We went back to Bar Boulud the other night after giving the restaurant a few weeks to settle. Since we had mostly charcuterie items for our last meal, we were excited to hit some of the main course items. I was pleasantly surprised to obtain an 8pm reservation for four on Thursday night through opentable.com. Little did I know how different a reservation and a walk-in would seem to be.
We arrived just before 8pm and one of our party was slightly later. We were told our table was being prepared. After ordering a glass of wine, we checked in at 8:15 and again, our table was being prepared. We were finally seated at around 8:40 after I hovered around the hostess for 10 minutes. I understand that the restaurant is busy and they do get a lot of walk-in's. However, I was getting a vibe that the head hostess (there were 3 hostesses) was very much a "shmoozer". People who knew her seemed to be seated quickly. I guess it's that way everywhere but a 40 minute wait for a reserved table? That's seemed insane. And it did put a damper to the start of our meal.
We shared 2 starters: the Lyon specialty sausage with pistachio and black truffle in brioche and the escargots with garlic and parsley croquettes. Both were hits although I would have liked to have tasted a little more truffle in the sausage. The portions were generous and allowed us to share without feeling like we'd only had a bite.
For our entrees, we had the steak frites, the lamb stew, the roast chicken, and the linguine with cuttlefish and lobster in tomato sauce. I'll say that none of these were particularly good but not particularly bad either. All solid choices with nothing to make them stand out.
Bar Boulud is a great addition to our neighborhood. Just the charcuterie and wines would make us regulars. The prices, while not cheap, are also not out of bounds for the area. However, I don't think I'd want to frequent the place if I have to wait 40 minutes even with a reservation. It's too bad because I'd love to be able to just stop over regularly for some small plates and a glass of wine. Unfortunately, it's become a destination place but I suppose they don't need my business.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Ban foie gras, trans fat, and now........FAT PEOPLE!!
This isn't a restaurant "review" per se but it does have to do with eating out so I felt I needed to post.
For all of you thought the councilmen in New York and Chicago were nuts for banning trans fat and foie gras respectively, Mississippi is looking to take it a step further. They want to pass a bill that would make it illegal to serve obese people. And since 66.7% of Mississippi residents are either overweight or obese, all the restaurants would go out of business. And how do they differentiate between overweight and obese? Will they weigh each person that comes in?
It never ceases to amaze me that we elect these people to public office so that they can waste their time and the public's tax dollars putting together idiotic bills. And it's not just ONE crazy congressman!!!
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/02/bill-would-make.html
For all of you thought the councilmen in New York and Chicago were nuts for banning trans fat and foie gras respectively, Mississippi is looking to take it a step further. They want to pass a bill that would make it illegal to serve obese people. And since 66.7% of Mississippi residents are either overweight or obese, all the restaurants would go out of business. And how do they differentiate between overweight and obese? Will they weigh each person that comes in?
It never ceases to amaze me that we elect these people to public office so that they can waste their time and the public's tax dollars putting together idiotic bills. And it's not just ONE crazy congressman!!!
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/02/bill-would-make.html
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Bar Boulud
Trying to get a walk-in table during the first week of the much anticipated opening of Bar Boulud was a hope and a prayer. Located across from Lincoln Center, it has the upper west side crowd as well as the opera and ballet crowd to draw from even if it ends up not being a destination restaurant.
Even though it's only been open for 2 days, there's been enough buzz where I couldn't get a reservation. In fact, I was told that there were only limited reservations left for the next month. They take reservations up to a month in advance and they do have a couple of tables, a community table, and the tasting bar available for walk-in's. I'm not sure why but it looked like there were 4 hosts which seemed to be way overkill for a reasonably small restaurant. But I'm sure Chef Boulud knows what he's doing. We went in at 9:30pm on Saturday night and there was an hour wait. Since we live a couple of blocks away, we put our names down and went home.
When we returned, we were promptly seated at the tasting table in the back, a round seating area that looked like it would be perfect for wine tasting. I do anticipate wine tasting events being held here in the future. The menu is extensive and can be located on menupages.com. We went with the large degustation tasting of charcuterie and the pork belly appetizer...pretty much the first page of the menu. I'd never had so much pate, terrines, etc in my life but I did find the differences in the textures and flavors quite interesting. I don't think my wife was as fond of that particular part of the menu. I must say that the pork belly was disappointing. I'm all for fat but there was too much of it and I think it could have been fried a bit more. Plus the flavor just wasn't there.
The selection of wines by the glass is still limited as they're stocking the wine cellar. They anticipate a much larger selection in the next couple of weeks. We went with a glass of an American pinot noir and one of a French pinot from Givry. However, the waiter was very adamant that we both ordered the Givry. I was very annoyed about that. He said we both ordered the "pinot" but, of course, this doesn't make sense if there are two on the wine list.
Service in general was a bit erratic. We would sit for long periods of time without anyone checking in. We also had to ask for a cup of hot water 3 times before someone brought it. Perhaps it was just our waiter. Either way, the restaurant has just opened so we'll give the service a chance to get smoother.
For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse with chocolate hazelnut gelato, nuts, and some crunchy chocolate bits. This was very good and I look forward to trying the other desserts sometime.
Bar Boulud is a welcome addition to the Lincon Center neighborhood. We do need to go back and check out the other parts of the menu. I hear there are also two private dining rooms downstairs for parties and they will be opening for lunch at the end of the month. Think they'll have wi-fi? :)
Even though it's only been open for 2 days, there's been enough buzz where I couldn't get a reservation. In fact, I was told that there were only limited reservations left for the next month. They take reservations up to a month in advance and they do have a couple of tables, a community table, and the tasting bar available for walk-in's. I'm not sure why but it looked like there were 4 hosts which seemed to be way overkill for a reasonably small restaurant. But I'm sure Chef Boulud knows what he's doing. We went in at 9:30pm on Saturday night and there was an hour wait. Since we live a couple of blocks away, we put our names down and went home.
