. There is, however, one person I would love to see removed from the staff, and though I don't recall her name, she's a bartender in the Nougatine room. Everytime she is working, I sigh. She doesn't pay attention to customers, she's slow at doing just about everything from making drinks to tagging wine bottles, and just has a "way" about her that is inately annoying. But today she was outright wrong in serving her customers, in particular - me, equally.

I took my usual seat at the bar (far corner spot nearest the kitchen) and she politely asked me to move as it, and the seat next to it, was "reserved". Fine. I've never seen a bar seat reserved before, but went about my business three seats in. A few minutes pass by and another individual (who couldn't do the common courtesy of taking off his hat) sits down in the same seat. Now, he was alone and was not the reserved diner. But this witch of a bartender took his order. As he left to use the men's room, I asked her why she allowed him and not me. She said that she didn't realize he sat there as she wasn't paying attention. So then why did you take his order??? There were other seats at the bar she could've asked him to move to, much like she did to me...but she didn't. And she got a crap tip (still more than she deserved, but I like the other guys that get some of the tip) for it and an official complaint to Pierre Vongerichten the next time I see him.

In any event...this what we had today...which was good but sadly ruined by this awful girl.

(pics and descriptions to follow).

Today's flower arrangement made the most of the season's changing leaves.

Arguably the best mushroom soup I've ever had. It was served with a shredded chicken confit and enoki mushrooms. Fantastic.

This was the petit filet served with brussel sprouts and a pepper that really gave the dish a zing. The lime was a good foil to the spicyness. Overall a very tender piece of meat and I love the brussel sprouts at JG. This is the third time I've had them in as many weeks. Can't get enough of them.

This was a cranberry brunoise (I think) served with a trail mix of candied walnuts and dried fruit. It's construction made sense...just was not a dessert for me.

Pamplona, November 6, 2007

2007-11-06T23:07:00.000-05:00

Pamplona

Went to the Taste of BlackBerry event tonight - basically a gathering of Research in Motion (RIM) users/developers - and had the luck of being invited to dinner by some of the fine folks who work for Handmark - and the developer's of its PocketExpress.

When asked for a suggestion on a place to eat, we (after busting out our ZAGAT TO GOs on our BlackBerries) stayed nearby to the event and checked out Pamplona, Alex Urena's latest restaurant concept in the same space that was Urena. I had a slightly better than good, not quite great dining experience at Urena several months back and was excited to see how he'd handle a more casual concept.

Fortunately, as Frank Bruni would agree the following morning in his New York Times review of the restaurant, the makeover was in fact very good - worthy of 2 stars from the Bruni.

Our generous host, Steve, ordered quite a bit of food for the table. We started with a pitcher of sangria, but I think we'd all agree that it was awful. In fact, it was bitter. We quickly switched to two different (and unknown to me) Spanish red wines, which was a much better route to take.

Pretty much all of the tapas items we had were good, which included the Buñuelos (De Queso iberico, manchego cheese and cider fritter, $5), Pincho De Chorizo Y Gambas (fresh chorizo and shrimp skewer over goat cheese toast, $4), Albondigas (meatballs eggplant, sherry vizcaina sauce, $6), Bocadillo De Jamon (jamon serrano, iberico cheese, $6) and some Blue Point oysters, $12.

We shared all of the main dishes as well including the best dish of the night, Cochinillo (confit suckling pig, chestnuts puree, swiss chard, celery root gratin, $35), Paella Mar Y Montaña (braised rabbit, fresh chorizo, squid, mussels, shrimp, bomba rice, $30), 16+oz Chuleton rib eye steak (patatas bravas, onion vizcaina, $38), Ensalada De Pollo (stuffed chicken - baby greens, jamon serrano, morcilla, $12), and the Atun Y Sopresada (cured tuna sliced thin, sopresada aioli, $12).

The only problem with this restaurant, well, actually two, is that it's still not in a location you might normally find yourself (despite the fact that I recently moved from the neighborhood) and isn't a terribly exciting restaurant. I'm not alone when I say that I think if Chef Urena can find a new location for his cooking, I think he will really take off.

Taste of New York

2007-11-05T23:41:00.000-05:00

The 2007 Taste of New York event, held at the Puck Building, was a success on many fronts. For the magazine, restaurants and City Harvest - they couldn't be happier with the turnout. For the attendees, we were treated to some incredible food and drinks and got a chance to meet and/or catch up with fellow food bloggers and friends.

Some of the highlights for me included Marco Canora's tortellini (Insieme), Dan Barber's take on a V-8 (Blue Hill at Stone Barns), ilili's veal breast skewers, Jean George's goat cheese parfait and Hill Country's beef ribs. There were some excellent drinks too - especially the St. Germain (Hi Gerri!) champagne cocktail and an interesting display by Virgin Atlantic, featuring both the business class "beds" and roomy coach seating.

Though there were some great food items, there were also some clunkers. Alto/L'Impero's sardine dish was pretty weak, Butter tried to hard with their lamb chop, Chinatown Brasserie's chef looked like he'd rather be elsewhere, and Michael Lomonaco, who I like on a personal and professional level served a hefty portion of a cold seafood salad...which was fine, but if your restaurant is Porter House and are considered a steakhouse...,

The folks at Devi are remarkably nice, Marcus Samuelson's Merkato looks promising and I tip my hat to Wylie Dufresne for his amusing popcorn soup though confess it wasn't satisfying as a food. Oh, and JGV, dressed in his normal chef's whites looked pretty cool, as usual, sitting in his black Mercedes Gelaendenwagen out front. Good times.

Jean Georges, October 30, 2007

2007-10-30T13:49:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I've visited JG for lunch. I did get a tour of the kitchen by the man himself two weeks ago, and now I'm back. The pacing between appetizer and entree was a ridiculously long 18 minutes. No excuse for that. The food though, was as good as ever.

Cauliflower soup with crystallized mustard and pickled florets...Yeah, this was pretty awesome. I mean, cauliflower - big deal. But this was great. The crystallized mustard was a real zinger and the florets were just the right acidic foil to the creamy soup and spicy mustard crystals.

Again, chicken - big deal. But oh how good it was. Served with charred brussel sprouts and an "aromatic spice broth with dill", this was just solid. Actually, it was slightly too big of a portion. The rice was okay, but a bit challenging to pick up with the fork.

Sweet potato cake with chai tea ice cream and pear/apple butter. Yeah, this was as good as it sounds. It was really very good. The best part, however, was the chai tea ice cream. Delicious! The crumble was very good too.

El Quinto Pino, October 24, 2007

2007-10-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

El Quinto Pino

Behold the uni panini ($15 and by far the most expensive dish on the menu). This restaurant/bar is so small, I will only provide a four sentence review. Go and see for yourself. You will love it.

Cafe Gray, October 18, 2007

2007-10-18T16:43:00.000-04:00

Cafe Gray

Forget the food for a second. The service was terrible. I am turned off from returning solely based on the service (or lackthereof). The host was very nice and sat us at a great table, but we were completely ignored for at least ten minutes once we got seated at which point we were given the menus. Another five to seven minutes passed by before the waiter (of which it seemed there were only two) took our order. This is understandable if the place was busy, but we were one of maybe four or five seated tables.

But what would bring me back is the room and the view of Columbus Circle. I really liked the interior design of this place (beautiful wood and a 20s, Jazzy feel to it) and wonder if a different staff and a different style of cooking could better suit it.

Alas, Gray Kunz' traditional French fare - with a bit of a modern twist - seemed less "push-pull" as it has been known for and more about more salt and more butter. Today's lesson in dining out was all about learning to navigate really, really rich dishes (that perhaps I'm not used to) and to avoid what was no doubt dangerously undercooked poultry. In this case it was the poussin dish. The presentation was beautiful, however the leg meat of the bird was pinker than my gums. I found some safe area in the breast meat, but how much fun is it when you have to search (and cross contaminate with a dirty knife) for safe parts to eat?

Anyway, the summer truffle ravioli was good and very rich but nothing I can't imagine being difficult to replicate at home. Simply add more butter than you think you should and voila. Oh, and don't expect much. Two small raviolis, some crispy kernals of corn and a rich sauce is pretty much all it was.

The risotto appetizer with mushroom fricassee was, by all accounts, delicious. Incredibly rich, buttery and salty but not lacking the delicious flavors of the mushrooms which were added to the risotto tableside. The best dish we tried.

Here, in honor of Serious Eats' National Meatloaf Appreciation Day, is a picture of the mini foie gras meat loaf - the foie gras was seared and visible on the top of this tasty mashup of meat. Solid dish. Very rich.

Here's the poussin. As I said, brilliant presentation - questionable cooking practices. Also, the flavor, of what I was able to eat, was good...but not necessarily awe-inspiring.

We also ordered the skate schnitzel - which was tasty but I've had better skate elsewhere (Eleven Madison Park and Jean Georges come to mind).

The kicker with the service was that they overcharged us...twice. The prix fixe 2-course (your choice of appetizer, entree, dessert) lunch is $38. According to the menu, if you choose an extra course, it's $12 more. Okay. So we ordered the skate to share instead of a dessert. Well, we got charged $38 for that skate dish. I corrected the slow-as-molasses waiter who changed it...to $28. We decided to just pay the amount and give a lesser tip (15% which I think was still too good for what we got).

All told, with two glasses of wine ($10) came to $134.40 for two before tip. I will never, ever go back here for lunch and would be hard pressed to recommend it or try dinner. This city has too many better and more value-friendly options available...

BLT Market, October 4, 2007

2007-10-04T09:44:00.000-04:00

BLT Market

Briefly, this place is excellent. I love it. Will return again and again. Full review to come...

Jean Georges - October 1, 2007

2007-10-01T17:31:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges is changing things up. First the new decor, now bar snacks! And very good bar snacks at that. Rosemary/Olive oil popcorn, wasabi almonds (thick shell of wasabiness) and another deliciously covered nut that I can't place the flavor...cardamom? I'll have to go back and check again. All very good.

Today's bouquet...

I went thematic today - choosing all items that were poached in some way, shape or form. This was a poached shrimp soup in roasted tomato and lemongrass broth (soup, if you ask me). Very good.

Then I went for the slow-poached chicken which was sitting atop a log of crispy rice cake - something similar to the cubes I had with my pork/pork belly dish a few days earlier. The sauce it came with was delicious.

Poached pears with raspberries. This was pretty tasty but it was less enjoyable than how it looked. A little went a little way.

Jean-Georges, September 20, 2007

2007-09-20T20:44:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Had lunch with the new boss to discuss some work things. What better place to feed your head and belly than at Jean Georges on a beautiful Indian Summer afternoon. We opted, for the second time in my dining at Jean Georges, to eat on the patio.

Side note...don't expect the deliciously creamy butter you've come to love and expect when dining on the patio. They serve olive oil in a side dish instead...though you can request butter. I think it has something to do with the melting factor...

Smoked salmon with a grilled corn and cherry salad (or was it salsa). In either case, it was excellent - elevating the relatively pedestrian salmon to new heights. Bonus: you could make this at home!

The entree options were either shrimp and noodles (see below) or a petit filet. I was shocked that JG would serve filet mignon - such a generic cut lacking the flavor of others, so I had to try it. It was satisfying - with the salt flakes bringing out as much flavor of the meat as was possible. Cooked perfectly except I wasn't thrilled by the potatoes.

Now this is a dessert. Pistachio ice cream with Fraises Des Bois (alpine strawberries) and some crumble and I think a yogurt something or other. This was delicious...and almost too goodlooking to eat. Excellent.

Jean Georges, September 14, 2007

2007-09-14T14:21:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

A few quick things to note, before I go into the details of today's lunch. I found out that Top Chef alum Lia, has moved over to Spice Market to get some extra training on spices and such. Why? Because she will be the chef for Jean George's upcoming Mexico City outpost. A bit far away - but can we all agree that it would be terrific to see her open up a new JG Mexican-influenced restaurant in NYC in 3-5 years? Chew on that...

Summer vegetable soup with market beans, tomatoes, basil. This was very light and refreshing and using top notch late summer produce. There was a strong lemon presence. Did they use lemon basil instead of traditional basil or did they overdo it with fresh lemon juice? In any event, a nice start.

Pork loin and pork belly with enoki mushrooms and rice cakes. This was very good. The loin was perfectly cooked but the belly was the most outstanding element. Everything worked on this dish. Fantastic all around.

Banana cake with caramel ice cream. Pretty self-explanatory. And as good you'd imagine.

Balthazar, September 2, 2007

2007-09-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

Balthazar

It's taken us awhile, but we finally got to Balthazar for brunch - thanks to Danna's parents who took us out for her 30th birthday. We get our coffee from the sideshop any time we are shopping downtown and I occasionally pick up some bread if I'm heading over to SA and D's. Oh, and the cookbook is great. I've made several meals from it, favoring the short ribs, french onion soup and, of course, the pomme frites.

(Eggs Norwegian, with lox in the foreground)

So, having had great success with making the fries, we had to try to real deal. They were very good and deserve the credit they've gotten. In addition to the side of fries, I started with (not pictured) the french onion soup (also very good) and the eggs meurette, which basically poaced eggs in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, some frisee, and lardons. Solid dish.

Coffee was good as usual, ambiance was lively and service was spot on despite the bustling crowds. It's a great place and it's clear why McNally's place has been such a success.

Insieme, September 1, 2007

2007-09-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

Insieme
777 7th Ave

My lunch at Insieme several weeks back was pretty solid. When I tried to stop in without a reservation for lunch a few weeks later, I was shut out, despite a nearly completely empty room...citing "all tables were reserved." That pissed me off. It was ludicrous to not let me turn a quick table. I'd have been in and out before half the place got filled. Service hasn't been the strongest suit in my experience at Marco Canora's other restaurant, Hearth.

But I trust Marco Canora as a chef, and so I thought an early dinner before seeing A Chorus Line at the Schoenfeld Theater was a good choice.

For whatever reason, I am missing several photos of our dinner, specifically our appetizers. But we'll get to all that soon enough.

Service was off to a terrific start. The well-dressed maitre d' presented us with two complimentary glasses of prosecco in honor of Danna's birthday (the benefits of OpenTable.com include the option to give the restaurant info about you as their guest). I shrugged off his desire to explain what prosecco was to us.

We got a bunch of very tasty amuses. So good that we actually started in on them immediately, forgetting to take out the camera right away - so what is missing are two holed out radishes with bagna cauda. Delicious, and got us thinking we need to have that at home again. Danna's mom made it one night - excellent. Other items included an eggplant caponita (excellent) and a fish (cod/salt cod?) puree in a potato, topped with red pepper (ok).

Then they brought out an egg drop soup, which was completely unexpected. Danna really enjoyed hers, I thought it was good, but nothing terribly special.

Danna ordered the Lasagna Verde Alla Bolognese ($16) from the traditional side of the menu to start (still very good) and I ordered the Veitellone Crudo alla Piemont ($16), pasture-fed baby beef tartate with cremini mushrooms and lemon. Unfortunately, I didn't get my tartare. I was served something else and, thinking I simply ordered wrong (its happened before), dug into what would turn out to be a remarkably bland fritto misto (a $15 plate of calves liver, sweetbreads, veal cutlet, veal tongue). What a terrible dish. Did they season it? It was like a really bad chicken francaise. Maybe I just don't get it. Anyway, they fixed the problem very quickly, and allowed us to keep the bollo misto (we passed). The tartare was delicious. One of the best I've ever had. If that's your thing...I'd recommend it.
The lamb dish ($36) on the contemporary side of the menu sounded excellent. Both Danna and I had eyed it and since we were sharing (as usual), one of us would have to get it. It included a chop, the saddle, a sausage in a squash round, and breast with lavendar, chanterelle mushrooms and a broth that stayed on your lips for a long time after eating it. A bit rich, especially this time of year, but still great.

We balanced the meat dish (sort of) with Mediterranean Bass "Saltimbocca" ($30) which was served with baby leeks, savoy cabbage, sage and perfectly wrapped in prosciutto. Expertly prepared. Delicious.

I knew exactly what Danna was going to get for dessert...the Bomboloni ($10) from the traditional side of the menu. These small cream-filled yeast donuts were served with a chocolate sauce. We'd have eaten as many of these as they were willing to give us. Delicious.

I went for the pistachio cake ($10) that was a bit dry, and served with local strawberries. Just okay.

We were given some petit fours that included a chocolate filled pastry (great), a pistachio bar (better than the cake) and mini biscotti, one with a pistachio in it, the other curiously missing one. Coffee was good too.