When we returned, we were promptly seated at the tasting table in the back, a round seating area that looked like it would be perfect for wine tasting. I do anticipate wine tasting events being held here in the future. The menu is extensive and can be located on menupages.com. We went with the large degustation tasting of charcuterie and the pork belly appetizer...pretty much the first page of the menu. I'd never had so much pate, terrines, etc in my life but I did find the differences in the textures and flavors quite interesting. I don't think my wife was as fond of that particular part of the menu. I must say that the pork belly was disappointing. I'm all for fat but there was too much of it and I think it could have been fried a bit more. Plus the flavor just wasn't there.
The selection of wines by the glass is still limited as they're stocking the wine cellar. They anticipate a much larger selection in the next couple of weeks. We went with a glass of an American pinot noir and one of a French pinot from Givry. However, the waiter was very adamant that we both ordered the Givry. I was very annoyed about that. He said we both ordered the "pinot" but, of course, this doesn't make sense if there are two on the wine list.
Service in general was a bit erratic. We would sit for long periods of time without anyone checking in. We also had to ask for a cup of hot water 3 times before someone brought it. Perhaps it was just our waiter. Either way, the restaurant has just opened so we'll give the service a chance to get smoother.
For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse with chocolate hazelnut gelato, nuts, and some crunchy chocolate bits. This was very good and I look forward to trying the other desserts sometime.
Bar Boulud is a welcome addition to the Lincon Center neighborhood. We do need to go back and check out the other parts of the menu. I hear there are also two private dining rooms downstairs for parties and they will be opening for lunch at the end of the month. Think they'll have wi-fi? :)
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
wd-50
Is innovation in cooking a good thing or are we seeing too much innovation just for innovation's sake? There are many advocates and detractors to restaurants like wd-50; some love the concept and thoroughly enjoy the experience while others cannot understand the flavors combinations nor the foam, soil and gelatins that are clearly non-traditional. Going to a place like wd-50 is like dinner theater to me: good food while being entertained by the cleverness of the preparation and the potentially odd mix of flavors. I'm in!
I had dinner with a couple that was in town from Chicago for the holidays. Agreeing that we were definitely getting the tasting menu, we prepared ourselves for the 4+ hour dinner. I had been to wd-50 three time previously and enjoyed myself each time. I'll try to give you a general gist of the evening but since it was several weeks ago (yeah, i'm about as lazy as you can get), my memory is not too clear.
Let me just hit the highlights. The pizza pebbles with pepperoni and shitake mushrooms was really good. Basically, it was balls of some sort of tomato puree, some other balls of pepperoni and shitake flakes. Not necessarily the best flavor-wise since it did taste a bit like frozen pizza but it was still very whimsical and fun.
Another dish I liked was interestingly enough called Knot Foie. I suppose it's not foie the way you normally see it but is a tourchon tube of foie tied in a knot. It was sprinkled with fleur de sel, nuts, and some gelatinous balls of fruit. I wasn't all that crazy about the nuts but the fruit and foie gras were great.
Chef Dufresne also does a take on eggs benedict. This was discs of egg yolk, a thin strip of bacon and a breaded ball of hollandaise sauce. This was probably my favorite dish of the night.
The only real miss of the night for me was the
I had dinner with a couple that was in town from Chicago for the holidays. Agreeing that we were definitely getting the tasting menu, we prepared ourselves for the 4+ hour dinner. I had been to wd-50 three time previously and enjoyed myself each time. I'll try to give you a general gist of the evening but since it was several weeks ago (yeah, i'm about as lazy as you can get), my memory is not too clear.
Let me just hit the highlights. The pizza pebbles with pepperoni and shitake mushrooms was really good. Basically, it was balls of some sort of tomato puree, some other balls of pepperoni and shitake flakes. Not necessarily the best flavor-wise since it did taste a bit like frozen pizza but it was still very whimsical and fun.
Another dish I liked was interestingly enough called Knot Foie. I suppose it's not foie the way you normally see it but is a tourchon tube of foie tied in a knot. It was sprinkled with fleur de sel, nuts, and some gelatinous balls of fruit. I wasn't all that crazy about the nuts but the fruit and foie gras were great.
Chef Dufresne also does a take on eggs benedict. This was discs of egg yolk, a thin strip of bacon and a breaded ball of hollandaise sauce. This was probably my favorite dish of the night.
The only real miss of the night for me was the
Saturday, December 22, 2007
davidburke & donatella
Friday evening found us on the upper east side after an orthodontist appointment. Wanting to eat someone close, we decided to head over to davidburke and donatella. We'd only been previously during Restaurant Week and we wanted to see whether they would impress us even more on a regular night.
Walking in on a Friday night at 6pm, we managed to secure a table quickly since the typical New York City dinner crowd had not yet begun to arrive. We were presented with two menus: the regular a la carte menu and the tasting menu with an additional list of the day's specials. The odd thing was that there were prices alongside each of the tasting menu items since you could also order them a la carte. Typically, I've seen crossover from the tasting menu to the a la carte menu where those are the only items you could order individually unless you made a special request. David Burke, it seems, gives us many more options.
I would have loved to have tried the tasting menu but, not being that hungry, we opted for individual selections. After ordering, the waiter came by with an amuse bouche of, I think, some sort of mushroom panna cotta. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention at the time. Oddly enough, they brought two on one plate and had the third on a separate plate. Either they only had one single server amuse bouche plates in the kitchen,they weren't used to serving three., or they planned it this way. Either way, it was strange. The panna cotta was slightly warm with very light, delicate flavors. My wife and daughter weren't thrilled with it so I enjoyed all three! The restaurant surprised me again by taking our used forks and putting them back on our place setting before removing the plates. I know it's a picky thing but I think any higher end restaurant would replacing utensils after every course including the amuse bouche. Bread service is visually impressive with each bun coming in it's own pan. However, the bread was a bit hard. The butter also came in these two "towers" and it was hard to scrape the butter without knocking over the tower. Small complaints.
Our appetizers came next. We had the tuna sashimi on Himalayan rock salt and the pb&j, a torchon of foie gras, macadamia nut butter, strawberry-vanilla jam on a toasted brioche. The tuna wasn't a big deal except for the 10 lb slab of salt that it sat on. It made for quite an impressive display. The tuna was fresh although not as fatty as I might have liked if we were in a sushi restaurant. The pb&j, on the other hand, was amazing. Although the preparation is similar to Sam Mason's peanut butter foie gras preparation at Tailor, the jam rather than pear and cocoa was the difference maker here. I could probably eat this dish every day to the detriment of my cholesterol level.
After a brief respite, our mains arrived. I had suggested to my daughter that she get the handmade cavatelli with braised short ribs but she opted for the Black Angus dry-aged prime rib eye. I ordered the cavatelli instead and my wife had the lobster steak. After a quick taste of my cavatelli which also had wild mushrooms and a truffle mousse, my daughter started eating off my plate to a point where we just switched. The cavatelli was truly rich and decadent, a great dish for a cold winter night. Her ribeye had no shortcomings either. Well marbled with the right amount of char, the steak was prepared exactly as ordered. I can see why David Burke's steakhouse in Chicago might be doing well.
The only disappointment of the night was the lobster steak. Buried underneath curried shoestring fries, you could see the two lobster claws poking out. The actual lobster steak, however, was in a sauce that was too rich and overwhelming. It really took away from the lobster itself. Many times, I believe expensive ingredients are killed by overly complex preparations. Unfortunately, this was one such dish.
We were pretty full at this point but you can't take a child to davidburke & donatella without ordering the cheesecake lollipop tree. Ten lollipops in an assortment of chocolate hazelnut, raspberry, and cocoa coverings shaped like a tree was presented with dramatic effect. The accompanying bubble gum whipped cream was probably unnecessary but the dessert was enjoyed by everyone.
As usual, an espresso concluded the evening's repast and we were off back into the cold. An interesting thing we noticed on our way out was the "smoking limo" parked outside. It was a huge Hummer limo with a sign stating that the limo was to be used for smoking. That's a pretty neat added benefit for those smokers who don't want to be standing in the cold when they need that puff every 15 minutes. I wonder how much that adds to the bottom line for the rest of us. Still, we enjoyed our meal and expect there are many other items on the menu that we'll need to come back to try.
Walking in on a Friday night at 6pm, we managed to secure a table quickly since the typical New York City dinner crowd had not yet begun to arrive. We were presented with two menus: the regular a la carte menu and the tasting menu with an additional list of the day's specials. The odd thing was that there were prices alongside each of the tasting menu items since you could also order them a la carte. Typically, I've seen crossover from the tasting menu to the a la carte menu where those are the only items you could order individually unless you made a special request. David Burke, it seems, gives us many more options.
I would have loved to have tried the tasting menu but, not being that hungry, we opted for individual selections. After ordering, the waiter came by with an amuse bouche of, I think, some sort of mushroom panna cotta. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention at the time. Oddly enough, they brought two on one plate and had the third on a separate plate. Either they only had one single server amuse bouche plates in the kitchen,they weren't used to serving three., or they planned it this way. Either way, it was strange. The panna cotta was slightly warm with very light, delicate flavors. My wife and daughter weren't thrilled with it so I enjoyed all three! The restaurant surprised me again by taking our used forks and putting them back on our place setting before removing the plates. I know it's a picky thing but I think any higher end restaurant would replacing utensils after every course including the amuse bouche. Bread service is visually impressive with each bun coming in it's own pan. However, the bread was a bit hard. The butter also came in these two "towers" and it was hard to scrape the butter without knocking over the tower. Small complaints.
Our appetizers came next. We had the tuna sashimi on Himalayan rock salt and the pb&j, a torchon of foie gras, macadamia nut butter, strawberry-vanilla jam on a toasted brioche. The tuna wasn't a big deal except for the 10 lb slab of salt that it sat on. It made for quite an impressive display. The tuna was fresh although not as fatty as I might have liked if we were in a sushi restaurant. The pb&j, on the other hand, was amazing. Although the preparation is similar to Sam Mason's peanut butter foie gras preparation at Tailor, the jam rather than pear and cocoa was the difference maker here. I could probably eat this dish every day to the detriment of my cholesterol level.
After a brief respite, our mains arrived. I had suggested to my daughter that she get the handmade cavatelli with braised short ribs but she opted for the Black Angus dry-aged prime rib eye. I ordered the cavatelli instead and my wife had the lobster steak. After a quick taste of my cavatelli which also had wild mushrooms and a truffle mousse, my daughter started eating off my plate to a point where we just switched. The cavatelli was truly rich and decadent, a great dish for a cold winter night. Her ribeye had no shortcomings either. Well marbled with the right amount of char, the steak was prepared exactly as ordered. I can see why David Burke's steakhouse in Chicago might be doing well.
The only disappointment of the night was the lobster steak. Buried underneath curried shoestring fries, you could see the two lobster claws poking out. The actual lobster steak, however, was in a sauce that was too rich and overwhelming. It really took away from the lobster itself. Many times, I believe expensive ingredients are killed by overly complex preparations. Unfortunately, this was one such dish.
We were pretty full at this point but you can't take a child to davidburke & donatella without ordering the cheesecake lollipop tree. Ten lollipops in an assortment of chocolate hazelnut, raspberry, and cocoa coverings shaped like a tree was presented with dramatic effect. The accompanying bubble gum whipped cream was probably unnecessary but the dessert was enjoyed by everyone.