Overall, a very good dining experience minus the one mixup that, to someone else might have been a really big deal, but not for us. I highly recommend going here for dinner before hitting a Broadway show. You'd be hard pressed to find much better in the neighborhood. And compared to db Bistro Moderne, also in the vicinity, you'll be getting much more for your money at Insieme.

Adrienne's Pizza Bar, August 31, 2007

2007-08-31T16:25:00.000-04:00

Adrienne's Pizza Bar

I took an old colleague out to lunch at one of my favorite places to grab lunch in the Financial District. We got a pie with half sausage and pepperoni and half prosciutto. Despite being the Friday before Labor Day, Stone Street was jammin', with every picnic bench filled and lines flowing out of just about every business on the street.

As usual it was very good. Likely still the best pizza in Manhattan.

Jean-Georges, August 30, 2007

2007-08-30T22:06:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Great lunch as usual. Gayle King was in attendance today holding court - actually, waiting for a younger girl (actress or singer perhaps?) at the big round table against the window in the Nougatine room. She sits with the regular people folks!

As much as I wanted to have the corn soup (it makes for a great photo spread with the before and after pour shots, plus its corn season of course), I went for the heirloom tomato salad. The tomato broth I had at Knife + Fork, and then the macerated tomatoes at Blue Hill at Stone Barns got me to concentrate on the season's celebrated fruit. This was also terrific. Topped with goat cheese and specked with purple basil, this was a nice start to a lunch. However...it wasn't as good as the Stone Barns version, which was almost identical. Perhaps it was the super freshness of the tomatoes (likely picked earlier that day) at Stone Barns, or maybe it was the clotted and unpleasant (to the eye at least) visual the goat cheese and tomato broth created. Either way, it goes to show that Dan Barber and crew are masters with vegetables.
Pork Schnitzel with fingerling potatoes, herbs

This was terrific. Perfectly prepared and seasoned as it should be (salty). The evenly pounded pork was accompanied by tasty fingerlings and lardons. I spritzed the lemon over all of it which gave the dish that extra added element. A solid dish and so very generic for Jean Georges, but executed flawlessly. Could we be seeing an Alsatian/German/Austrian fall ahead? I think I need to head back over to Wallse this fall...
White chocolate cake, spiced banana glaze, date ice cream

This was very good. I was nervous about the "white chocolate" as it can be so cloying. But this was just right. The spiced banana glaze was excellent and I really enjoyed the date ice cream. The chocolate soil it sat on might have been a bit too strong for the date flavor though.

Flowers were nice enough today. Matched the dessert well.

db Bistro Moderne, August 27, 2007

2007-08-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

Telepan, August 24, 2007

2007-08-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

Telepan

I had lunch with Joyce today. I'm really enjoying the time we've been able to spend together. Again, location proved to be a deciding factor in meeting up with her. I hadn't been to Telepan since January, so now was as good a time as ever to revisit Chef Bill's Upper West Side townhouse.

POACHED EGG & FRISÉE SALAD
hen of the wood mushrooms& mustard vinaigrette

If you don't know by now, the man has a way with eggs. Your best bet is to order something where eggs are present. I chose to do so by virtue of the frisee salad. Now, this is not your typical bistro-style frisee salad. This has hen of the woods mushrooms that were so fragrant and flavorful that I could still capture the taste 8 hours later. Perhaps not a good thing if you have a date that night, but that wasn't a concern for me. The poached egg broken over it all was simply fantastic. Joyce ordered the chilled tomato bread soup and was greeted with a head shaking no from our waitress. You've got to love when waitstaff steer you in the right direction. I didn't catch her name, but she was great. She decided to go with the beet green and ricotta pierogi (with roasted beets, brown butter and ricotta salata) which looked terrific...for $3 more.

PAN-ROASTED TROUT
baby spinach salad, bacon & pine nuts

When this came out, I thought they were serving me a spinach salad. The trout was completely covered by the spinach to great effect. The effect being that the spinach now had the incredible flavors of the trout and bacon permeated throughout it. The trout was perfectly cooked and of impeccable quality. Nothing earth shattering here...just great ingredients cooked perfectly. Joyce had the same and was equally pleased.

We both opted for the selection of sorbets/ice cream. Todays flavors were strawberry, mango and if I remember correctly, yogurt. It was all very good for the same reasons as the rest of the food. You can go to Telepan and really never feel guilty...the food just works and is an enjoyable dining experience.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, August 23, 2007

2007-08-23T23:05:00.000-04:00

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
"A Night of Music and Food"
"Una Noche de Musica y Comida"
August 23, 2007

The evening started out with a concert in the Hay Barn titled The Music of Spain. I will list the performance titles/notes below the photos of food. It was a very nice performance and a perfect way to whet our appetites for an evening of Spanish cooking. A Thursday night like this makes all the difference in the world. The food was fantastic and despite the limited amount of protein on the menu, Danna and I were perfectly sated (if not bordering on stuffed). The wines were excellent and appropriate for each part of the meal.

We started out with Avinyo Cava Nadal, Spain (N.V.) - something I've had before and genuinely enjoy. Next up (for the lettuce and squash dishes) was a surprising choice: 2004 Lieb Cellars (Chardonnay) from Long Island. As Sonya, the diner to my left (and, as luck would happen, a colleague of our standard dining partner Doug) correctly noted - didn't have the oakyness you'd expect. This was a refreshing wine. But my favorite wine of the evening was the 2004 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Priorat, served for the eggplant/sea bass and bok choy/turkey dishes. I could drink this wine for nearly any occasion. In my opinion, a perfect summer red.

The meal was remarkable. I'll let the menu (and photos) speak for itself...

Tomatoes
macerated stone barns' tomatoes in a salad with clams and purslane

Lettuce
roasted lettuce with wild mushroom carpaccio and pea ravioli

Squash

little squid, curry and onion cream

Eggplant

eggplant confit with chanterelle mushrooms and wild striped bass

Bok Choy

sauteed bok choy on turkey with "pepitovia"

Apricots and Plums

en papillote

Apricots and Plums

after opening

Petit Fours
mint sorbet and chocolate croquettes

Chef Fernando del Cerro of Casa Jose (Aranjuez (near Madrid), Spain) and guests at our table. Sorry for the poor quality of this photo

Summer Concert in the Hay Barn: The Music of Spain

Quintet for Guitar and Strings, No. 4 in D Major

by Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

* Allegro Maestoso

* Pastorale

* Grave Asssai - Fandango

Performed by Sharon Roffman, Nurit Pacht, Yonah Zur, Ella Toovy, Rami Vamos and Melvin Chen

Sonata K. 208 for Guitar Solo

by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

Andante et Cantabile

Performed by Rami Vamos

La Oracion del Torero for String Quartet

by Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)

Performed by Nurit Pacht, Sharon Roffman, Yonah Zur, Ella Toovy

Suite Populaire Espagnole for Violin and Guitar

by Manuel de Falla Cancion (1847-1946)

Performed by Sharon Roffman, Rami Vamos

Galician Folk Dances for String Quartet (World Premier)

by Octavio Vasquez (1972-)

Performed by Nurit Pacht, Sharon Roffman, Yonah Zur, Ella Toovy

Knife + Fork (Tasting menu), August 18, 2007

2007-08-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

Knife + Fork

We (Danna, Sue Anne, Doug, Anna Lynn - SA's sister and James) were going to have dinner at Cookshop but ended up at Knife + Fork as a matter of getting a better reservation time. It would turn out that we didn't need a reservation at all, being that the restaurant was empty, on a Saturday night in the middle of August, with the exception of two people at the bar and a four-top seated behind our combined tables in the middle of the restaurant.

Let me start by saying that this might be one of the most underrated restaurants in Manhattan. That's not to say that this place doesn't have its faults (it does) but its hard not to love. Decent to very good food, charming atmosphere (I loved the vibe and room as a whole), great service (well, when you are the only ones there, I suppose you better - but our waitress was great) and how can you beat the price (answer: only one way...go to Brooklyn).
It's just that the buzz is minimal, and I'm not sure it doesn't deserve more.

I can't remember every single component of the dishes we had, but I'll give as much of an account as I can.

Torchon and beans

The torchon of foie gras was probably the poorest version I've ever had. It just wasn't as expertly prepared as I've had it in the past. Consistency and taste was slightly off. Now, I've had exquisite versions this year, and this just didn't shine. Was it passable? Sure. The beans, however, just weren't my thing. Loaded with truffle oil (ugh, please, no more of this stuff chefs), and undercooked = not so good.

We all enjoyed their bread though. The salt and butter (would have been nicer if it was more room temp) was served on slate and acted their part.

Tuna Ceviche

Not really sure if this was called a ceviche or not, but the tomato broth it sat in was remarkable. It was so fragrant and delicious that it would keep me on a tomato kick for the next two weeks or so. A terrific use of seasonal ingredients. Nice piece of fish as well. Microgreens found there way in many dishes, starting with this one. Didn't add much except for color, but I guess that works. Solid course.

Mussels and roasted red peppers

I wish remembered the rest of this dish. If anyone knows, feel free to post it in the comments. This was an interesting dish - possibly the most unique in both presentation and flavor combinations. I liked it.
Sea Bass with wild mushroom risotto

Solid dish. One thing that this place lacks is consistency in the presentation of dishes. In most cases, because I was taking pictures of the food, I got the prettier pieces/platings. This was the exception. Others certainly had nicer cuts, but it didn't effect the flavor. Solid flavors and texture throughout...and there's the microgreens again.

Lavender rubbed Duck with spring onion (?) confit and smoked lentils

Again, I'm not sure of the names of these dishes, but its what I remember. I definitely got the nicest cut of duck, but hot damn would you look at this piece. The layer of fat is remarkable (and delicious). Well-cooked, pleasantly presented and very tasty. The bacon-enhanced lentils were a thing of beauty. One of the best things I ate all night. The onion was also a nice surprise in its simplicity. More microgreens...

Since there was no one in the restaurant (and I mean no one at this point), we were given all of the desserts they'd prepared for the night. This included creme brulee (very good), a panna cotta that was PERFECT (among the best I've had) and a selection of cheeses (roquefort, tomme de savoie, morbier and a goats milk cheese that's name escapes me (good though)).
Overall I really like this place. All of this for about $45 a head is as good a bargain as you are likely to see. How can you not try it? What are you waiting for. But don't expect the best meal of your life. Instead, go thinking that this is a great place to take your parents, or a place to meet the inlaws, or maybe for your third date.

Jean-Georges (Nougatine Room), August 17, 2007

2007-08-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Friday lunch. Nice Flowers today. I think, because the flowers have been so nice as of late, I'll continue to include photos of them. Let me know what you think.
Here's an interesting dish. Celery-pineapple soup with spiced, poached shrimp. Who knew that celery and pineapple could be well-matched. But indeed they are, at least in this case. The shrimp was expertly cooked, the cold soup was spot on and as a whole, all ingredients were individually discernable but melded perfectly together. Not an everyday soup, but this was fun.

I decided to stick with seafood, usually a safe bet at JG, and opted for the hake dish. This was a great dish. The fish was well cooked, though I did see inconsistencies with what was coming out of the kitchen. Several different looking pieces of the same fish gracing diners to my left and right. The dish was served with slightly undercooked potatoes, some tasty cockles, cockle broth andrunning beans.

I went for the fruit dessert over the chocolate/peanut butter dish. This was a warm berry tart with chantilly creme. Pretty delicious though nothing you'd consider groundbreaking or even memorable.

Tracks, August 15, 2007

2007-08-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

Tracks

I wanted to love my experience at Tracks, a logical pitstop before seeing the Justin Timberlake concert with my wife (she's a big fan) upstairs at the Garden. Pre-event dining in this neighborhood, or rather in very close proximity to the Garden is really limited. But unfortunately we were disappointed twice tonight.

First, we realized we had tickets for the next night, so we'd have to come back to the Garden again on Thursday. Two, the food was just mediocre. We were, truth be told, a little skeptical of the place so we skipped the oysters (which are, by many accounts from friends, quite good here) and stuck to traditional proteins: sharing a cheeseburger and chicken fingers.

The chicken fingers were passable, and according to the menu, made with a root beer batter. The essence of root beer wasn't clear, but an unfamiliar taste not normally associated with chicken fingers was definitely present. The burger, beside being overcooked, was remarkably uninspired. Anyone with ground beef and the most rudimentary of seasonings could improve on it. Though it didn't look all that bad.

Service was pretty good. The space is nice and just kitschy enough without going overboard, and the location is perfect. I'll probably return at some point for a quick bite if I'm going to a concert upstairs...but likely not again with the wife. The following night we opted for takeout from the Whole Foods Market in Columbus Circle (near my office) and ate outside of the Garden.

As for the JT concert. I was impressed. The whole show was excellent, including and possibly especially, the 25 minute set by Timbaland. That was awesome.

Meet Roxy, Our New Addition to the Family

2007-08-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Roxy is a 6 month old German Shepherd mix and won us over after a relatively brief search for a new family member. We adopted her through Almost Home Dog Rescure of New Jersey.

I'm happy to report she's in very good health (a little bit undernourished but that's about to change), already trained a bit (she knows sit and is housetrained) and is already adjusting to her new home and neighborhood.

Jean Georges, August 6, 2007

2007-08-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Sat at the bar. Ordered the prix fixe. Same drill as usual. Here's what I got...

Corn and lemongrass soup with peeky-toe crab, onions and lime

The best soup I've had here in several visits. Perfectly balanced. You could taste all of the individual ingredients separately and yet it all came together too. Delicious. Here's a before the pour and after...

Slow-baked salmon with charred poblano rice and a cucumber-pineapple broth. I was skeptical but, time and time again, I learn the lesson the hard way. Nothing to be skeptical about. This was terrific. The rice was al dente, a nice contrast to the super soft, almost velvety, salmon.

Blackberry panna cotta, lemon sorbet and freeze dried cherry something or other. This was just okay. The panna cotta was rubbery and not very good. It sat awkwardly atop blackberries sliced in half - a bit of a pedestrian application. The sorbet was good, if a bit too tart and the freeze-dried cherry thing was sort of weird. I appreciate the effort, and its flavor was good but the texture made me feel like I was eating a darker-tinted slice of insulation. Or kissing a muppet. Your call.
The bartender today was really nice. He was happy to discuss the dishes in detail, a surprising rarity at this place. I appreciated it and he genuinely seemed to enjoy his job. Overall, a solid lunch.

Whym, August 3, 2007

2007-08-06T17:38:00.001-04:00

Whym

Here's the deal with Whym from what I can gather after three visits and listening to coworkers who go on a semi-regular basis...stick with the entree salads.

This was a new salad on the menu - candy cane beets, grilled chicken, feta cheese and greens. I like the presentation, the size of the salad (not too big, not too small) and the seasoning and overall flavors worked just fine. Fairly priced, a nice atmosphere/restaurant and decent salads.

Frank Pepe, New Haven, August 2, 2007

2007-08-02T23:35:00.000-04:00

I'll let the history of the restaurant's famous fare, the photos above, and my interview on WTNH speak for the pizza. (hint: It's at least as good as you've heard...likely better)

Varka Fish House, Ramsey, NJ, August, 1, 2007

2007-08-01T23:36:00.000-04:00

Gazelle (Ridgewood, NJ), July 30, 2007

2007-07-31T16:35:00.000-04:00

Gazelle

I went to Gazelle in Ridgewood for a solo dinner while Danna was still away on a business trip. To be fair, and to come clean, I know one of the chef-owners, Jim Miceli, but am happy to say that if you are in the area, and looking for a tasty, health-conscious and comfortable meal of generous portions - Gazelle is worth visiting and visiting often.

It's location across from the only Whole Foods Market in Bergen County (that I know of) is a wise move as it truly caters to the type of people that shop there. The chefs, Ron and Jim, know when to leave vegetables and proteins alone - allowing their inherent flavors, instead of rich fats (butter and sauces), to provide flavor.

I'm still shocked, however, by the portion size. Depending on how their bottom line looks, they could pack the crabcakes a little thinner and ease down the super-sized salads and still make customers very happy at the same time adding a bit to their wallet at the end of the day. Though I'm not sure they care so much about that -- allowing the customer to bring home some great food to nosh on later or the following day.

I misordered my salad. I wanted the one with beets, but was pleased by my mistake. This Thai-like salad with cashews and a peanut sauce, tangerines, peppers, carrots, lettuce and haricot verts was big and bold but not overwhelming. I took the rest home though confess didn't get to the leftovers.

Two giant crabcakes with absolutely no discernable bread-filling (there is a god!) were served with thick-cut sweet potato french fries - a welcome change in the starch world and one of Danna's favorites. She'd have loved this dish from top to bottom, perhaps even more than me. A winner for sure.
I was going to skip out on dessert because I'm trying to slim down (down 10 pounds in a little over 2 months) but the dessert was included in the remarkably affordable $20 prix fixe meal. This was light but had a strong chocolate flavor to it.
After all of this food, I was definitely sated but not bowled-over-full. So refreshing. And at a very reasonable price.