As usual, an espresso concluded the evening's repast and we were off back into the cold. An interesting thing we noticed on our way out was the "smoking limo" parked outside. It was a huge Hummer limo with a sign stating that the limo was to be used for smoking. That's a pretty neat added benefit for those smokers who don't want to be standing in the cold when they need that puff every 15 minutes. I wonder how much that adds to the bottom line for the rest of us. Still, we enjoyed our meal and expect there are many other items on the menu that we'll need to come back to try.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Maremma
I found Maremma on OpenTable.com as I was trying to get a last minute reservation. I was able to get a 7pm reservation last Saturday night so my expectations were pretty low. I was looking for a nice but casual restaurant serving southern Italian cuisine and this seemed to fit the bill.
Since one of our party was a bit late, we started with a drink at the bar and at 7pm, both the restaurant and the bar were still pretty empty. We had a nice conversation with the bartender who warned us that the edge of the bar had a beveled edge so glasses tend to fall towards the customers. We enjoyed a good laugh at the clumsiness of all those sods who spill drinks on themselves.
With our party finally complete, we were quickly seated in the upstairs dining room. Our server was friendly and seemed quite knowledgeable about the menu. However, she didn't have any specific recommendations outside of the Tuscan fries, which she said was the best she's ever had. We decided to go with the 4 course tasting menu, figuring it was a good way to sample Chef Casella's fare.
The first course was the chef's signature salad with pancetta and soft scrambled egg. Every salad seems to taste better with a bit of pancetta or bacon. The course was simple but tasty. It was like light brunch item, slightly warm and an excellent start to dinner.
Next came two pasta courses. One was the fusilli with tomato, bourbon, and Grana Padano cheese. This was a really good dish, probably my favorite of the night. You couldn't really taste the bourbon but the various ingredients fit together perfectly and gave you much more than your standard marinara.
For the third course, we had a choice of the skatefish or the skirt steak. I elected to have the steak. It was solid, cooked properly at the requested medium rare, but nothing memorable. My friend had the skatefish and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Finally, they brought out one of each of the desserts for us to sample. They were fine since we or mostly I finished them but I guess they weren't fine enough for me to remember them. After an espresso, we went back downstairs to the bar to wait for an old friend we had run into at the next table. New York is such a small city.
So, sitting at the bar, enjoying another bottle of wine, we managed to flip over a wine glass not once but twice! Yeah...those clumsy sods. Regardless of our lack of coordination, I'll definitely come back to Maremma. Southern Italian in a nice setting and at a reasonable price? Why wouldn't I?
Since one of our party was a bit late, we started with a drink at the bar and at 7pm, both the restaurant and the bar were still pretty empty. We had a nice conversation with the bartender who warned us that the edge of the bar had a beveled edge so glasses tend to fall towards the customers. We enjoyed a good laugh at the clumsiness of all those sods who spill drinks on themselves.
With our party finally complete, we were quickly seated in the upstairs dining room. Our server was friendly and seemed quite knowledgeable about the menu. However, she didn't have any specific recommendations outside of the Tuscan fries, which she said was the best she's ever had. We decided to go with the 4 course tasting menu, figuring it was a good way to sample Chef Casella's fare.
The first course was the chef's signature salad with pancetta and soft scrambled egg. Every salad seems to taste better with a bit of pancetta or bacon. The course was simple but tasty. It was like light brunch item, slightly warm and an excellent start to dinner.
Next came two pasta courses. One was the fusilli with tomato, bourbon, and Grana Padano cheese. This was a really good dish, probably my favorite of the night. You couldn't really taste the bourbon but the various ingredients fit together perfectly and gave you much more than your standard marinara.
For the third course, we had a choice of the skatefish or the skirt steak. I elected to have the steak. It was solid, cooked properly at the requested medium rare, but nothing memorable. My friend had the skatefish and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Finally, they brought out one of each of the desserts for us to sample. They were fine since we or mostly I finished them but I guess they weren't fine enough for me to remember them. After an espresso, we went back downstairs to the bar to wait for an old friend we had run into at the next table. New York is such a small city.
So, sitting at the bar, enjoying another bottle of wine, we managed to flip over a wine glass not once but twice! Yeah...those clumsy sods. Regardless of our lack of coordination, I'll definitely come back to Maremma. Southern Italian in a nice setting and at a reasonable price? Why wouldn't I?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Guantanamera (formerly Azucar)
It's been awhile since my last post so please bear with me as I try to recall the many meals I've had in the last month. My trouble, as with probably many others, is keeping up with my blog. It's hard enough getting my thoughts in order, let alone put it down in a semi-readable form.
Since I've no doubt forgotten most of the last month, I'll try to at least recall last Friday's meal at Guantanamera on Eighth Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets. It's not quite the hole-in-the wall you might be looking for but the atmosphere and crowd are definitely authentically Cuban. As you walk in, there's someone rolling cigars and, supposedly, offering them free to customers. Most evenings, the restaurant does a brisk business. Friday night was no exception. We ended up waiting 45 minutes for a table for five.
Since Guantanamera is only a couple of blocks from me, we do go there regularly. For cheap hole-in-the-wall Puerto Rican food, we head downtown to La Taza del Oro. For more upscale Latino fusion, we head up to Calle Ocho. Guantanamera is a good happy medium. The vibe in the restaurant is undoubtably Cuban. Much of the conversation heard around the restaurant was Spanish and we were truly transported when the live band began hitting the Latin notes.
Normally, we go straight for the mains but we started this night with camarones al ajillo (shrimps with garlic). These generously sized shrimp were sauteed in garlic and were very good. We just wished there were more to go around.