Not a destination restaurant for those outside of a 20 mile radius, but you'd crazy not to give this place a try if you live in the area. I know I'll be back.

Dining in Barnegat Light, NJ

2007-07-31T16:07:00.000-04:00

This is the first time in my entire life that my feet didn't touch the sandy beaches of Long Beach Island before the 4th of July. In fact, I didn't get down there until nearly August, July 27th to be exact. Becoming a new home owner will do that to you I guess.

In any event, I made up for lost time, taking in the sights including a visit to the Barnegat Light Museum and Gardens a block away from my old beach house, a walk up to the top of Ol' Barney (the lighthouse), stopping by old places of business (Bobbie's Boats, the area that was once Broadway Pizza and The Beach Grill, Moustache Bill's Diner and 18th Street Cafe).

It's no wonder that I have an affinity for dining out, having worked at so many restaurants during my youth. Broadway Pizza relocated a few towns south a few years back, The Beach Grill (one of the crazier jobs I've ever had) was replaced by Broadway Pizza a long time ago, Bobbie's Boats is still there with nicer boats for rental and a cleaned up dock, and both Moustache Bill's and 18th Street Cafe are still running strong.

I even stopped by some friends' old places of business like Andy's, Kelly's and White's Deli - all of which were regular stomping grounds in the past.

What I didn't recognize at White's was a ground mixture of beef and bacon (10:1 ratio) that they simply labeled as "Baconburger". So very tempting. The smell of this deli is awesome. It just has that "beach deli" smell to it, which is quite a bit better than that of most delis anywhere else.

I had two breakfasts and a lunch at Bill's and got to see my old friends/bosses/colleagues and taste the standard fare of eggs and such. Bill's has actually gotten a little better than my visits last year. Something wasn't working last year, but I'm happy to say it's "back" though I was a little disappointed in the clam chowder. What is normally the best chowder I know, this was a bit watered down.

I also stopped by Seth Van Dorn's place (18th Street Cafe) to say hi and later have a deliciously simple (or would it be simply delicious) dinner of seared tuna, clams casino and a side salad. Best ingredients you can find on the island cooked very simply - allowing the food to do its own thing. The fish is caught that day or the day before, never frozen, and of top grade quality. The vegetables are garden fresh. And both are brought in/procured by family members. Here are some pics. If in town or on the island anywhere, it would be a mistake to miss this place. Book in advance as seating goes fast.

Bahn Mi

2007-07-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

Danna has been in Hong Kong on business and They Might Be Giants have been taking residence at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday nights this July. Do the math people.

So yes, Doug and I checked out the culturally rich dining area on the edge of Little Italy and Chinatown and took in some Vietnamese.

We hit this dumpy-on-the-outside, prim and tidy-on-the-inside bahn mi hut and ordered appropriately - pork bahn mis.

My first experience of the traditional style (previous experience was at Momofuku) and must say that I do prefer David Chang's but you can't beat the price ($3.50) of this guy's bahn mi).

They also sold other prepackaged dishes as well as Pocky sticks. Apparently men and women are marketed separately. Just kidding of course. Men's is referring to menthe or menthol or simply "mint".

Jean Georges, Thursday, July 19, 2007

2007-07-24T17:29:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Well, this might go down as my least favorite trip to JG to date. Oh well. I guess it fell victim to the Restaurant Week blahs that many restaurants succumb to - though not Eleven Madison Park (see previous review).

The flowers looked good. Reminds me of concerts I used to go to at Deer Creek Ampitheater in Noblesville, Indiana this time of year.

The options for starters were pretty weak. A berry soup (was it raspberry?) or smoked salmon salad. Skipping the sweet soup, I went for a good standby. This was very good, but hardly exciting. Smoked salmon, julienned vegetables and two strands of hot peppers = boring. Good, but not worth even these many words.

The entree options were either skate, which I've had twice already at JG or the chicken with roasted corn and running beans. The corn/bean salad was very good. The chicken was dry and unflattering. They served a breast (very dry) and thigh (okay). Boring. And when compared to the chicken dish served for Restaurant Week at Eleven Madison Park, of a much weaker league. Adding insult to injury, service was atrocious. I waited nearly 30 minutes for this chicken after I'd finished my salmon.

I should have ordered what these kids next to me got. Yep. Apparently you can order chicken fingers and cheese fries at Jean Georges. Who knew? Oh, and of course Shirley Temples. Dad left these three girls to have lunch at the bar, not having a clue as to what the menu was. The girls were like, um, er "can we just have chicken fingers and cheese fries." Funny. Alas, the cheese was barely melted. I can't imagine this actually came from the open kitchen to my left, but who knows.

Dessert options were an apricot dish (see below) with a black raspberry sorbet (if I remember correctly) or JG's signature molten chocolate cake. The sorbet was good but didn't leave as big an impression as ones previous, but the apricot, cream and cake it sat upon was very good. I wish I could describe this (my memory isn't serving me too well this time). It was good and light, which for such a hot day was fine. I can always get that cake. Rest assured, each of the girls next to me ordered it.

Eleven Madison Park, Summer RW, July 16, 2007

2007-07-16T16:27:00.000-04:00

Eleven Madison Park

Restaurant Week at Eleven Madison Park is a tradition in my family. Every RW, my father, wife and I sit, more often than not at the same table on the first day of restaurant week to ensure that we receive the $25 gift certificate they give to customers.

Well, unfortunately some traditions fall apart. Danna now works in New Jersey and couldn't make it, our regular table was given to someone else and the restaurant no longer gives out those gift certificates, correctly believing that it's 3-star review of its delicious food was enough to get people to fill the seats.

One thing that was constant, however, was the high quality ingredients that go into making fabulous dishes. Quenelles of bluefin tuna with white and green asparagus. This was great and was a bit of visual trickery - looks like ruby red grapefruit doesn't it? Not the best tuna I've had at EMP, but still very good. Nice and light.By the looks of what people were eating, this chicken was a big hit. Perfectly cooked, the breast meat when viewed on edge looked like how tuna is when cut against the grain (not pink, but ridged). Perfectly moist in the middle, crispy on the top, it was served with English garden peas, morels and a few tiny potatoes. Really solid for "just" chicken. Vanilla Pannacotta with mixed berries in a mint and raspberry (?) soup. The mint took me off guard but was really refreshing. Excellent dessert and meal overall.
This was a chocolate dish my dad had for dessert. Below is the bottle of wine (2004) we ordered. Excellent Burgundy to go with the chicken.Service was okay this time around. The sommelier is always great and ended up serving us as well...possibly because my dad and he recognized each other from previous visits and they decided to keep that flow going. He's a great sommelier and a genuinely nice guy too. Speaking of the FOH staff, there's a hostess who brought me to my table that is remarkably attractive. If I were single, I'd go to EMP every night to catch a glimpse. Wow.

I digress. The food, as usual, was phenomenal. And a reasonably fair price. All of the above photographed, plus the gnocchi entree and another order of the tuna (dad's meal) including the wine came to $128 after tax.

Thanks Daniel and co.

Holsten's, July 15, 2007

2007-07-16T12:07:00.000-04:00

Holsten's

My sister is getting married at the beginning of next year at the Pleasantdale Chateau, which is, I should state, incredible. Beautiful place and a dream location for anyone getting married. What a private residence this must have been.

So she asked my wife and I to check it out with my sister, her fiance Tim and my dad. My dad suggested we grab a quick bite somewhere nearby afterwards. The logical choice - Holsten's.

Well, perhaps it was a logical choice based only on the fact that it was prominently featured as Tony's "place of death" in the Sopranos finale. If you want to debate if Tony died or not, do it elsewhere...after reading this: http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/1406/1/

Otherwise, the food here, burgers in particular, are simply passable. Nothing more nothing less. However, the ice cream is amazing. I had a root beer float with (french) vanilla ice cream and was floored by how good it was. Really delicious and worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood. But is it a dining destination? I'm not convinced of it. Perhaps if you are a die-hard Sopranos fan or if you like really good store-made ice cream - but otherwise, not worth the trip. That being said, it'd be great if Holsten's was closer to where I live...then I'd consider it for repeat visits - at the very least for its ice cream.

The burger was, unlike Jason's (Off the Broiler) visit, overcooked for everyone at the table. Mine had a trace of pink in the first two bites but degraded to a dark gray as I went on. The bacon was good but remarkably greasy and the crinkle cut fries, when not under cooked, were fine. What irked me was the fact that they ran out of onion rings. Of all the things. Unbelievable. Apparently they went through two cases by 5pm on Sunday. Yowzah.

Anyway, a fun place to visit for no-frills fare with the family but not necessarily where you'd want your last supper.

il Villagio (East Rutherford), July 13, 2007

2007-07-14T00:04:00.000-04:00

il Villagio

Danna and I worked late on a beautiful but steamy Friday and were starving when we finally connected at the Secaucus Junction. We couldn't wait to get home and eat yet struggled to think of a place that wasn't a diner or fast food joint on the way home via Rt. 3 or Rt. 17.

Then a light bulb went off in Danna's head and she suggested il Villagio, located right on Rt. 17 North, not far from the remarkably outdated Fiesta, a wedding factory/disco/cocktail lounge.

This place looks like Artie Buco's restaurant in both style, staff and presumed clientele and therefore Danna, my Italian princess, fit in just fine and with welcome arms from the maitre d'.

Our waiter's accent was thicker than the individual slab butter served in a typical ceramic monkey dish. He read off a specials menu that was longer than most diner menus.

We both started with the spiedini but for different reasons. Danna remembers this as her favorite dish at this restaurant, which is where her grandfather, Conrad "Popsie" Policastro used to come all the time. I still have yet to have a better version than the one they serve at Aldo's in Wyckoff, and am therefore on the hunt for a superior version. This didn't beat Aldo's but scored big for its baked (as opposed to fried) version with an appropriate (read: not swimming in it) amount of anchovy/bechamel sauce.

Danna had a pasta alla vodka for her entree and I had one of the specials that stuck out - a striped bass livornese. Having had success with the softshell crabs livornese at 'Cesca (and softshell crabs tempura at Jean Georges earlier in the day), I decided this would be a good time to compare livornese sauces. 'Cesca's beats this one out, but not by much. I think it's a case of ingredients more than execution. The striped bass was as good as one could expect though perhaps was slightly overcooked from sitting in the sauce. Alas, a very good dish and one I'd recommend.

We skipped dessert although the hand made zabaglione looked and smelled delicious. Next time for sure.

Service was efficient and very gracious. The room was a bit dated, but they are working on that - a huge addition/renovation is underway. Overall, a very good experience.

Jean Georges (Nougatine Room), July 13, 2007

2007-07-13T16:44:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

Bummer. The prix fixe menu was the same as it was last week. No matter, I'll dive into the right side of the menu today.

I could have simply ordered one entree or one appetizer and have been content, specifically the tuna tartare. I'd mentioned it in a recent post which acted as a bit of a crave inducer. So that was a given. But they also had soft shell crab on the menu as an appetizer.

The soft shell crab was deep fried in a tempura-style batter and was very nicely executed. Crunchy but not at all greasy and the tempura was nearly perfectly transparent. The crab was split in half and placed atop a salad of fresh peas and some crunchy greens in a mayo-based sauce. Delicious. This acted more like a sauce than a salad.

The tuna tartare was great as usual...though perhaps the thrill is slightly gone. The radish does indeed at an extra texture, but I think it needs what Masa (Allendale, not Time Warner) does - adds a crispy layer of fried panko between the tuna and avocado layers. Or what my friend Matt Pivnick of Key Ingredient does - add crispy soba noodles to it. Otherwise it becomes simply a delicious mush. I wouldn't exactly call this a mush, but I like when a stronger texture is added to it.

Side note: an amazingly annoying customer to my left today. Ack!

Jean Georges (Nougatine Room), July 6, 2007

2007-07-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges

I know that Top Chef tapes several weeks (maybe more) prior to when we see it and that what I'm about to say probably has no real relavence, but Lia is back in the kitchen at Jean Georges. So take that for what it's worth.

Another great meal to cap off a wonky work week - being that the 4th was smack in the middle of it.

Since I had watermelon (in addition to my daily banana) for breakfast today, I figured I'd follow up with the chilled watermelon gazpacho with tomato, cucumber and lemon thyme. This, like most soups at JG, was good. But there is often something slightly funny too. The peach soup last week had a weird color, this week the watermelon soup, if you will, was a bit too oily. Now don't get me wrong, it was great, but the soup looked a little bit too much like the bottom of the bowl after you've finished the tuna tartare at Jean Georges. Beautiful colors of pink, red, orange and yellow but slightly slick-like. Here's a before and after (tableside pour).

The same pork dish I had last week was on the prix fixe menu again this week. Perhaps it sold well...or then again, perhaps it didn't? In any case, I wasn't going to order it again and instead got the slow-cooked sea bream with market radish and scallion salad and crushed plum jus. The salad wasn't a salad exactly but the dish as a whole was very tasty. I certainly ordered from the same side of the color wheel again. So far I've had a very light meal but full of flavor, textures and color.

To finish up, I ordered the Pistachio cake with white chocolate panna cotta, strawberry compote and cherry sorbet. This was good, nothing great - with the highlight being the compote.

Service was quick today. I was in and out within 40 minutes. Fantastic.

Jean Georges, Nougatine Room, June 28, 2007

2007-06-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

Jean Georges (Nougatine Room)

Trump International Hotel

This will sound a little silly but this was the first time I had trouble ordering from either side of the lunch menu at Jean Georges. Most of the stuff on the a la carte (right) side of the menu I've either had or was simply unwilling to spend for today (e.g., lobster for $42).

The prix fixe offerings (left side of the menu), which changes every Wednesday, didn't quite jump out at me either.

Flummoxed, I decided to go for the prix fixe and ordered the soup, pork and fruit dessert. Obviously that's not a fair representation, so we'll go step by step. But first - service from the kitchen to the table (or in my case, bar) has been a bit sluggish lately. I waited a long time for my entree. What up crew? Also, noticeably absent was the girl who's competing on Top Chef and JG himself.

Appetizer

The peach soup, which was more orange in color than I think even they'd hoped for, was cooled to the right temp, blended perfectly and, despite the slightly strange color, very good - though bordering on too sweet. I think I have to blame the peaches, which have been delicious this year. The soup was poured over some finely diced peaches, flowers of some kind and a lemon yogurt. Topping it off was a dash of cinnamon. Interesting dish. I'd probably never order it again, and wouldn't if I hadn't been left with the options described above. But still good.

Entree

It was either this or salmon. Having cooked up some great wild salmon at home earlier in the week, I decided to try JG's take on pork. The pork was cooked well and was no doubt delicious, but I think this was a rather basic dish that could be replicated by anyone with access to the same products. The pork sat on a slightly over-salted bed of rainbow chard next to a brush stroke of plum sauce. Good, not great and, to be perfectly frank, not exciting at all - but still a good value from a cost perspective.

Dessert

I stuck with the early summer fruit theme and ordered an apricot/peach dish that consisted of peaches (good), apricots (eh) a plum sorbet (awesome) on top of a shortbread cookie of sorts (good). Overall, nothing outstanding save for the plum sorbet. But still good.

Drink

It's hard to say no to one of the few places serving Gerwutztraminer juice, so I had a glass. Probably a mistake though this time because of the naturally sweet dishes I chose. Oh well.

Bread and Butter

It should also be noted that they are now serving two pieces of bread, per person it seems. The bread is very good, but I think supplying two pieces per person is assuming too much and also wasteful. Speaking of bread, my friend Rob Seixas has an article about bread on Zagat.com. You can read it here: (link will be added soon).

Insieme, June 22, 2007

2007-06-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Insieme
Michelangelo Hotel
777 7th Ave.

So since it's Friday, we'll do a quick review of a quick lunch.

Location
Can you get any more convenient. This is a much welcome addition to Times Square for both tourists and business folks alike. The foot traffic is remarkable and will keep people walking in the door.

Decor
Despite what Bruni and others think, I like the decor. Well, most of it. The wood work with the angular cuts close to the ceiling are nice, I loved the chairs and the leather bench seats were very comfortable. The tables and dinnerware was fine as well. I didn't even mind the stringy, flapperesque curtains. But what in the world were they thinking with their choice of flowers. Lily's of this variety = funerals. The smell, the look, everything about them reminds me of funerals. And then because the colors of the restaurant are muted shades of gray, white, black and brown, it brings the place down. The person who suggested those flowers should get a serious lecture about floral arrangements. Blech. Oh, and watch your step upon entry. That's going to cause some problems. And is it not handicap accessible because of that step?