My regular favorite entree is the rabo encedido (oxtail in red wine sauce and mashed plantains). This is not for you if you have problems with the gelatinous texture of the oxtail but it is one of the most tender meats you'll ever have. This night, I went with the lechon asado (suckling pig in garlic sauce). While fat doesn't normally bother me, there was just way too much of it in this dish. With some pieces that were predominantly fat and other pieces a bit dry, methinks I won't be having this dish again.
One of my fellow diners ordered the ropa vieja (shredded skirt steak with tomatoes, onions and peppers in a plaintain basket). Wow! This dish was really good. Powerful flavors in a small package. I think I've found a new favorite dish at Guantanamera. With sides of tostones (fried green plantains) and maduros (fried sweet plantains), we were happy campers. I finished off my meal with an espresso and flan. The flan was a bit thicker than I normally like but still acceptable.
We will continue to be regulars at Guantanamera with its solid Cuban fare and the happening vibe. You can't beat it for a neighborhood restaurant.
Since I've no doubt forgotten most of the last month, I'll try to at least recall last Friday's meal at Guantanamera on Eighth Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets. It's not quite the hole-in-the wall you might be looking for but the atmosphere and crowd are definitely authentically Cuban. As you walk in, there's someone rolling cigars and, supposedly, offering them free to customers. Most evenings, the restaurant does a brisk business. Friday night was no exception. We ended up waiting 45 minutes for a table for five.
Since Guantanamera is only a couple of blocks from me, we do go there regularly. For cheap hole-in-the-wall Puerto Rican food, we head downtown to La Taza del Oro. For more upscale Latino fusion, we head up to Calle Ocho. Guantanamera is a good happy medium. The vibe in the restaurant is undoubtably Cuban. Much of the conversation heard around the restaurant was Spanish and we were truly transported when the live band began hitting the Latin notes.
Normally, we go straight for the mains but we started this night with camarones al ajillo (shrimps with garlic). These generously sized shrimp were sauteed in garlic and were very good. We just wished there were more to go around.
My regular favorite entree is the rabo encedido (oxtail in red wine sauce and mashed plantains). This is not for you if you have problems with the gelatinous texture of the oxtail but it is one of the most tender meats you'll ever have. This night, I went with the lechon asado (suckling pig in garlic sauce). While fat doesn't normally bother me, there was just way too much of it in this dish. With some pieces that were predominantly fat and other pieces a bit dry, methinks I won't be having this dish again.
One of my fellow diners ordered the ropa vieja (shredded skirt steak with tomatoes, onions and peppers in a plaintain basket). Wow! This dish was really good. Powerful flavors in a small package. I think I've found a new favorite dish at Guantanamera. With sides of tostones (fried green plantains) and maduros (fried sweet plantains), we were happy campers. I finished off my meal with an espresso and flan. The flan was a bit thicker than I normally like but still acceptable.
We will continue to be regulars at Guantanamera with its solid Cuban fare and the happening vibe. You can't beat it for a neighborhood restaurant.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Dylan Prime
I went out of my comfort zone today by going to a steakhouse. Granted, Dylan Prime probably isn't your old style New York steakhouse although the philosophy may be more common nowadays. Situated on Laight Street in Tribeca, it definitely has a downtown trendy vibe. Upon inspection, it is filled with the same wall street types that dominate any of New York's steakhouses.
At 8pm, the place was full with the exception of one two-top...ours. The crowd did make for a pretty noisy restaurant. I'd been here once before several years ago. The main part of the menu has your steak options (ribeye, porterhouse, strip, etc), then your sauces which were $2 each, then your crusts which were $3 each. Craft started this trend of putting together your own dish but steaks are expensive enough without adding another $5. I'd seen the menu before but the waiter didn't bother to explain anything to us. It would have been nice if he'd at least asked if we'd been to the restaurant previously.
We skipped appetizers and went straight for the main courses. I ordered the "Bacon Chop": smoked pork belly on the bone with bbq baked beans with a sunny side up quail egg and brussel sprouts. My wife ordered the surf and turf. The portion size of the pork belly was way more than I expected. I love pork belly but this dish was just way too much fat for one sitting. It was adequate but it's hard to compare to the pork belly from Tailor. The roasted brussel sprouts were cooked just right. Again, too many but I suppose that's a rare complaint from a steakhouse patron.
The surf and turf on the other hand was terrible. Since there was no suggestion on the sauce, there was no sauce. Both the filet mignon and the lobster were overcooked. It seemed like they had perhaps been sitting under a heat lamp since they were dry. The consolation was the lobster and white truffle mac and cheese side that we ordered. With crusted cheese on top, this dish was amazing. At $16, I'm sure we didn't have real white truffle shavings but the flavor was there.
Feeling full at this point, I had an espresso and we called it a night. Perhaps we didn't give this steakhouse a chance by ordering straightforward steaks. However, at that price point, I thought it could have been better. Still, the place was packed and you can't argue with success. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
At 8pm, the place was full with the exception of one two-top...ours. The crowd did make for a pretty noisy restaurant. I'd been here once before several years ago. The main part of the menu has your steak options (ribeye, porterhouse, strip, etc), then your sauces which were $2 each, then your crusts which were $3 each. Craft started this trend of putting together your own dish but steaks are expensive enough without adding another $5. I'd seen the menu before but the waiter didn't bother to explain anything to us. It would have been nice if he'd at least asked if we'd been to the restaurant previously.
We skipped appetizers and went straight for the main courses. I ordered the "Bacon Chop": smoked pork belly on the bone with bbq baked beans with a sunny side up quail egg and brussel sprouts. My wife ordered the surf and turf. The portion size of the pork belly was way more than I expected. I love pork belly but this dish was just way too much fat for one sitting. It was adequate but it's hard to compare to the pork belly from Tailor. The roasted brussel sprouts were cooked just right. Again, too many but I suppose that's a rare complaint from a steakhouse patron.
The surf and turf on the other hand was terrible. Since there was no suggestion on the sauce, there was no sauce. Both the filet mignon and the lobster were overcooked. It seemed like they had perhaps been sitting under a heat lamp since they were dry. The consolation was the lobster and white truffle mac and cheese side that we ordered. With crusted cheese on top, this dish was amazing. At $16, I'm sure we didn't have real white truffle shavings but the flavor was there.
Feeling full at this point, I had an espresso and we called it a night. Perhaps we didn't give this steakhouse a chance by ordering straightforward steaks. However, at that price point, I thought it could have been better. Still, the place was packed and you can't argue with success. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
La Taza de Oro
This past Saturday, after spending the day cooped in the apartment, we headed down to Chelsea to sate our spanish craving at La Taza de Oro. This hole in the wall is one of three Puerto Rican restaurants that we frequent, although we do visit Taza more often because the rice and beans is more flavorful. Unfortunately, we've yet to match the tasty Puerto Rican food that my sister-in-law makes. We may need to do some searching up in Spanish Harlem.
Upon arrival, we did have to wait briefly for a table. The place is like an old style coffee shop with basic tables, a counter with stools, and yellow walls. There was some Latino artwork on the walls with a business card to call if you were interested in buying any. I didn't remember that being there before so it might be new.
The menu contains many standards as well as specials that change depending on the day of the week. Saturday night included the oxtail which is absolutely one of my favorites. So with the oxtail, we also ordered the bistec encebollado (steak and onions) and the culetas fritas (fried pork chops).. Normally we order tostones (fried green bananas) on the side but since the wife wasn't that hungry, we went with my preferred maduros (fried sweet plantains).
This must have been a bad night for the restaurant. Don't know if the regular cook had the night off. The fried pork chop was still good: fried just right and very flavorful. The steak was tough and dry. Normally, I do describe Puerto Rican steak as "cooked shoe leather" but Taza de Oro usually does a reasonably job. Not tonight. The oxtail, my favorite, was also off. Tasted slightly sour...maybe it was bad? Even the maduros were wrong. It looked like the cook couldn't decide between cooking maduros (soft and sweet) and cooking tostones (hard and flat). Very strange. Each dish also came with the requisite huge portion of rice and beans. We always go with white rice and pink beans and they were good as usual.
I'm not quite willing to write off one of my favorite Puerto Rican spots, especially at their dirt cheap prices. I'm sure we'll be back but if they fail to please again, we'll have to head up to Old San Juan in Hell's Kitchen.
Upon arrival, we did have to wait briefly for a table. The place is like an old style coffee shop with basic tables, a counter with stools, and yellow walls. There was some Latino artwork on the walls with a business card to call if you were interested in buying any. I didn't remember that being there before so it might be new.
The menu contains many standards as well as specials that change depending on the day of the week. Saturday night included the oxtail which is absolutely one of my favorites. So with the oxtail, we also ordered the bistec encebollado (steak and onions) and the culetas fritas (fried pork chops).. Normally we order tostones (fried green bananas) on the side but since the wife wasn't that hungry, we went with my preferred maduros (fried sweet plantains).
This must have been a bad night for the restaurant. Don't know if the regular cook had the night off. The fried pork chop was still good: fried just right and very flavorful. The steak was tough and dry. Normally, I do describe Puerto Rican steak as "cooked shoe leather" but Taza de Oro usually does a reasonably job. Not tonight. The oxtail, my favorite, was also off. Tasted slightly sour...maybe it was bad? Even the maduros were wrong. It looked like the cook couldn't decide between cooking maduros (soft and sweet) and cooking tostones (hard and flat). Very strange. Each dish also came with the requisite huge portion of rice and beans. We always go with white rice and pink beans and they were good as usual.
I'm not quite willing to write off one of my favorite Puerto Rican spots, especially at their dirt cheap prices. I'm sure we'll be back but if they fail to please again, we'll have to head up to Old San Juan in Hell's Kitchen.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
The Bar @ Etats-Unis
The Bar at Etats-Unis has been one of my favorites restaurants on the upper east side for several years now. I say restaurant but it's really the wine bar across the street from the actual Etats-Unis restaurant. While the restaurant has a very interesting menu, we have for some reason never gone. However, we've been to the bar several times to enjoy their duck confit and their chocolate souffle.
Since we were going to be on the east side for my daughter's orthodontist appointment, we decided to try to have an early dinner there. Since the Bar doesn't take reservations and only has seating for 18 plus 6 at the bar, the wait can become pretty hefty. We arrived at 6:30pm and managed to get one of the last tables. One of the benefits of eating at the Bar (as opposed to at the bar) is that you can order from the bar menu or the restaurant menu. While there are items on the restaurant menu that are appealing, including a seared foie gras and a white truffle gnocchi, the bar menu is significantly cheaper.
We started with a tempranillo (can't remember the vineyard), a nice medium bodied red with blackberry flavors and a touch of spice. We also ordered the hummus which had toasted pine nuts and chile de arbol infused oil. The accompanying hot pita bread gave us a nice start to the meal. We've always liked the hummus at Etats-Unis and last night was no exception. A little more pita bread and I wouldn't have had to lick the plate. :)
The three of us then ordered the macaroni and cheese (cheddar and parmesian), the chilaquiles (a chicken, tortilla, and poblano chili casserole), and the beef stew. I would have liked the macaroni to come with a better combination than cheddar and parmesian but my daughter was well satisfied. The beef stew was just satisfactory. Reasonably tender and seasoned but it was not the duck confit that I was expecting to order. Unfortunately, the weather has not gotten cold enough for the duck to reappear on the menu....soon. The chilaquiles was very nice....a good combination of chicken, pepper, spices, cream, and tortilla in a stone pot. An excellent winter dish...again wondering where the duck was.