Service
Waitstaff (Cassie was my waitress) seemed cheerful and seems to know her stuff. The bussers and water fillers and such were simply drones. Not sure I like the whole tucked-in tie look, but the uniform (blue shirts, blue pin-striped pants and a blue, white (and navy?) tie was sharp. Food came out in good order, ice water filled regularly and the bread/olive oil service was nice.

Food
Pretty good and a decent value. I ordered a small plate of the lasagne ($12) from the traditional side of the menu. To quote Platt from New York Magazine, it was served with six layers of spinach pasta interspersed with a Bolognese ragù and a melting béchamel. I thought it was very good overall but seemed to be missing something. Just one thing, but I can't put my finger on what. Platt's extra star for the lasagne seems a little strange...I think a lasagne without fresh ricotta (from DiPalo's) isn't a lasagne, but what do I know.

For my entree, I went with the barramundi. A good dish that made me truly appreciate the amadai I had at L'Atelier yesterday. Meaning that if Canora's fish was well cooked, then what I got from Robuchon was etherial. That being said, the tomatoes, artichokes and other accompaniments to the dish were delicious and were well placed.

Insieme reminds me of L'Impero in many ways. Actually, it's like the middle child of a family who's kids also include L'Impero and Alto. Good food that doesn't have to get better. With the reasonable price points, great location, lack of competition in the neighborhood and competent dishes it already serves - it doesn't need to do better. An instant standby. It would be a mistake to try and make it more that what it already is.

L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon, June 21, 2007

2007-06-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon
Four Seasons Hotel
57 E. 57th Street

I had lunch with Food Editor of Gothamist, Laren Spirer and it was both of our first visits to the dining destination known as L'Atelier. I was so amped for this lunch after hearing some great reviews from friends.

The Four Seasons, it should be noted, is breathtaking. I don't like the word breathtaking, but it really was. Actually, it was stresstaking. I walked in and immediately fell at ease. So calming. An oasis in a bustling part of the city.

After navigating the winding halls, I made it to the ebony and red room just as my dining partner for the day was. We were offered a seat at the bar (the good seats!) and jumped on the opportunity of seeing the action up close.

I went with the Express Menu and chose the Le King Crab - which was a 'salad' of king crab, mozzarella and avocado. It sounded so mix matched that I had to see if it would work and indeed, lest there be any doubt, it did. The crab was awesome, the romaine hearts (uncut) actually made sense in this form, and the mozzarella also seemed to work well with the crustacean.

For my entree, I chose L'Amadai which was pan sauteed with lily bulbs and served atop a yuzu citrus broth. So delicate. So delicious. And the crispy skin was perfect. First time trying this fish, and I'm now a fan.

We shared an order of L'Anguille - caramelized eel layered with smoked foie gras. The joining of these two distinct flavors is a case study for flavor profile perfection. It lived up to every expectation...I just wish the serving was larger. Oh my god was this delicious. One of my favorite dishes ever.

photo courtesy of New York Magazine

L'Atelier is truly something special. The food is heavenly, the location is much better than what some critics are arguing ("In the lobby of a hotel? For shame") and the artistry is nice too. The room itself was pristine, the design was nice, but the color (shiny blacks and reds) reminded me of my high school locker room (Go Big Red!). Alas, is this better than Jean Georges? I don't think so. Some of the dishes (the Eel and foie gras!) are certainly more intriguing that what you usually get at Jean Georges, and the menu is a little deeper, but I'm not sure if its better.

A few more visits and maybe I'll know for sure. :)

steak tartare with boring looking fries.

Peasant, June 14, 2007

2007-06-15T11:40:00.000-04:00

Peasant
194 Elizabeth St.

There was a Food Blogger Meet Up/Happy Hour at Von that I attended with my dining partner Doug (dpd for short) where we got to meet Ed Levine of Serious Eats and Alaina of The Full Belly among several others who all seemed great and had their own niches carved out for themselves.

After a few drinks of a bordeaux blanc I don't recall, I wandered over to Peasant for a bite to eat. Having never been there and hearing of its all-Italian menu, blunt service and terrific food, I had to see for myself.

Well, I can't disagree with anything I've heard about the place. The menu is in fact written in Italian, but I had absolutely no problem navigating the menu. If you have any language skills (Latin or its European spawn) you should have no problem with the menu. Same applies if you are a dedicated diner like myself. That said, I can see it being an issue for the regular person, but I wouldn't consider it a turnoff. What was a turnoff, however, was the loud room, loud Euro centric clientele and what looked to me like a staff that goes skiing every night together.

I sat at the bar, as is my MO when dining alone (Doug had a basketball scrimmage, Danna was working late) and ordered a half order of the pasta with pesto sauce and was floored by it. It was phenomenal and costing me about $8 for a healthy portion made it all that much better. Truly excellent pasta - at least as good as that at 'Cesca and a fraction of the cost (and more pasta!).

For my entree, I wanted to order the grilled quail, which they were out of, but settled on the spit roasted chicken. This was superb. Filled with a nondescript stuffing, the herb infused bird was perfectly cooked and seasoned and simply hit the spot. I don't recall the exact price, but it was somewhere near a respectable $24 or maybe $22(?).

Is the scene a bit too sceney and Euro? Yes.
Are the staff a bit kookoo? Yes.
Is it loud and less homey than it should/could be? Yes (but that's because the front area is bigger than it needs to be)
Is the food delicious and of a good value. Definitely.
Worth a shot? I'd say yes.

Big Apple BBQ Block Party - June 10, 2007

2007-06-11T11:25:00.000-04:00

Big Apple BBQ Block Party
Madison Square Park

What can I say. The 'cue was as good as it gets. Sadly, these are the two best days of the year to get BBQ in New York City - and it's a downhill run after that...though from what I hear Hill Country might change all of that. Blue Smoke simply shouldn't even be considered a contender to what was served in the Park this weekend.

The highlight for me was the Baby Back Ribs & Beans served by Pitmaster Mike Mills of the 17th Street Bar & Grill from Murphysboro, Illinois. They won the Memphis Championship Barbecue event in Las Vegas and dammed if they don't deserve. I've never had ribs this good before in my life. Phenomenal.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is still my favorite place to go though. I've visited his plot of sidewalk all three of the years I've been to this event and it keeps getting better. I asked for some of the "brown stuff" and was treated handsomely to large chunks of extra crispy cracklin'. Holy crow was this pulled pork delicious.

Ubon's "Champion's Choice" pulled pork shoulder and cole slaw was good and certainly qualified to be a part of this event, but didn't stand a chance against Big Bob. Though it also didn't deserve to have such few people on its line. The food was real good but unless there is a line, people don't think it's that great. Their loss was our gain. An easy line to pass through.

One quick thing about the Bubba Fast Pass - they sold out at 3pm on Saturday which is infuriating. They should allot a few for sale each day, in my opinion. However, the lines weren't all that terrible to navigate on Sunday, so we ended up feeling just fine about not being locked into a $100 pass with only $80 some odd worth of food. NOT getting the pass definitely worked in our favor this year. Oh...and great job with the beer tents this year. I was very impressed with the speed of which it moved. Truly a great job.

See you next year.

'Cesca, May 30, 2007

2007-05-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

'Cesca
164 W. 75th St. (Amsterdam Ave.)

The Upper West Side, long an area I've avoided for no other reason than because I had no business being there, has seen some action from me lately.

I've been lucky enough, after 32 years of living, to have recently found my birth mother (thank you Google!) who just so happens to reside on the Upper West Side. Without going into details of my personal life (and hers, for that matter), I will say that we've become friends and are working on establishing a relationship of some kind.

Our first meet-up since the hospital room was at Cafe Mozart. The choice of destination had nothing to do with the place itself, but rather its equidistance from her apartment and my office. I also happen to really like Mozart, so I felt comfortable about that.

Our second meeting was at 'Cesca and for mostly the same reasons. I'd been to the bar at 'Cesca with my friend Mike Polombo years ago (it was "his" restaurant and was treated well there) and had some apps and drinks but never got to try a meal. So this is where my wife got to meet her birthmother-in-law. (Hallmark - are you gettin' this?).

I ordered some delicious marinated olives ($7) for the table. Danna ordered the spicy parmesan & prosciutto fritters ($9) which came to about 9 in an order. This was to be her appetizer but quickly became an addicting addition for the table.

For my appetizer, I ordered the linguini with tomato sauce and basil ($18). The portion size was very small but the flavor and texture of the linguini was excellent. I'd be hard pressed to order this again for the value, but it was tasty.

This happened to be the peak of Soft Shell Crab season, and considering I order them maybe once a year on average, this was perfect timing. The crabs were the Market Fish of the day and were served "alla Livonese" - with a spicy tomato sauce, capers, olives and oregano ($28). This was fantastic and as good a soft shell crab dish as I've ever had. Truly well done - and the crabs were big this year. Two were served and had plenty of meatiness to them. I'd certainly recommend this dish for those seeking a new interpretation of this crustacean (sorry, I had to).

All in all a great meal. The wines we chose were also very good, though I've since misplaced what we ordered. I need to get better with that.

Ginger and Spice, May 25, 2007

2007-05-26T10:11:00.000-04:00

Ginger and Spice
Ramsey Square
1300 Rt. 17 North
Ramsey, NJ

Located in a strip mall off of Rt. 17 North in Ramsey, NJ - Ginger and Spice is a hidden gem. Flanked by a Panera Bread and department stores, the restaurant, as the name implies, serves a mix match of Asian-style dishes from sushi to noodle dishes to rice options.

What you won't get here is a fine dining experience nor authentic cuisine. But that's not really the point either. What you will get is a fun place to take the family, go on a date, or simply cut out from work for a nice lunch.

On my visit I ordered the salt and pepper calamari ($8.95). According to the menu, the fish is hand battered with 'angry' flour, seasoned with sweet peppers, Thai chili, scallions and served with curry aioli. I'd like the flour to have been a little 'angrier' so to satisfy my need for more heat, I asked for some chile oil, which they gladly provided. I mixed this in with the aioli and just like that, created my new favorite dipping sauce. It'd go equally great with french fries - which, oddly enough, you can order from the Sides menu.

For my entree, I had Thai Curry Udon Noodles ($9.95) which included bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sweet (bell) red peppers, bok choy and Thai red curry. At the suggestion of our waitress, a very cute, pixie-like girl with a million dollar smile, I added beef to it for $2 more. Next time I'd try the chicken as the beef was a bit lacking, but in no ways bad.

My sister and father both ordered the Soy Honey Glazed Black and Blue Tuna ($20.95) and were pleased with their choice. The very large, wok-seared tuna steak is served with stir-fried veggies and a crispy, sticky bonito rice that they both very much enjoyed.

I look forward going back to this place on a somewhat regular basis. It's a good change from the nearby Kinchley's and Mason Jar Restaurants for a casual bite to eat.

Landmarc, multiple visits

2007-05-21T17:24:00.000-04:00

Landmarc
Time Warner Center, 3rd Floor

Dubbed as a "contemporary bistro with a twist", I've gone to Landmarc six times to figure out what that twist is (still can't figure it out) and to break up the week's worth of dining destinations in the neighborhood that I work.

Let's get right into it.

Visit #1 - Breakfast
This was the second day the restaurant was open for business. I sat at the bar and was greeted by everyone in the restaurant - as I was the first customer of the day and probably one of the first on record for breakfast. I ordered an egg sandwich with bacon and gruyere and a cup of coffee ($10 or so, coffee was a freebie). The coffee was okay, but they offered me a huge refill for the walk out once my order arrived. Very nice. I brought the sandwich back to my office surprised at the lack of condiments in the bag (no salt, pepper or ketchup) but fortunately made due with leftover stuff in my desk drawer. The sandwich was good. Ample amounts of cheese and a so-so sampling of bacon. It was pretty greasy and I imagine it would be the perfect panacea for a night of heavy drinking, yet I've not had the inkling for a return visit.

Visit #2 - Lunch
I sat at the far end of the circular bar (which would become routine) and ordered the nicoise salad ($18), which Steve Cuozzo wrote was not in fact a nicoise salad at all, because the tuna was seared, not out of a can. I have to agree and did feel slightly cheated. Not just because the tuna was seared (a good thing) but because it wasn't enough tuna. A little skimpy, though the greens and filler (potatos, anchovies, peppers, haricot verts) were decent. Overall though, not worth getting.

Visit #3 - Lunch
Went with two coworkers. I ordered the french onion soup ($8) and the standard grilled chicken caesar salad ($16). Both were simply okay. I've had much better french onion soup (Artisanal, La Bonne Soup, La Petite Auberge, etc.) and have had worse (local pubs, etc.). The chicken caesar was boring. Not completely tasteless, but boring. Add some cranberries at least to jazz it up please. Blah.

Visit #4 - Lunch
Back to my perch at the bar, this time I ordered the croque monsieur ($13). Standard. Good. Perhaps not as good as the one at L'Express, and certainly could be better appreciated at 2 in the morning (which is possible at Landmarc), but good nonetheless. Worth trying again? Maybe one more time after I've gone through the menu.

Visit #5 - Lunch
At this point, I'm only going to Landmarc because I'm tired of going to Bouchon Bakery. I love Bouchon Bakery and anything they serve trumps what you can get at Landmarc. It's a fact. But I don't like to sit under the Samsung sign, so I get my lunches takeout and eat outside or at my desk. And the problem with BB is that they simply don't change their menu enough. I LOVE the nicoise salad sandwich. I LOVE the roast beef sandwich. But I can only have them so many times (countless at this point). Yet I debate each time I come to Landmarc why I choose it over Jean-Georges - and I'm never satisfied with my answers. Yet once again, I ponied up to my spot at the bar, this time ordering the grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers, smoked mozzarella and carmelized onions on ciabatta. It was as pedestrian as it sounds.

Visit #6 - Lunch
I've gone this far into the menu, why not keep going. My spot at the bar is taken by people crunching numbers so I sit in the middle and order what the guy next to me was eating - the grilled skirt steak salad with gorgonzola, watercress, roasted peppers and chimichurri vinaigrette ($21). Lo and behold, this is the first and likely only dish deserving a return visit and recommendation. It was very good. The steak was cooked perfectly and served nice and warm, not chewy and in ample portions. The watercress was crisp and tasty. The gorgonzola was scattered in appropriate density (though I wouldn't mind a little more). The roasted peppers are starting to annoy me here. But this is a good dish. Worth checking out and probably the only dish I've had so far that has a fair value. But still, for a few bucks more I could be eating a three course meal at Jean-Georges, a stone's throw away. Sometimes I guess the casual atmosphere is what we need, and that's why I've been back so many times. But as for that "twist", I'm still waiting to figure out what exactly it is.

Visit #7 - Lunch
I saddled up to the bar once again, this time trying the burger. I ordered it medium rare with gruyere and bacon. It was served just like that, except that the bacon was in the form of lardons and on the side in a ramekin/monkey dish. Whu whu what? How lame is that? You put some lardons on the burger and after one bite they all fall out and onto the plate, bar or worse - your lap. The burger was juicy, salty and beefy and I have no complaints about it but serving the bacon like that is a critical mistake.

Visit #8 - Lunch
Went with about eight people today for a coworkers "last day lunch". Even our boss, a well-known figure, attended. He ordered the burger which arrived per his request as quickly as possible. He ate and ran, which was fine. The rest of us received slipshot service with three of us getting our food in a timely manner. Then the next three people getting their's a few minutes later and then, about eight minutes after that, my colleague finally got her grilled skirt steak salad. Service was ATROCIOUS. True, they took her meal off of the tab, but that was ridiculous. Other servers (I asked for a napkin) were also slow and unconcerned. I got the napkin about 4 minutes later. Terrible.

Jean-Georges, May 21, 2007

2007-05-21T17:23:00.002-04:00

Jean-Georges

I love Jean-Georges. To be clear, I'm referring to the restaurant, although the gentleman who runs the kitchen is no doubt a great guy. He's been cordial each time I've seen him, or rather him seeing me perched at "my" spot at the end of the bar. It should be noted that I have no right to call it "my" spot, as I've only sat there three or four times, but I enjoy it more than at the tables, whether inside, or where this experience found me, outside on the patio.

Danna was taking some liberties with her work schedule (it was her last week working at the same company for the last eight years) and had some time to meet me for a rare lunch together. We also had to return some stuff I got her from a store in the neighborhood, so Jean-Georges was a convenient place to grab a quick bite.

We were offered a place on the patio and, because it was one of the sunnier/warmer days we'd had in a while, we took it.

The tables and chairs were balanced, the umbrella sturdy despite some gusting winds and service, despite being further away from the kitchen, was still very good. The only issue Danna had, and I have to agree, was the cheap sunglasses on our waiter. It looked "off" and somewhat inappropriate.

Bread was good as usual, and they served us olive oil instead of the requisite butter, which was a welcome change...though I do like the butter there.

Since we were in a rush, we skipped the bargain prix-fixe (which seriously is the best deal in town, with exception to possibly lunch at Bouley) and just ordered an entree each.

Danna ordered the black bass, I ordered the skate - one of the last remaining "standard" dishes I'd yet to try. The skate was perfectly prepared - crispier on the edges, and elegantly plated with a vinaigrette of sorts poured around the fish tableside. Danna liked mine better than her black bass, which, aside from being par for the course with her, was also perfectly prepared and served with a nice collection of seasonal greens and a puree of celery root, if I recall correctly.

You can't execute dishes better than at Jean-Georges and the consistency is something that is truly remarkable. Service is never "bad" and you walk away content and satisfied each and every time.

The only problem is the space. There is nothing wrong with the space, it is lovely and comfortable, but it isn't "wowing". Then again, maybe it doesn't need to be. Afterall, I spend most of my time looking at my plate or my dining companion when at Jean-Georges, which is probably the goal of any good restaurant, or in this case, a great one.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, May 20, 2007

2007-05-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Pocantico Hills, NY

So by now anyone that has read this blog knows that this is my favorite restaurant anywhere, anyhow.

Therefore, it was the perfect place to celebrate my wife's parents' wedding anniversary. They hadn't been yet, and with ramps season just about to conclude, there was only one thing to do...off to Westchester...

Consistency is one thing. Jean Georges is a perfect example of a restaurant who is consistently consistent in preparing beautiful, perfectly balanced dishes. But when a restaurant gets better every time you visit it - even at your 6th or 7th visit during the course of almost two years, you are experiencing something very special.

I've had it three times in the past, but I felt the need to order it again. The field greens with soft-boiled and pan-fried panko crusted egg was as good as it could possibly be. Yum. Gooey goodness from the egg just brought it all together. Delicious. Everyone at our table got it and was equally impressed. You can taste the fact that one, maybe two, people touched the lettuce before it got to your plate, and that it was cut from the soil that morning.

I followed this up with Pancetta Wrapped Trout, served with local nettles, ramps, spinach puree and a meyer lemon vodka sauce. I was nervous that this would be smaller than it actually was. Served more like pinwheels and sliced into pieces, I really enjoyed this dish.

We ordered for the table a side order of ramps and carrots ($6 each supplemental charge) but, which happens a lot here, they also accidentally brought out an order of bok choy. Instead of bringing it back to the kitchen, we were given an added treat that was delicious. The ramps, of course, were fantastic and the carrots were also delicious - though Danna and debated whether these were better than the one's at BLT Prime. Danna was in favor of BLTs, and I'm still unsure. Both great but somehow different.

I was able to sample the gnocchi (ricotta cheese, morels, pine nuts and asparagus) which was excellent. You might not think of going for the handmade pastas at BHSB because it isn't an "Italian" restaurant by any stretch of the imagination...but you really need to consider it. It helps to actually see the entire room of the kitchen (in the way back) dedicated solely to making pasta fresh daily.

For my main course - I went with the grass-fed beef which was served with morels, asparagus, and local (stone barns) bok choy. Again, fantastic. Perfectly cooked, flavors, aroma and texture in perfect harmony with each other...simply perfect.

I honestly don't recall what we had for dessert - and it's not that it wasn't memorable (well, I guess it really wasn't), it's just hard to remember everything.

If you do happen to go up there, say hi to Pete the bartender, a friend of mine who I remet while in St. John's earlier in the month.

Zozo's Ristorante, St. John, USVI - May 9, 2007

2007-05-16T12:41:00.000-04:00

Zozo's Ristorante
Gallow's Point Resort
St. John, USVI

Danna and I split from the pack for dinner on our fifth night on St. John. The previous nights dinners were mostly barbecue-driven (steak, salmon, burgers, etc.) - which makes perfectly good sense because the main house (there were three houses we rented for about 20 people) had a great grill set up, a monster kitchen, and views of Francis Bay and sunsets over St. Thomas. But, being the food blogger that I am, I wanted to see what the island had to offer.

Parking is limited on the island, so the restaurant had a valet of sorts. Basically a big, imposing man asking me for my keys after I'd already found parking. Fine. We walk upstairs and the owner or manager is sweeping through the restaurant and heading to the kitchen but takes the time to kindly let us know that he'll be right with us - then proceeds to yell at the kitchen staff for what seemed to be either slow firing of plates, mistakes or simply poor cooking. A red flag for sure.

We didn't have a reservation, and though the main restaurant was booked, he offered us a table upstairs in the Jax Bar - featuring the same menu as downstairs. This was great. We sat at the long bar overlooking Cruz Bay and St. Thomas just at the tail end of the sunset and got served some good bread with olive oil by a friendly bartender. The simplest and easiest things mean the world to me when done well. Our bartender poured us some good olive oil, cracked some fresh pepper and salt in it and served it to us with the bread. This takes little to no effort, but it is amazing how few restaurants provide such a nice and simple offering.

We ordered some wines and then moved on to the meal. I started with the littleneck clams in a sun dried tomato pesto served with grilled garlic crostini and lemon pinot grigio brodo ($14). Delicious. Truly a solid dish.

Danna had no problem finishing her endive and radicchio salad that was served with fontina cheese, apples and red grapes in a citrus mascarpone vinaigrette ($13).

For entrees, I was torn. I'd been eating meat practically all week but desperately craved the osso buco on the menu. Instead, I went the seafood route and ordered the Caribbean lobster tail served with due colore orzo, wheat berries, tarragon and truffle crab butter ($36) and couldn't have been happier. The crustacean was cooked perfectly. It seems as though I got the last order of it, so the new guy at the bar to my right was forced to try the osso buco. It looked and smelled terrific when it was later served to him, but I was still happy with my decision.

Danna ordered the special swordfish dish which was a steak oven roasted with a peppery polenta crust. It was an interesting dish. Not her favorite - so we switched and I finished the swordfish while she ate the rest of the lobster. I don't recall the price of that dish.

We were stuffed (all that rum is enough) so we skipped dessert and coffee but enjoyed several glasses of wine while watching the lights of St. Thomas and the sky fade to black. Worth a visit.

Uncle Joe's BBQ, St. John, USVI - May 6, 2007

2007-05-16T11:16:00.000-04:00

Uncle Joe's BBQ

North Shore Road, Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI

Photos courtesy of Bob and Anita Blake

Danna's friend and former colleague Christina suggested we find Uncle Joe's BBQ. The operative word being 'find'. We were told its near the post office but that didn't help much. Fortunately there was a little information hut across the street from the post office. We asked. He smiled, looked at the door behind him and said "This door leads to the kitchen". Easy enough.

Uncle Joe's is tiny. It has five two-tops that share a space of maybe 150 sq. feet. There's a kitchen but the reheating/grilling is done on a small grill facing the street, situated in the dining "room". There are only two walls to the joint and both of them are actually the exterior walls of other buildings.

We ordered combo platters which included chicken breasts and pork ribs. Both were incredible though the chicken was slightly dry (but not too dry - might have to do with the chicken itself). It was served with ample portions of two of the following: potato salad, cole slaw, pasta salad or rice and beans. We tried them all - the cole slaw and potato salad being the winners. The meat, as it should, fell off the bone easily and was coated in a vinegar-based sauced that had some notes of tropical fruit too. Not terribly hot - in either the spice or temperature categories - and as good as I've ever had. Makes me wonder why people even bother at the too-inconsistent-to-be-trusted Blue Smoke. It's not rocket science people. Just add the love! Uncle Joe's certainly has a lot of love in his 'cue. A must visit when on St. John.

Sun Dog Cafe, St. John USVI - May 5, 2007

2007-05-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Sun Dog Cafe
Mongoose Junction, St. John USVI
May 5, 2007

Our first full day on the island found ourselves searching for bathing suits, bug spray and sunblock. Normally we would have packed these items but they were all down at our place in Florida and didn't get down there as often as we'd hoped this winter. The bug spray, it turned out, would be unbelievably needed. Some fared well (me) others were eaten alive (Mikey) by the mosquitoes that swarmed the island because of the heavy rainfall the weeks before we arrived. We were like a full-course meal for the critters.

Anyway, in one of the shopping centers called Mongoose Junction sits a tiny shack called the Sun Dog Cafe. Everyone I spoke to recommended it for their fish tacos, so naturally we went for it.

We sat at one of the tables scattered on the patio in between clothing shops, an outdoor bar called the Gecko Lounge and a cigar shop. The ammonia soaked rag that was used to clean off our table didn't set a good stage, but the dishes served to us hit the spot.

Danna ordered the black bean and grilled chicken quesadilla that was as good as this basic fare can get. My Mighty Mahi taco, served with three soft tortillas with perfectly grilled Mahi Mahi and a slightly fruity (mango) salsa was just right. Though I couldn't help but put a little extra hot sauce on it.

I'd certainly recommend this place for a quick bite while shopping around town - and stick to the local fare (fish tacos, etc.).

Skinny Legs - May 9, 2007

2007-05-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

Skinny Legs
Coral Bay
St. John, USVI

Think of Skinny Legs, located on the northeast corner of St. John, as something you'd get if you combined Margaritaville with Fenway Park. The owners, and likely many of the patrons, are Bostonians - or at least formerly from Massachussetts as evidenced by the Patriot, Red Sox and Bruins paraphenalia covering every square inch of space not covered by St. John-themed t-shirts.

The burger I ordered was good, though remarkably overpriced for what it was. I went with blue cheese and bacon as my toppings and would recommend it for your burger fix on this particular island. The mahi sandwich is also pretty good and worth considering. The fries were average at best but the beers were ice cold, the service friendly and likely drunker than you, and the dart board "stadium" is an excellent offering.

It's definitely worth a trip if you are staying on the island - and doubly so if its raining out. The covered patio is nice even during an afternoon rain shower.

My kitchen

2007-05-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

The kitchen we had in our apartment in Manhattan was small, excuse me, tiny - even by NYC standards. Formerly a bathroom or closet, it was physically impossible to have two people do anything but stand still while in it. What the apartment lacked in kitchen size and conveniences (no dishwasher), it made up in closet space, ceiling height, accessibility, and in general, a good deal of space. It was a great apartment - I wish we could still have it in addition to our new home. Here's a pic that was taken by the Village Voice for their column "Shelter". The interview can be found here. And that couch is not that yellow, I assure you.

So when looking at houses, the functionality, look and feel of the kitchen was very important in the decision making process. Fortunately our favorite house also had the best kitchen.

Here, per Brandon's request, is a photo of the main half of the kitchen before we bought it. The stools are gone, the chicken basket is gone and the ceramic fruit thing above the sink/picture box window is or is about to be gone. Everything is fairly new - five years old or so, except the dishwasher, which is not the best, but certainly better than what I had in NYC. I'll add some additional photos in the near future as well as some meals I plan on cooking...

Amalia, April 26, 2007

2007-05-15T00:32:00.000-04:00

Amalia

My first impression of Amalia, located in the Dream Hotel, was that it would be all style and no substance. It certainly does have quite a bit of style, though that shouldn't surprise anyone when looking at its pedigree (same owners of Aspen and Groovejet and designed by the same group, SLDesign, who brought us Butter and Aspen).

My second impression was that my wife would love this. The space features a handful of separate rooms/areas in a mix of brick, glass, mirrors and currently trendy wallpaper treatments much like you'd find from Walnut Wallpaper (Cole & Son, Osbourne & Little, etc.) and Twenty2.

The service is awkward at best. The hostess looked like she just woke up and the waiter was over-polite/too polite - which I guess I can't complain about but made me feel awkward.

My first impression came to fruition when I received my Golden Beets and Blood Orange salad which was served with avocado, crunchy chickpeas and pomegranate vinaigrette. The plating was reminiscent of the tuna appetizer currently being served at Eleven Madison Park, but because it was on a square plate, not a long, narrow oval-like plate at EMP, it didn't work. There was too much negative space and it looked amateurish. Sadly, the ingredients failed to impress as well.

My entree, a ground lamb sandwich, essentially a sloppy joe, was actually quite tasty. Not worth a second try, but a nice option for lunch. It doesn't come close to the lamb nanini at Tabla (which has been worth three tries all of which were very good), but decent and passable.

I skipped dessert because the sandwich was enough to fill me up but also because none of it really intrigued me.

A recent check on Open Table showed that it was currently offline. Is this a harbinger of things to come? Hard to say, but I hope not. I'd like to give it another shot for lunch and a shot at dinner too with the wife.

Yes, its style might prove to be greater than its substance, but another shot is a fair approach. A good place to consider a starting point for a night on the town -- where getting in the mood to go out is the focus instead of strictly a dining experience.

Campiello's (Naples, FL) April 26, 2007

2007-04-28T01:07:00.000-04:00

Campiello's

Review to follow...

Restaurant L, April 25, 2007

2007-04-26T17:20:00.000-04:00

Restaurant L
Allendale, NJ

When Restaurant L opened up in Allendale, I had very mixed emotions. I was bummed, because I had dreamt of having a restaurant there myself one day (the former restaurant, The Turnpike Tavern was dilapidated and unoccupied for about a year) and was thrilled that a new, much needed restaurant was coming to Allendale. Our fair town, the one I grew up in and the one I recently purchased my first house in, was in desperate need for good restaurants.

MASA, a new Japanese restaurant is the best thing to happen to Allendale in a long time. It serves incredible fish and other dishes but the waitservice is horrendous. But the hostess' smile makes any service issues disappear, no doubt. There's another sushi place in town called Flirt, an overly smooth and cheeky enterprise that has a more popular and busier location in Tarrytown, NY and one in Miami. The food is okay, but I like to follow the wealthy Japanese businessmen when eating my sushi - and they line up at MASA in droves. Better than most neighborhood places in Manhattan.

The Allendale Bar & Grill is a good standby for a burger (but not those awful fries), a club sandwich, turkey reuben and chicken fingers, and maybe the budget-friendly pasta dinner they serve once a week, but as far as really good food is concerned, it doesn't offer it. No offense. I love the owners, I love the people that saddle up to the bar, and I love the staff there...some are good friends of mine, but we need to be real here.

Sadly, it is better than Savini. Possibly one of the worst restaurants I've ever been for both food and service. Service is an atrocity. Dumb waiters, the rudest hostess you've ever come across and inept cooks. I've been three times. Once for Valentine's Day, once for a night out to try it again (were we wrong about how bad it was?) and lastly because we were given a gift certificate. The last visit was just that. The food we ordered (a corn chowder and a shrimp dish) was inedible and very likely unhealthy. The smell of the shrimp was toxic and the waiter never even flinched nor asked why none of it was eaten. Disgraceful.

And this is also why I'm disappointed with the arrival of Restaurant L. Bad restaurants still manage to do well or at least last long in Allendale. Savini has been around for at least seven years now and I can't believe that people are that desperate for a restaurant.

That being said, my dinner at Restaurant L wasn't that great but it was still leagues better than Savini.

When the parking space closest to the door has a sign that reads "Reserved for [owner's name]", you've already got yourself a problem. The owner doesn't care about you - the customer. If he did, he'd park his car in the back and let diners have first dibs.

Anyway, the food, which is most important, was just okay...with some hits and misses. The calamari they serve is fantastic. They do a good job with it - nice and spicy. The octopus diavalo wasn't so good. The octopus was overcooked and likely not a great piece to start with and the pasta was pedestrian at best. The truffle fries, basically french fries with white truffle oil and parmesan on top were good. Could have used better, fresh fries instead of the frozen variety to make them better. The short rib raviolis were nearly flavorless and the caesar salad was a joke. It was simply a grilled, uncut heart of romaine with ramekins of add ons on the side. You've got to be kidding me. The fish dish that I had, which was so mediocre that I can't even recall what it was, provided little to make me believe this restaurant is worth revisiting. I might go back to sit at the refurbished bar and have some appetizers, but if you are seeking a nice dinner out, spend a little more on parking and tolls and get to the city at those prices. Or better yet, visit MASA or Varka in Ramsey or Axia Taverna in Tenafly or Aldo's and The Brick House in Wyckoff.

Some Changes for Big Apple Dining Guide

2007-04-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

1) It has been suggested that I go back to my old habit of including dates of my dining ventures. I got out of the habit to streamline the look of the posts, but agree that it adds something to the review. Thanks Roz. It will be effective immediately.