Finally, for dessert, we had both the chocolate souffle for two and the date pudding. The souffle, as usual, was outstanding. For me, last night, it was too rich since I'd already overindulged in the rest of the meal. The date pudding (actually a bread pudding) was perfect. Not too sweet, a nice date flavor, very moist, to die for. They've only two desserts on the bar menu and they'e both winners.
I cut through the dessert and food with an espresso while my daughter had a glass of milk to offset the chocolate and we were off. Another satisfying dinner knowing we'll be back again when I need to kill myself in duck fat and chocolate.
Since we were going to be on the east side for my daughter's orthodontist appointment, we decided to try to have an early dinner there. Since the Bar doesn't take reservations and only has seating for 18 plus 6 at the bar, the wait can become pretty hefty. We arrived at 6:30pm and managed to get one of the last tables. One of the benefits of eating at the Bar (as opposed to at the bar) is that you can order from the bar menu or the restaurant menu. While there are items on the restaurant menu that are appealing, including a seared foie gras and a white truffle gnocchi, the bar menu is significantly cheaper.
We started with a tempranillo (can't remember the vineyard), a nice medium bodied red with blackberry flavors and a touch of spice. We also ordered the hummus which had toasted pine nuts and chile de arbol infused oil. The accompanying hot pita bread gave us a nice start to the meal. We've always liked the hummus at Etats-Unis and last night was no exception. A little more pita bread and I wouldn't have had to lick the plate. :)
The three of us then ordered the macaroni and cheese (cheddar and parmesian), the chilaquiles (a chicken, tortilla, and poblano chili casserole), and the beef stew. I would have liked the macaroni to come with a better combination than cheddar and parmesian but my daughter was well satisfied. The beef stew was just satisfactory. Reasonably tender and seasoned but it was not the duck confit that I was expecting to order. Unfortunately, the weather has not gotten cold enough for the duck to reappear on the menu....soon. The chilaquiles was very nice....a good combination of chicken, pepper, spices, cream, and tortilla in a stone pot. An excellent winter dish...again wondering where the duck was.
Finally, for dessert, we had both the chocolate souffle for two and the date pudding. The souffle, as usual, was outstanding. For me, last night, it was too rich since I'd already overindulged in the rest of the meal. The date pudding (actually a bread pudding) was perfect. Not too sweet, a nice date flavor, very moist, to die for. They've only two desserts on the bar menu and they'e both winners.
I cut through the dessert and food with an espresso while my daughter had a glass of milk to offset the chocolate and we were off. Another satisfying dinner knowing we'll be back again when I need to kill myself in duck fat and chocolate.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Balthazar
Balthazar is commonly regarded as the best brasserie in town. It's a place that's always packed and supposedly has a private reservation number. After shopping at Uniqlo on Saturday, I asked my daughter where she wanted to eat. I gave her three choices, French brasserie, Asian fusion, and Ethiopian. Being the adventurous person she is (note sarcasm), she opted for the place she knows she can get a burger.
There are 2 hosts: one for the dining room and the other for the bar area. The host for the dining room did have a snooty air about him. Looks up in the air like he doesn't notice you unless you address him first. We opted for the bar area since the wait wasn't as long. Our wait ended up being about 45 minutes and we had a nice chat with another father and daughter. The daughter was also half Asian which gave the kids something in common. The dad had been studying Buddhism and had spent the day with the Dalai Lama. That was an interesting conversation.
After being seated in the bar area which was much too crowded, my daughter ordered the cheeseburger. The waiter recommended medium well since medium often comes out too red. I started with the New England clam chowder and had the duck confit for my entree. We asked that the burger come with my chowder and we were assured it wouldn't be a problem.
We waited for what I thought was a significant amount of time before any food arrived. We did have very good bread service though. The servers were attentive and my water glass was always refilled when even half empty
My chowder finally arrived and while it had a nice share of clams and was quite flavorful, it was a bit watery. The burger was just a burger and was a bit overcooked, IMHO. So much for getting it medium well. My daughter did enjoy the fries though. The duck confit was very nice. Tender and moist. The only negative thing I would say is that it could have used some acid to offset the saltiness of the duck. There were 2 frisee leaves that didn't do near enough.
Balthazar is a good restaurant that definitely has the Soho vibe. Probably too many tourists for my taste though. The decor is appropriate and the wait staff was nice. I'd say the food is solid but nothing I'd travel and wait an hour for. The Sunday brunch may be better but I wouldn't know that.
There are 2 hosts: one for the dining room and the other for the bar area. The host for the dining room did have a snooty air about him. Looks up in the air like he doesn't notice you unless you address him first. We opted for the bar area since the wait wasn't as long. Our wait ended up being about 45 minutes and we had a nice chat with another father and daughter. The daughter was also half Asian which gave the kids something in common. The dad had been studying Buddhism and had spent the day with the Dalai Lama. That was an interesting conversation.
After being seated in the bar area which was much too crowded, my daughter ordered the cheeseburger. The waiter recommended medium well since medium often comes out too red. I started with the New England clam chowder and had the duck confit for my entree. We asked that the burger come with my chowder and we were assured it wouldn't be a problem.
We waited for what I thought was a significant amount of time before any food arrived. We did have very good bread service though. The servers were attentive and my water glass was always refilled when even half empty
My chowder finally arrived and while it had a nice share of clams and was quite flavorful, it was a bit watery. The burger was just a burger and was a bit overcooked, IMHO. So much for getting it medium well. My daughter did enjoy the fries though. The duck confit was very nice. Tender and moist. The only negative thing I would say is that it could have used some acid to offset the saltiness of the duck. There were 2 frisee leaves that didn't do near enough.