2) We will have some guest bloggers soon. Two friends of mine have expressed interest in becoming guest bloggers for Big Apple Dining Guide. I think it is a fantastic idea and look forward to their contributions. If you'd like to contribute, let me know.

3) More restaurants and more at-home cooking in the coming months. Now that I have a nice big kitchen, I'll be documenting some of my at-home cooking.

Thanks,

M.

The Spotted Pig

2007-04-17T10:21:00.000-04:00

The Spotted Pig

Monday, April 16, 2007

Two colleagues of mine and I took our maiden "dining group" voyage to The Spotted Pig last night. The Spotted Pig is helmed by April Bloomfield who just last week was deemed Best New Chef by Food & Wine Magazine - despite her resume that includes a stint at The River Cafe in London - and financed by Mario Batali, a guy who knows a good thing when he sees it.
We arrived by cab, passing Wallse and other fine dining establishments on the way, and stepped up to the restaurant at around 7:15pm, braced for a long wait time and a crowded bar scene. But that wasn't the case. I'm not sure if it was too early, or that Mondays are different or that this was the night before the deadline to file income taxes or what, but there was no wait. It was just a matter of putting place settings down at our table. So after about two minutes of examining the smaller downstairs area and all of its kitschy paintings and needlework items, we were escorted upstairs to an equally charming space and more specifically a corner table with just the right amount of room between tables for a place like this: snug, but not overbearing.

I don't want to go into detail about the place, simply because we ordered a lot of food, and I want to get to that right away. We decided that we'd order as much as we could stomach and just share it all. Here's what we got:

Duck egg with tuna bottarga ($3) - this came from the "bar snacks" portion of the menu and was simply a soft boiled duck egg, split in half lengthwise and topped with slivers of seasoned/marinated tuna (that looked more like sardines), salt, pepper and olive oil. The bottarga part was fine, but the attraction was the richness of the duck egg. Hearty and tasty.

Devils on Horseback ($7) - This is one of those dishes that is always going to be overpriced, yet each time I'll go back and justify it. Whether its here, Freemans or Salt, all of which offer this dish of bacon-wrapped figs, the outcome is swoon-worthy. Eight came to an order.

Antipasta plate ($17) - We ordered this after the devils on horseback were devoured, though our server, oddly enough, said that we couldn't add another dish since we'd already placed our order. Come again? We thought he was joking - to which he suggested that he'll ask the kitchen to see if it would be okay. Fortunately for them (and us) it was okay because it "wasn't that busy". So what we get is possibly one of the best dishes of the night. It had super delicious prosciutto, crunchy artichokes, breaded cauliflower, grilled bread heavily doused in olive oil (nice) and a huge, half ball of fresh mozzarella. I could go back for just this and a Spotted Pig Bitter Cask-drawn ale ($8) at the bar.

photo courtesty of Robyn

Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnudi with brown butter and sage ($13) - Strike what I said above. This is the dish I could go back for. Actually, it'd be best to go with a friend and order one of each. This was as good as everyone that's had it before will tell you or has already told you. Not to be missed.

Photo courtesy of Plaid Ninja

Chargrilled burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries ($15) - The burger was what you might call a perfect burger. There is nothing at all wrong with this burger. But there is something strange about this burger that makes me question if it could ever truly be the best burger ever. It was cooked perfectly medium rare. I mean perfectly. But where was the juice? The burger wasn't dry, but there was no juice. A strong bite into the burger and you got nothing but beef, cheese and brioche bun. No juice. Yet the beef was bright red like you'd want it. And the brioche wasn't really soggy. Bizarre. But delicious. I could go back just for this burger and a beer at the bar. Did I just have deja vu? The only issue is with the shoestring fries. I've said it before - they are not practical.

Homemade Faggots with Mustard ($25) - That is not a type o. It's basically a cross between a sausage and haggis, or, as our server described it: pork cheek stuffed with organ meats - mostly liver, and what appeared to be barley or some other grain. At first, it was fairly one-dimensional. The scent and flavor of liver was strong and the thin, squeeze bottle stripe of mustard on top did nothing for the dish. We weren't thrilled. So we finished our burger and the champ (I'll get to that in a minute) and then, after the faggots cooled to room temp, we revisited them. Now it was different. The flavors started to become more defined and the textures made more sense. I think the heat tensed the dish up. By letting it cool a little, it was able to mature into a tasty dish worth considering. Very hearty (pun intended) and not for the wary diner but it did get better.

Champ ($7) - From the side dishes part of the menu comes something called champ. It's basically mashed potatoes with scallions and more butter than I care to think about. And it is remakably delicious. I did a little research and it seems that in some British households, a silver sixpenny piece wrapped in greaseproof paper would be buried in it. To find it in your portion was to gring good luck for a year.

For dessert we ordered some sparkling muscat, which was excellent, the chocolate, walnut and amaretto cake ($7) which was just okay and the three-cheese plate featuring bailey hazen blue and two other fine cheeses that I sadly missed (I went to the bathroom and missed the names). All very good. Total bill (I looked later and noticed that they didn't charge us for the muscat) came to $176.65. Not bad at all.

It's no wonder this place is a huge success. And its no wonder that this restaurant is the model for many other restaurants to come. I know I'd be pleased to own this restaurant or simply to work there.

Asiate

2007-04-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

Asiate

Friday, April 13, 2007

Asiate, located way up on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Hotel overlooking Central Park is a great choice for several occasions. I can envision a couple dining here after one succesfully asked the other's hand in marriage or as a romantic dinner for an out-of-towner's honeymoon dinner. I see it as a place for a semi-formal business lunch or the place you get the department heads of your company to think big about new business strategies. Or maybe just a place you go yourself to take a break from it all.

There's something about the wall of windows, views of Central Park, and views of the tops of some of the biggest and most important buildings in midtown, that makes it an ideal place to think big. In today's case, it was a perfect for location to send off our boss who will be the new National Spokesman for John Edwards and his campaign for the presidency. Good luck Mark (though I can't wish the same for your boss)!

There were five of us today and we are close enough to share a little. So here's what I was able to taste.

Frisee Salad - very good, the poached egg topped with black truffles and a hint of truffle oil brought the rest of the salad together.

Rock Shrimp Risotto - also very good, as mentioned in a previous review of Asiate

Crab with tomato pesto and tagliatelle - this was good but was more of an appetizer than a main course, though I didn't know that when I ordered it. That's the difficult thing about this menu. It is hard to read. I recommend asking questions if you aren't sure about a dish and/or its nature.

Sapphire Indian

2007-04-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

Sapphire Indian

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Having recently moved out of an area of Manhattan known as Curry Hill, the last thing I could possibly want to eat is Indian. But my good friend and colleague David decided to have his going away lunch there with some other colleagues.

Just north of the Time Warner Center and overshadowed by the Trump International Hotel across the street, you'd never know from the outside what lies inside. And fortunately its a warm and comfortable environment, with enough "stuff" to make it known that it is indeed an Indian restaurant, yet not too much to look like the stereotypical Indian joints ubiquitous in my former neighborhood.

We went the buffet route and sampled all of the traditional items you'd normally find: chicken tikka masala, Baghare Baingan (baby eggplants cooked Nizami style with coconut, peanuts and spices), Dum Aloo (stuffed potatoes cooked in a sealed pot with aromatic spices and herbs), dal, Chana Masala (chickpeas cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices) and other items. Everything was very good and seemed well prepared - or I should say, prepared with purpose.

Service was average but better than what you can expect at Chennai Garden or Copper Chimney or any of those places.

All told, it was a good value too. I had a beer and the buffet and paid $25. And that included my percentage for chipping in to pay for my former colleague's meal. Would I return? Yes, though if I don't smell Indian food for a year, I think I'll enjoy it more. Living in Curry Hill has turned me off of the cuisine for a bit, I'm afraid to say. But if you are in the area and craving Indian - this is a pretty good choice.

Natale's Pizzeria

2007-04-10T15:35:00.000-04:00

Natale's Pizzeria
14 W Prospect St - (201) 445-2860

I'm living in the burbs now and quest for good food is an important one. I grew up in the area, so I know what's good and what's not for the most part - but since many New Yorkers are moving out of the city and in general, people are more interested in great food - the demand for great food is getting stronger. And fortunately the restaurants are starting to deliver.

But there's one place that's been around forever that I've neglected over the years. My (traditional pie/slice) pizza place of choice was always Allendale Pizza. Mr. Tomasso and his family became like extended family. I'd call to order a pie and he'd say "Ok Mike...picka up in tenna minna). He knew me and what I wanted and inquired about the family. A great guy, who's son Frank continues the legacy in Virginia Beach with two pizza joints that have been a great success. Alas, Mr. Tomasso closed up the "Allendella" Pizza a year or so ago.

Now that I'm back in the area, I can't count on Nelly's and/or Kinchleys for my traditional pizza fix. So where to go? Natale's in Waldwick.

This place is totally old school and serves a pie nearly as good as Allendale Pizza's used to be. And it is a better traditional slice than you can find anywhere in Manhattan. Not Brooklyn, but Manhattan.

They cook these mid-sized (not small, but not supersized either) pies in a rotisserie oven. The thing is a monster, but allows for a perfect crust that when asked for well-done, doesn't burn. Nice.

I'm happy this standby, which I hadn't had in about 20 years, is still going strong.

Burgers and Cupcakes

2007-04-10T14:54:00.000-04:00

Burgers and Cupcakes

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Had lunch with an old friend and former colleague, after what seemed like ages, the other day. I chose BnC because it was close to his office and because I was curious about this joint from all the mixed reviews I'd read.

And after just 45 minutes, I understand why the reviews have been mixed. The burgers came out in a decent enough time, but they were simply not memorable. Nothing about them was out of the ordinary or even particularly good. I ordered mine with cheddar cheese and bacon. It was overcooked. More medium+ than the medium rare I requested.

The fries were okay, though my friend didn't get his for a good five minutes after the rest of the food had been delivered.

The space and rest of the service is adequate though certainly nothing to write home about unless of course the person you are writing is a 13 year old girl who loves the color pink. There's plenty of that.

The cupcakes were good. At least the "cake" part. The icing didn't work for me. I bought a "baker's dozen" assortment, which when I was growing up meant 13. For this place, it means 15. Not sure why that is...though I guess it fit in the box better that way. I gave 8 to my wife and her coworker's and the remaining to my coworkers. Everyone enjoyed them immensely with two people claiming it as the "best ever". I disagree, but it was a good cupcake.

Not really worth seeking out in part because of its location. If you have a hankering for a burger and cupcake right before you go through the Lincoln Tunnel...look no further, otherwise...go elsewhere.

Nougatine Room at Jean Georges

2007-04-03T14:57:00.000-04:00

After indulging in two lunches here a few weeks back, I took a break from the terrific service, ambiance and food only to find myself back at the bar again today.

Appetizer

Sesame crusted asparagus with a yuzu foam dipping sauce. This was great. Don't expect the pencil thin spears that will hit the markets soon, instead, I got four thick ones, generously coated with sesame "bark" of sorts. It added a nice flavor and texture contrast to the perfectly cooked spears. The high octane citrus flavor of the yuzu balanced the toned down and earthy flavors of the spears and sesame bark. Nice dish.

Entree

Striped Bass with brocoli rabe and spring scallion sauce. The bass was cooked flawlessly and accompanied by brocoli rabe, the sauce and two slices of very tart yellow grapefruit. A combination I didn't see coming but enjoyed fully. Solid dish through and through.

Dessert

Brown sugar cake, carmelized bananas and sour cream glace. This was overall very good, though the carmelization of the bananas could have gone on a little longer. Not much, but a little longer to provide a greater flavor. Fun though and nicely presented. Oh, in the glace was a sheet of banana paper. Nice.

Drink

Navarro's gewurztraminer juice. Had to have it again. Delish. If you like gewurztraminer you will like this. If you like grape juice, you will like this. If you like honey, you will like this. And I say that because it is almost like a honey-grape water. Yum.

After tax and tip = $40 and change. Good way to enjoy lunch.

Eleven Madison Park

2007-03-29T17:38:00.000-04:00

Eleven Madison Park

Had lunch today at EMP with dad. Reminder everyone...you only have two days left to use the coupon you received during Restaurant Week.

We both had the torchon of "Elevage Perigord" Foie Gras with Venezuelan Cocoa in a gelee to start. It was served with an average piece of brioche that also had a swirl of cocoa through it, much like the foie gras. The foie gras was, naturally, delicious and topped with some salty shavings. It was cut in a thin round and elevated above a gelee of sorts. Was it worth $28. The simple answer is no. The serving was meager at best. No question that the presentation and execution was flawless, but the amount to cost ration makes no sense. I see why some people are turned off by this here. I'm glad to have been able to use the coupon to pay for this.
Dad went with the Scottish Salmon "Mi-Cuit" which he said was fantastic. I've had it before and yes, it was very good ($29).

I ordered the slow-cooked Loup de Mer (Branzino or Mediterranean Sea Bass) with saffron endive nage and ginger ($32). Again, the presentation and execution was flawless. The portion size here was appropriate and the flavor and texture was fantastic. Great.

For dessert, we both had the 'Chocolate-Peanut' - a tart of sorts, similar to what you'd get if you married a twix and a snickers bar. It was served with peanut butter caramel and brandied cherry chip ice cream. The ice cream was a disappointment but the rest was very good.

Our waiter wasn't that good. He had zero personality and didn't do much to earn his tip. This is the first time I can say that about a meal at EMP. It's always been top notch. The sommelier on the other hand, was great as usual. He picked for us a Franz Hirtzberger, Rotes Tor (Smaragd, 2004) (Gruner Vetliner) that did the trick. Same to the general manager and host staff.

And it is simply wonderful to be sat in the same seat everytime. Must be the wonders of OpenTable or just good service, but they listen and really treat their guests how they want to be treated.

It remains one of my favorite restaurants, though after absorbing others' recent critiques (small portions, lack of a strong flavor profile on some dishes, etc.) I can, to some extent, agree with them. For starters, they need a new pastry chef and I vote to bring back the leaf-shaped butter.

Black Pearl (2.0) and Shake Shack

2007-03-28T17:55:00.000-04:00

SHAKE SHACK

Walking from my wife's office to Madison Square Park on Tuesday, we passed Black Pearl. I'd heard that it resurfaced after closing down operations at the back of Julep, a dive in the East Village, but didn't know where.

Well, we kept walking and ended up at the park, to find ourselves waiting at the end of the longest Shake Shack line I've ever been on. And rightfully so. Tuesday was the nicest day we've had so far this year. And that's why the 1 hour and 10 minute wait didn't bother me. Everyone on line was happy and the people watching was entertaining enough.

We ordered a bunch of stuff because our Shake going days will be limited this year, as we are moving away from the area.

Shack Burger - As good as ever though Danna claimed that there was a lack of shack sauce on hers. My burger was slightly overdone, but all in all, a great burger. I sense a slight lack of consistency so far in the overall operations but not enough to deter a visit.

French Fries - Different this year. Same crinkle cut, but better potatoes. Still not excellent though.

Chicago Dog (with everything on it) - The sport peppers were really hot (hotter than I remember) and that's a good thing. I'm still not a fan of yellow mustard, but what can you do. The best change here is that the dog is griddled, not boiled. A very important change for the better.

Root Beer Float - As good as ever...or was the custard even better than I remembered. Either way - very good.

Concrete Jungle - I didn't sample any of this, but I imagine it was good.

BLACK PEARL

The next day (yesterday), I walked Danna home again and decided to try out the Black Pearl, knowing that it would be easy to lure Danna there with the promise of a lobster roll.

Lobster roll - fantastic. It is the best in the city from what I can tell. Pearl Oyster Bar, Mermaid Inn, etc. have nothing on it. Fresh tasting lobster on a buttered hot dog bun and lightly seasoned with barely any mayo. Delicious. There was an entire claw, unchopped, as well as other larger chunks of room temperature meat (not ice cold like some places).

Fries - mediocre frozen fries. They HAVE TO do better than this.

Pickles - from Guss. Good thinking

Cole Slaw - VERY good. Might be better than Mayrose Diner's. Little mayo present.

Mussels Bangkok (thai curry, onion, coconut milk, etc.) - the mussels weren't the best (clearly New Zealand variety). I like them small, but these were huge and meaty. The broth was good, but the bread they give you (2 pieces) was too hard to enjoy/sop up the broth. Need to work on that. The portion size was very (too) large and served in a cheesey oversized martini-like glass.

Oysters - Kumamoto, Canada Cup, Mala Spina and another variety I forget - were all very good and clearly just-shucked.

This, plus a side of haricot verts (just okay) and two Brooklyn Pale Ales came to $69.
Service was very friendly but the room is less than cozy, interesting or generally well designed.

BLT Prime

2007-03-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were craving a great big steak last night. The only requirement of my wife was that it be walking distance as we'd both been tired from a long weekend of activities.

BLT Prime was our first and really only choice. Wolfgang's has some pedigree and for a brief moment was considered, but it was too stereotypical an atmosphere. And this is one area that BLT Prime really works - it's a steakhouse in the sense that it serves steaks and has a fare amount of masculinity in its appearance but it doesn't look dated, typical or for that matter - too-steakhouse-like (i.e, missing the gruff service, boring side plates, wood paneling, etc.). The tables, for example, were made of beautiful, polished wood and the booth backs were suede - masculine but stylish.

We went fairly simple this evening, skipping any appetizers to go right to the main event: the "BLT cut" double sirloin for two. We ordered it medium rare and got a side of the braised carrots, the french fries, and a trio of mustards.

Before I get into the details of the main course, I should mention that we were served an amuse of chicken liver pate served warm in a glass jar and toast. Holy cow was this excellent. Slightly grainy and not all that pleasant to look at, but it tasted wonderful.

We were also served popovers (a favorite of many) with butter and sea salt. These were as good as they've been touted elsewhere. A little doughy in the middle, but really, really good.

Back to the beef. It had an excellent char with a fair amount of saltiness to it. Though we asked for medium rare, there was a patch of truly rare meat. It was slightly undercooked, but in this case it was fine...and we were starving. It probably wasn't the best steak I've ever had, but it definitely had excellent marbling and satisfied the craving to a tee. The trio of mustards (one was a typical dijon, the other tasted like a tarragon dijon and the third, a grainy, reddish mustard was very tasty though I can't figure out the flavor) added a nice touch to the meat and more importantly, the fries which were very good but not great.

The braised carrots on the other hand were phenomenal. I'd recommend these in a heartbeat. Expect a sweet take on this vegetable.

To finish, we were given chocolate chip petit fours that were warm and oozing chocolate. An excellent way to wrap up the meal without going overboard with dessert.

Service was very good, though it slowed down considerably toward the end of our meal. Our waiter disappeared for a good ten minutes, delaying our ability to get the check and get home. The steak was big, and so I was able to have some of the leftovers for lunch today. The smell of it reheating in the office kitchen got my colleagues to salivate and inquire about what it was/where it came from.

If you want a good steak, with great sides, good service in a pleasant/not stodgy steakhouse setting - definitely consider BLT Prime.

Porter House New York

2007-03-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Porter House New York

I'll start off by saying that the two experiences I had at Porter House this week should only be taken at face value, as you will see, I never quite got to the main event - which to me is a big juicy steak. That being said, here's a quick review of my two brief experiences this week.

FRIDAY, MARCH 9
I met up with three girlfriends (friends that are girls) from high school who happened to be in the area (one lives at Trump Int'l, the others were visiting her) and enjoyed a quick bite - as I was running late and wouldn't be able to stay long. Great to see these girls. They are truly awesome.

Here's what I sampled:

Caesar salad - pretty good though standard. Overpriced at $11.

Baked Clams Casino w/pancetta, smoked paprika butter. For clams casino enthusiasts, you'll be disappointed. This is the breaded variety (blech) than cancelled out any possible flavor. Also, the clams weren't pre-cut, making getting them a messy chore as the bread crumbs would fly off when trying to pry the clam from its shell. Granted, you get a good size portion (10 clams or so), but for $16, not a bargain. The ones at Grand Central Oyster Bar are worlds better (i.e., loaded with bacon) for much less ($9.95).

Seared Sea Scallops w/capers, brown butter, crisp parsley ($18). Three plump scallops for $6 a piece. You do the math. Okay, they were plump, but the brown butter and capers were barely evident. I'd rather have seen some fruity relish with this dish. Leave the grenobloise-style for skate.

Oyster Pan Roast with smoked bacon, brioche, tomato-tarragon cream ($16). This was pretty good. It was presented much better and was less over-the-top-creamy than the version at the Oyster Bar. But the difference was the amount of seafood. You get more seafood at Oyster Bar, but you pay more ($21 for a lobster/shrimp combo) too.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16
Burger with aged Cheddar and shoestring Fries ($15). This was presented with the skimpiest amount of ketchup I've ever been served. Maybe one tablespoon full in a round ramekin (monkey dish). The burger was nearly round, which was a bit unusual. Sadly it was overcooked (I asked for medium rare, it was medium) but still quite juicy. I should say that it was medium in the middle, more like medium well (gray) on the outside curves (there were no edges as it was nearly round). The cheese was flavorless but the burger had a nice outer char and was generously seasoned with salt.

I'd put it on par with the burger at Quality Meats. You get more fries at PH, but they aren't as good as the ones at QM. The presentation at QM is better too. The flavors are pretty similar though. I'd say that if the PH was cooked properly to order, it might be the better of the two burgers.

A good burger, no doubt. But this isn't for New Yorkers. We should stick to the Corner Bistro, Shake Shack, burger joint, Paul's and DuMont burgers this city has to offer. Rather, it's for visitors to the Mall or those staying at the Mandarin Oriental or the Trump Int'l. And sadly, I think the restaurant as a whole is the same way. Great room and view though, and service is VERY friendly and accomodating from hostess to bartender to waitstaff.

Jean-Georges (Nougatine Room) - 2 Reviews

2007-03-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Jean-Georges Nougatine Room

I had lunch in the Nougatine Room at Jean-Georges the last two days (Wednesday, March 14 and Thursday, March 15, 2007)...here's a report.

Wednesday
Ate with three colleagues and ordered from the a la carte menu.

Appetizer
Tuna tartare with radish "tower" in a spicy radish/ginger broth. This was excellent. The tuna was blue fin and was rich and creamy, if you will. There was a layer of guacamole underneath it and was topped with a crown or tower of perfectly assymetrical (you read that right) radish slices. All of this sat in a spicy, acidic and slightly oily broth. Very good.

Entree
Braised Short Ribs. Also very, very good. Seared perfectly and easily falling apart because of perfectly executed braising. This sat in a meaty broth on top of a whipped potato and was topped with perfectly julienned granny smith apples and jalepenos. A great combo that I look to recreate some other way at home.

Dessert
Molten Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream. This is the original. Anything you've ever had called this is a spin off of this signature dish. I just had to try it to compare to the copy cats. I assure you it was excellent. The vanilla ice cream and sugared vanilla pod sealed the deal.

Service
Service was excellent. Water and bread service, ice tea refills and plate removal was all spot on.
***************************************************************
Thursday
Sat by myself at the bar and ordered from the Prix Fixe menu.

Appetizer
Kabocha Squash Soup with shrimp and cippolinis. This was a disappointment. The soup itself was cooked properly but it lacked any oomph. The shrimp/squash combo didn't work for me at all. I might have finished half of it.

Entree
Braised Chicken with onions and haricot verts (?). I may be wrong but I think they were haricot verts. The chicken was served with cut breast meat layered on top of a cripy thigh and leg portion. Chicken was cooked perfectly and tasted great. It went well with the vegetables and broth, but the amount of broth in the bowl was absurd. It was like a soup and made eating a slightly sloppy situation. But it was good and worth getting.

Dessert
Apple Crumble-type dish. This was very good but nothing to be wowed over. The apple chip it was served with was really good though.

Drink
I went for the Gewurztraminer juice and loved. Nonalcoholic juice from the very aromatic grape was the right call. It went well with the sliced red hot peppers that were in the chicken dish.

Service
The final cost before tip was $34 and change. Not bad at all. The bartender was very nice but I saw something that utterly shocked me for a 4-star restaurant. The bartender was stirring the fizzy drinks with a straw - which was left in the drink and served to customers! How can a 4-star restaurant not use proper cocktail stirrers? I didn't see one in sight, but I did see the bartender stir the drinks with the straw on at least 2 occasions...and there was no white paper at the end of the straw either.

But aside from that and a less than stellar soup, lunch at Jean-Georges is a lovely, sophisticated experience.

The Mermaid Inn

2007-03-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

The Mermaid Inn

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I've been once before and had a very pleasant dinner. Tonight, with the exception of the jackass sitting two stools down from me, was equally pleasant. As I was dining solo and had to get back in decent time, I sat at the bar and decided to try dishes I'd skipped last time...

Oysters
Hurricane Harbor (Nova Scotia) - very salty and, though not thin, not the meatiest. Overall very good and remarkably fresh.

Malaspina (British Columbia) - nice, even color and full bodied flavor. Not that salty. Tasty and, like the others, very fresh.

Soup
"Hearty fish soup" is what they call it...and is served with pieces of cod, melted leeks, yukon gold and other vegetables. This was served really hot (which I like) but not too hot to not be able to eat it right away. Very flavorful and rich for a soup. For $10, I'd have liked to have seen a little more fish but it was good enough to order again or at least recommend it.

U-Peel Shrimp (Daily Special)
I knew about this Wednesday-only special from various sources and was excited to give it a shot. 1/2 a pound of really tasty, well-seasoned oven-roasted shrimp (I think it was oven roasted vs pan cooked, but could be wrong). Slightly messy, but fun, filling and overall satisfying. I'd guess that there were 8 or 9 shrimp served.

Pudding
No dessert menu means complimentary chocolate pudding. Perfect. If you like fudgsicles, you'll be happy with this.

Beer
I had two bottles of the Whale's Tale Pale Ale. A solid beer, nice caramel color, served ice cold. Solid.

Service
The bartender (Anna, I think) was great as were the hostesses. Attentive but not overbearing and not missing in action at any point.

The only thing is that after 2 visits, I've had nearly everything on the menu. Granted, the first time we went it was a group of 6 of us and shared a little, but some new daily specials other than the shrimp and oysters might be well suited for repeat visitors. But the place has a great vibe to it.

Cafe Sabarsky/Cafe Fledermaus

2007-02-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

Cafe Sabarsky/Cafe Fledermaus

Danna and I had a rare lunch together and because we were in the area, we went to Cafe Sabarsky. Unfortunately we didn't have time to view the Klimt paintings in the Neue Gallery upstairs, and were pressed for time for lunch, so we ate downstairs at Cafe Fledermaus.

The menu is filled with items I wanted to try. They offer a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches entrees, coffees and desserts that are more interesting than your usual lunch fare, at moderate (or at least fair) prices taboot.

But before I can talk positively about the food, I must set the record straight about this place. The service is horrendous. It is awful. It is pathetic. It is slow. It is sloppy. It is every negative adjective you can apply to waitservice.

There were two waiters (one of them ours) who were remarkably pathetic. The lone waitress looked like she might know what she was doing, and in fact looked skilled but harried because of the lack of effort from the other clowns. I could go on and on at great length to describe how bad the service was, but what's the point?

The food, however, was very good though wasn't without it's problems.

Danna and I shared a bowl of chestnut soup which was perfect. The right temperature, the appropriate inclusion of prunes, the right texture. Excellent. The bread and butter we had was pretty good too as was the Kaffe Klimt (coffee with whipped cream). At least I think that was the name of it.

Danna ordered the spaetzle for her entree ($15), which was served with wild mushrooms, peas, sweet corn and tarragon. It was excellent and was pretty much exactly like the rabbit spaetzle dish at Wallse. Unfortunately, as we were halfway through the dish, we noticed a hair in the food...one that definitely did not come from either of us.

I ordered the Viennese sausage with goulash sauce ($10) and was pleased, all though next time I'd try the Bavarian sausage instead. The goulash sauce was fantastic and even had a nice chunk of meat in it.

The food, for the most part, is great. But again, the service is downright insufferable.

For someone so seemingly strict - he has absolutely no control over his dining establishments with the exception of Wallse, which is most likely where he spends most of his time. Wallse was an excellent experience (save for the wobbly chairs and tables and cheesey lucite vases) but my other Gutenbrunner experiences have failed greatly in certain categories. The fish I had at Blaue Gans should never have been served looking the way it did, the service and hair issue at Cafe Fledermaus was beyond bad and the refusal to serve us dessert at Thor (at 10pm) was completely unacceptable.

Note to Kurt: Your staff doesn't take you seriously.

The Red Cat and Varietal

2007-02-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

Red Cat

Went to the Red Cat for the third time last night, and once again enjoyed it thoroughly. Visiting from D.C. by way of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and an unwelcome delay in Charlotte, my friend Matt and my new friend (and Matt's boss) Jeff met up at the Hudson Hotel to grab a bite to eat and, more importantly, a few glasses of wine. They deserved it after the commuting hell they'd been through.

We started with lobster pierogies with mushrooms as well as the tempura green beans. The green beans were as good as ever but I think the mustard dipping sauce wasn't as hot as it's been in the past. Still good, but I'd like it spicier.

I had a sea bass dish (special) which was excellent. I also tried the skate, which was delicious and served somewhat similar to the traditional grenobloise style (capers, instead of caperberries, brown butter sauce, etc.). Very large portion of skate.

We washed it all down with a light but interesting white Bordeaux called La Rame (2005).

Varietal

We then went over to Varietal which, in my opinion, is a case of The Emperor's new clothes. Average selection of wine (too warm), questionable design choices and an overall incongruent feel to the place. We enjoyed it though (how hard is it to enjoy wine and intelligent conversation with great people?), especially the wine glass chandelier - it's not as over the top/kitschy as some have suggested - but the stools were more an experiment of style than of function. Not at all comfortable and unsettling in the getting on/off experience.

Sadly, I think this place is doomed. It's been twelve weeks since it opened, there was nobody in the restaurant/bar at midnight on a Thursday night and they just don't seem to have a good handle on what they want to be. Just look at the space (modern, bright white, a little Sunset Strip circa 2005 meets I Dream of Jeanie) and look at the chef Ed Witt (tattoos galore and a CV that includes the refined Il Buco). It's an inconsistent, way-too-juxtaposed concept to survive. Not to mention Ed Witt's insane decision to never serve kobe beef or foie gras based on the treatment of said animals - yet he serves octopus, which I promise you goes through much more painful and traumatic last moments than any duck living on Ariane Daughin's farm.

In any event, a fun night for sure. I think we solved all of the world's problems last night, or at the very least, had a great time.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

2007-02-15T15:18:00.000-05:00

Oyster Bar at Grand Central

I don't like going out to eat on Valentine's Day. In fact, nothing about it feels right. I like to cook, especially for my wife, and it's an especially nice gesture on this most Hallmarkian day of days.

Alas, we decided to go out. Or rather, I did. Danna wasn't feeling all that great and wanted to just go to bed. The sleet and slush wasn't making it any more fun to be outside. But I didn't want to have to deal with cleaning a pile of dishes. Note: we don't have a dishwasher in our tiny NYC kitchen and knowing that I have a great big, new kitchen at our new home, it was hard to get interested in cooking this evening.

My goal was to have a nice night out with my wife, regardless of the "holiday", to a truly NYC place not serving a special Valentine's Day menu or prix fixe dinner and where there might not be a lot of lovey-doveyness taking place.

So we went to The Oyster Bar in Grand Central.

I love the building itself - it's easily one of my favorite structures in the city. I also love the ceiling at the restaurant and the fact that it's been around since 1913 - just three years older than our new house in the 'burbs.

We went in with few expectations. And they sort of met those expectations.

Before we got our water, we were given a printout of the items they were sold out of already: Blue Point oysters, haddock, mahi mahi, crab cake appetizer, crab cake entree, etc. Nothing says romance like the number 86.

When the time came, here's what we got:

Appetizers

Oysters. You have to get them here. They were very good (but not the best) and still cool, i.e., recently shucked. We got some Ninigret (Rhode Island) which were very good and very briny, Olympic Miyagi (Washington St.) which was meaty and rich and Ships Point (British Columbia) which was an all around solid specimen. They were out of Kumamotos and others.

Lobster Bisque. Terrible. Don't ever order this here. I've made much better myself at home. I think they neglected to include cognac (or sherry), but even that wouldn't have helped.

Clams Casino ($9.95). A very good interpretation with a thicker cut bacon of which they weren't chintzy. Several clams were doubled up with the stuff. Not as good as how I make them (I learned from the master: Seth Van Dorn of 18th Street Cafe in Barnegat Light, NJ), but very good.

Entrees

We both went for the pan roasts because I've been told several times that the best dishes they serve are the pan roasts. Well, we were mixed on this. Danna went for the lobster pan roast ($21.95), I went for the lobster/shrimp combo pan roast ($20.95). I was a bit perplexed when it arrived, as it looked like a bowl of soup with chunks of lobster/shrimp and a slice of bread in it. I had to ask one of the 3 waiters that came to our table during the course of the evening if this was the stew or the pan roast. He confirmed it was the pan roast and that the stew was "milkier". Okay.

The flavor of the broth was rich - almost too rich. Most of the lobster and shrimp were good but I did bite into one piece of tough, overcooked lobster. Nothing terrible though. I enjoyed it for its simplicity but didn't care for how overly rich and buttery the vast amount of broth tasted - or rather, felt in my stomach. Danna didn't care for hers at all.

Sides

You have to get something on the side here and much like Luger's, they charge you mightily for these mediocre dishes. Steamed vegetables ($6.95) and god-awful, Burger King style french fries ($4.75) were our picks. They even had the audacity to use "baby carrots" instead of buying, at the very least, a horse carrot and cutting it. Blech.

Service

As you'd expect. Fairly gruff, boom boom out the door, kinda treatment. Food came out fairly quickly, though our pan roasts were sitting at the waiter stand for a few minutes while the group of waiters tried to figure out to whom they belonged. Utensils and tabletops were dirty.

Overall, my expectations were met. It was romantic in that the location and architecture and old school charm met my criteria and I knew going in that the food was mediocre to satisfactory. Unfortunately I don't think Danna enjoyed it as much as me, but we had a nice night together, which in the end is really all that matters.

When Worlds Collide

2007-02-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

I had a moment of pure joy a few weekends ago at the Union Square Greenmarket that I need to share. It was a Saturday. It was cold out. And after getting myself some warm apple/pear cider I walked over to one of my favorite places, selling some of my favorite things when all of a sudden one of my favorite female forms approached that same favorite place. Yes, it was a moment of pure joy, as I sampled some stinky Hooligan cheese at the Cato Corner Farms tent with Helena Christensen.

Momofuku Ssam Bar

2007-02-07T16:50:00.000-05:00

Momofuku Ssam Bar

I've been here at least 10 times now, so I figure I might as well put down a recap of the items I've had. It's all good. Believe the hype. And if you don't, good - more room for me at the counter. The service is particularly good as well. Great bunch of people working there.

I've had the following dishes:

Pork Belly steamed buns - I've had this 3 times now and I'm done. A heart stopper.

photo courtesy of Lady Caterina

Pork Shoulder steamed buns - very flavorful

photo courtesy of Jane!

Chicken steamed buns - okay, but can be a bit dry.

Brisket steamed buns - Solid.

Pork Ssam (burrito) - One of my favorite dishes in the city, but can be greasy.

Tofu Ssam (burrito) - pretty good but overly tofu-y

photo courtesy of cchen

Chicken Ssam (burrito) - okay if a little dry

Bahn Mi sandwich - unreal. A little small but it goes a long way.

photo courtesy of kathryn

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Sausage - Texturally interesting and nicely seasoned.Marinated

Hanger Steak Ssam - solid dish, seared just enough.

photo courtesy of lady caterina

Pork short rib stew - excellent. Rich and flavorful.

photo courtesy of 100 Five

Dr. Pepper - I love that they serve this. It goes great with just about all of the food.

photo courtesy of kathryn

Hitachino Red Ale - one of my favorite beers at the moment. $9 hurts though. Even my wife, who doesn't care that much for beer really liked it. Figures, it cost $9.

The Orchard

2007-01-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

photo courtesty of NYCNosh

The Orchard
162 Orchard Street

I made two OpenTable (OT) reservations for my birthday - dinner at The Orchard and lunch at Eleven Madison Park. OT allows you to send a comment to the maitre d'/host(ess) when you make your reservation, so I, legitimately, wrote "I look forward to dining at your restaurant for my birthday" - a test to see if this made a difference to my dining experience. The short answer is yes, but as I'll discuss later, not at both restaurants.

But first the food.

Starter
We were intrigued by the flatbreads I've heard so much about and decided that we'd order the Robiola Cheese Flatbread with sauteed spinach, applewood smoked bacon, dried cranberries ($12). First impression - nice looking. Second impression, this is what $12 looks like? The dish was indeed tasty, with the only argument being its value and the fact that the spinach wasn't easy to navigate if you planned on taking two bites of each piece.I would never buy one of these again. The value is way off the mark. Charge $7 and I'd consider it.

Appetizers
We split two appetizers:
Grilled Filet Mignon Wrap butter lettuce, chimichurri pesto, spicy mayo ($15)
Crispy Lobster Empanadas cilantro-buttered corn cob bites ($14)

Again, both of these were really tasty. The lobster was well pronounced and the filet with or without the pesto and mayo (you added/dipped as you liked) was well seasoned. But the portions and price were off the mark...by a lot. The filet was worth $10, the empanadas about the same. I would be hard pressed to order any of these again strictly based on price.

Entrees
Poached Halibut with crispy artichokes ($27). Slightly off-balanced dish. The fish was very flavorful and really kept the flavor of the fish well pronounced despite the over-saltiness of it. The artichokes, were however, underseasoned. Ugh. Very good - but could have been great.

Veal Osso Buco with a puree of some kind ($33). This was fantastic. Truly delicious and one of the best versions I've ever had. Finally, a dish worth its price tag. Everything worked on this dish. Could be a contender at the end of the year for best entree (though I recognize it is very early in the year).

Desserts
Bread Pudding ($10)
Apple Tart ($10)

Both were good, both were served with a creme fraiche ice cream (not the best tasting nor the best texture). Both were large and only slightly over-priced - maybe not even. The bread pudding is a winner. We both agreed that we should've only ordered the bread pudding...being that we didn't come close to finishing either of them.

Service
Well, the host was very nice and welcoming but never made mention of my birthday. Eleven Madison Park, on the other hand, wrote happy birthday on my dessert plate in chocolate. The manager, the server and our waiter all came over quietly and inconspicously to wish me a happy birthday separately. On the way out, a different waiter (one we didn't even have help us) quietly wished me a happy birthday as well.

The bus service was efficient for the most part but seemed to run around a bit too much.
Our waiter was a completely different story. He was awful. Barely acknowledged that we were there. Didn't provide any assistance nor a friendly word - or any word at that. I can't honestly recall anything he said, with exception to "Dessert?". What a jerk. He got the tip he deserved.
Otherwise, the wines were good too. I had a Stix shiraz (Australia) and a Chianti that I can't recall. Danna and I ended up switching wines, but we liked both of them.

Summary
The room is very warm and lovely despite the crappy area of Orchard Street it sits on. Nice glow to the room. A terrific space. And the food is generally very good. But I'd probably only go back for an entree and dessert...maybe even at the bar if that is possible (couldn't tell). For the neighborhood, the portions and the overall quality, it is a bit overpriced.

Eleven Madison Park - Winter RW '07

2007-01-29T18:08:00.000-05:00

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave.

All in all, my 10th visit to Eleven Madison Park (under three different chefs) was terrific.
Not sure how they do it, but nearly every time I eat there (especially at lunch) we get the same table...which is terrific, because we *love* the table that we nearly always get.

all photos courtesy of chocokitty, aka, the Wandering Eater

I started with the tuna appetizer (above), which was served in cubes along with pickled radishes and tangerines. A beautiful dish (looked like Easter) and very tasty. My father ordered the same dish, and I have to comment on an inconsistency - having to do with the color of the fish. My father's tuna cubes were bright red, whereas mine were more pink than red. Excellent all the same.

I went with the lamb entree, and loved that it was ever so slightly charred around the edges, giving way to tender, moist and falling-apart-in-the-middle, meat. Delicious. The broth on the bottom of the plate could be bottled and sold as it was. The olives gave an interesting flavor but didn't seem to be enough. Either make the olives stand out more or take them out, would be my suggestion.

For dessert, I chose the chocolate, banana parfait. This was good, but you could tell that Nicole Kaplan was gone. The restaurant will need a great replacement or the current pastry chef needs to step it up a notch to match DH's savory courses.

Service was fantastic (please read my review of the Orchard to see a comparison). We also received a $24.07 gift certificate that I look forward to using. In the past, this was simply a $20 gift certificate and only given out on the first day of Restaurant Week. Nice way to step it up guys.

A great restaurant serving excellent food and probably the best Restaurant Week option.

Again, thanks go out to chocokitty for the pics. Please visit the great blogs and photo collections of the people I borrow photos from. They do some great work and without them, much of my blog would be really bland.

Asiate

2007-01-26T18:05:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of Lopez+

Went to Asiate for lunch today. The space is awesome. Anyone not impressed needs a reality check. From the Chihuly glass sculpture (think swans on a tuft of grass) as you walk off the elevator on the 35th floor to the panoramic views from the lounge and main dining room = it's breathtaking. And a little knee knocking. I'm fairly certain my sense of balance was skewed (very, very minimally, but enough to slightly feel it) from high winds and being so high up.
The service was fantastic. The hostess was remarkably pleasant and after not taking up the offer to check my coat, she responded "As you wish. We are here to make your visit a comfortable one" or something like that - not at all pretentious.

I'm dining solo, yet I'm given a great seat - on the deep bench seats looking out onto Central Park. Terrific view (with the exception of Trump International Hotel blocking the view on the left), great light - an experience worth seeking out.

The food itself was, for the most part, pretty good. Choices were limited to two bento boxes, a Chef's tasting and a Seafood version. I went for the Chef's tasting. Both started with an appetizer of red lentil soup that was very nice though more fragrant than flavorful. The crispy puffed rice added a nice touch to it. Presentation-wise - it was great, but for me, the spoon was too small and delicate to use.

The bento box had four items:

Frisee Salad - this was fairly traditional with a few twists. It added dill, walnuts and truffle oil to the traditional greens/frisee, perfectly poached egg (it was excellent), crispy lardons and cherry tomatoes.

Salmon - this dish didn't do it for me. It was served with a dollop of a starchy green chile sauce that lacked any discernable flavor. Also accompanying it, a grilled green chile (shisito) that also lacked any real flavor. The fish itself was cooked perfectly...but was a bit bland.

Rock Shrimp Risotto - very nice. It used a shellfish foam appropriately for both taste and texture. Though I couldn't taste the kaffir lime flavor the foam supposedly had. The shrimp were very good and the risotto expertly cooked. I don't know if I could enjoy a whole dish of it though - so I was happy with the portion size.

Braised Buffalo Short Rib - This, on the other hand, I could eat a pound of. Actually, there would be no way - it was literally and figuratively rib stickingly delicious. Whoa. It was served with some fingerlings and carrot pieces and served atop a smoked potato puree. Yum.

Dessert was a Citrus Yogurt Martini and was very tasty. It had a grapefruit (I think) granite on top. Nice. Seemed to look like what you could imagine might be the house dessert. It looked like how the room felt. Airy, light, etc.

St. Mark's Place Food Crawl

2007-01-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of mikeslice

Danna informed me late in the afternoon that she was working late and grabbing a bite with a colleague. Naturally, I set my sights on snagging a suitable Restaurant Week reservation. Nothing whatsoever intrigued me, with the exception of Molyvos because it was close to my office. Eating alone is one thing. Eating alone for Restaurant Week is not what I had in mind. So I said the hell with Restaurant Week tonight and went for a stroll along St. Mark's Place.

First stop was Crif Dogs, though I'd be a liar if I said Paul's (Da Burger Joint) wasn't trying to pull me in its direction. I stuck to my plan.

I loved the Chihuaha dog so much last time that I had to order it again. A bacon wrapped dog with avocado and sour cream. I thoroughly enjoyed it. "Ya damn right you did" could be heard somewhere in the ether.

I also ordered a Pabst Blue Ribbon to wash it down. But that wasn't all. I went real strong this time and also ordered the Spicy Redneck: a hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with chili, jalepenos and coleslaw. Damn. One of the best things I've eaten this year so far. Seriously.

Not including the two games of Ms. PacMan, the bill came to about $12.

photo courtesy of fatniu

Dumpling Man, across the street and closer to 1st Ave, was my next stop. And who was taking orders, my favorite Crif Dogs cashier, who apparently switched jobs or flip flops depending on the night. Either way, the girl's got the street wired. Love it. Plain and simple, I ordered some pork dumplings lightly seared.

A grabbed a spot at the end of the bar, watched the ladies making the dumplings, read some Dumpling Man propaganda (news clips from local papers) and got my sauces ready.

The dumplings were ready shortly thereafter...and I must say were piping hot. They were pretty good. Flavorful for sure, but kinda sloppy, not very attractive (they seamed to fall apart a bit) and just not my favorite. They were very good though, don't get the wrong idea. But the ingredient quality at Rickshaw and the craftsmanship of those at Mandoo Bar are superior. Still, a great place to get your dumpling fix and for only $6.

photo courtesy of Gothamist

Next up, Crooked Tree Creperie. If I wasn't craving a piping hot crepe, I'd have never stopped into this place. Two remarkably blah people were working the darkly lit chamber with the moodiest music ever to be heard in a place serving food. They actually needed a day-glo orange and black sign on the door letting people know "Yes, We're Open". With only a couple sitting down inside, I can see why. Again, I went simple and ordered a traditional crepe with butter and sugar and you know what...it was fantastic. I ate it outside in the cold, crisp air...and I think it tasted even better because of it. Delicious. $4.

On my way back to the subway, I passed by BAMM, just as I had on the way to Crif Dogs. This time, however, I didn't stop in. And the reason was simple. Nothing whatsoever looked appetizing. Blech. I really wanted to scrounge up $2 and try something. But I couldn't. It looked like fun, but the sense of regret that seemed to permeate the place was far too great. And it wasn't just me. There were lots of people just looking.

So for less than what Restaurant Week dinners cost ($35.07), I filled myself up with three different dining experiences all within a stones throw of one another. Good times.

Telepan

2007-01-25T00:52:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of New York Magazine

Telepan
72 W. 69th Street

Lunch with some colleagues today was excellent. Restaurant Week menu was better than most I've seen in the past...probably because it pretty much the same lunch menu they regularly offer.

Just a brief report:

Appetizer:
I ordered the Roast Quail served with duck and dried fruit sausage, autumn panzanella & dried fruit vinaigrette. The half quail was cooked and seasoned just right. The duck and dried fruit sausage (3 pieces) was good, but cooler than room temperature, which seemed a bit odd to me. The autumn panzanella was okay - sounding better "on paper" but still good. Nice.

Entree:
Lobster Bolognese in a shallot-garlic-tomato broth and light herbs ($5 supp.). This was, I admit, pretty to look at but perhaps I expected to see more. But my eyes deceived me. The lobster tail, still tucked in its shell must have been poached in butter or something similar. It was over the top, but still keeping its lobster flavor intact. Really rich. The pasta was different...not in a bad way, just different. Overall, this dish was really very good.

Photo courtesy of John Mariani

Dessert:
Brandy Bread Pudding with brandied cherry ice cream and brandy sauce. Delicious. The brandy flavor was nicely evident, the bread pudding had just the right amount of crispness on top and plushness in the middle. I think there was vanilla in the ice cream too, which was excellent as well. Solid.

Overall one of the best RW experiences I've had. Service from our waitress and bus team was perfect...despite being sent to Siberia...which I credit to the slightly smug maitre d' (we were by far the youngest in the restaurant). The space is interesting. I want to like the photos of the fruit, but seeing them up close is dizzying/unsettling...the runner was all out of whack and looked like a bad backdrop to a grade school photo. Also, the tables are too high for the booths. Either that or the booths are too low. No. The tables are too high. Doesn't make for a comfortable dining experience.

Great food, good waitservice, boring exterior (really blah), questionable interior and bad table height. Worth going for the food alone.

Room 4 Dessert

2007-01-24T01:41:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of dcnstrctr

Room 4 Dessert
1 Year Anniversary Party

To celebrate Wil's first year, he threw a party for friends, followers and newbies with complimentary champagne at the stroke of midnight on Thursday the 18th. Delicious desserts followed, and generous refills of champagne as well.

I tried the choco bubbles "drink" and the whisky coca (pictured above) "drink". Both were phenomenal. Not sure which I liked better, but both were the best of what I've had so far, being my fourth visit.

I think the whisky coca is great. The coca-cola flavored ice cream could become addicting and the whisky caviar is just...just unreal. Please click the photograph to see Mr. Heuer's excellent breakdown of the ingredients.

I'd be remiss to not mention my accidental companions for the evening. Jane, a former pastry chef at Blue Hill and Vanessa, an OB/GYN to my left and Yaron, a student of Jewish mysticism at NYU and part-time prep cook for Room 4 Dessert, and his sister, to my right. I found all of them to be as interesting, kind and pleasant as one could ask...which I think says something about Wil Goldfarb, his staff and the restaurant experience as a whole.