Balthazar is a good restaurant that definitely has the Soho vibe. Probably too many tourists for my taste though. The decor is appropriate and the wait staff was nice. I'd say the food is solid but nothing I'd travel and wait an hour for. The Sunday brunch may be better but I wouldn't know that.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Nougatine
While I've dined several times at the famed Jean Georges, I haven't yet had the chance to sample the fare on the other side of the wall at Nougatine. The casual dining room at the Trump Hotel and Towers has long been known for being more inconsistent than the formal dining room. However, at the request of woman who's birthday we were celebrating, we made reservations for an early dinner.
Two of us decided to get the tasting menu (at $68 quite a bargain) and everyone else went a la carte. I thought it was good that the restaurant allowed us to do that. Too many restaurants lose out because they require everyone to do the same.
We were all presented with the amuse bouche of the night which was a salmon tartare and a yellow tomato soup. Great colors and presentation on both these items. I was lucky enough to partake of several amuses since my tablemates weren't all excited about raw fish. Either way, a lovely start to the meal.
My wife then had a pear and goat cheese salad which was very nice. She thought there was too much crushed pepper but I thought it really balanced out the dish.
The tasting menus began with a bluefin tuna tartare with spicy radish and a ginger marinade. The marinade was definitely very flavorful but probably a little too salty. There was probably also more marinade than was necessary for the dish. The tuna tartare itself was very fresh and tasty. I did feel that the radish added nothing but a bit of texture. The radish actually made it harder to pick everything up with my fork.
We then had the peekytoe crab cake with miso mustard. This was slightly disappointing. It came as 4 small cubes of crab. While there was definitely no filler in the crab cake, reducing the size of the crab cake gives you that much more batter to compete with the crab. And since the crab cakes were deep fried, you couldn't taste so much of the crab as the batter.
Then came the slowly cooked arctic char with white asparagus fondue and a basil vinaigrette. This was my favorite dish of the night. The char was incredibly tender and moist. Oddly enough, the waiter first presented it as salmon since the chef normally uses salmon. Also, when I asked about the preparation, he said it was slow cooked at a low temperature in an oven. Is that possible? When he first said slow cooked, I immediately thought sous vide, which made total sense. But can you actually cook a piece of fish slowly in an oven and maintain the moisture? Perhaps I've much to learn there.
The last savory was the short ribs vinaigrette with fava jalapeno and mint. Way too salty and too sour. I've always loved short ribs and this was the first time I couldn't finish mine. As it was, I drank about 2 glasses of water during the course.
Maria had the steamed lobster with crispy potato for her entree and that was really good. As with the char, the lobster was extremely tender. Too often, you find rubbery lobster if you undercook it or disintegrating lobster if you cook it too long. This one was just perfect.
Among the other entrees at the table was the grilled pork chop with bacon wrapped asparagus and japanese eggplant. This was a big hit although I thought it was overcooked a bit. I could feel that it was a bit dried out. Someone else had the dry aged sirloin and declared it the best steak they've ever had. It sure better be at $65!!
We finished with a dessert sampler which included their classic molten chocolate cake, a warm apple cider, and a berry tart topped with a small souffle. All tasting portions and unfortunately the highlight of the meal.
All in all, I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or not. The space was nice although slightly loud with the bar next to us. The wait staff, while attentive, didn't seem to know enough about the menu items. Also, there were bread crumbs all over the table and these were never cleaned up until after the savory courses.
Normally, when I go to Jean Georges, the desserts are the low point of the mean while, at Nougatine, it's the other way. I'm not sure if this speaks to the strength of the savories at Jean Georges and the corresponding weakness of the savories at Nougatine or the weakness of the desserts at Jean Georges. Either way, I did feel like the food and the service were inconsistent and with a much better albeit more expensive restaurant next door, why choose the stepchild?
Two of us decided to get the tasting menu (at $68 quite a bargain) and everyone else went a la carte. I thought it was good that the restaurant allowed us to do that. Too many restaurants lose out because they require everyone to do the same.
We were all presented with the amuse bouche of the night which was a salmon tartare and a yellow tomato soup. Great colors and presentation on both these items. I was lucky enough to partake of several amuses since my tablemates weren't all excited about raw fish. Either way, a lovely start to the meal.
My wife then had a pear and goat cheese salad which was very nice. She thought there was too much crushed pepper but I thought it really balanced out the dish.
The tasting menus began with a bluefin tuna tartare with spicy radish and a ginger marinade. The marinade was definitely very flavorful but probably a little too salty. There was probably also more marinade than was necessary for the dish. The tuna tartare itself was very fresh and tasty. I did feel that the radish added nothing but a bit of texture. The radish actually made it harder to pick everything up with my fork.
We then had the peekytoe crab cake with miso mustard. This was slightly disappointing. It came as 4 small cubes of crab. While there was definitely no filler in the crab cake, reducing the size of the crab cake gives you that much more batter to compete with the crab. And since the crab cakes were deep fried, you couldn't taste so much of the crab as the batter.
Then came the slowly cooked arctic char with white asparagus fondue and a basil vinaigrette. This was my favorite dish of the night. The char was incredibly tender and moist. Oddly enough, the waiter first presented it as salmon since the chef normally uses salmon. Also, when I asked about the preparation, he said it was slow cooked at a low temperature in an oven. Is that possible? When he first said slow cooked, I immediately thought sous vide, which made total sense. But can you actually cook a piece of fish slowly in an oven and maintain the moisture? Perhaps I've much to learn there.
The last savory was the short ribs vinaigrette with fava jalapeno and mint. Way too salty and too sour. I've always loved short ribs and this was the first time I couldn't finish mine. As it was, I drank about 2 glasses of water during the course.
Maria had the steamed lobster with crispy potato for her entree and that was really good. As with the char, the lobster was extremely tender. Too often, you find rubbery lobster if you undercook it or disintegrating lobster if you cook it too long. This one was just perfect.
Among the other entrees at the table was the grilled pork chop with bacon wrapped asparagus and japanese eggplant. This was a big hit although I thought it was overcooked a bit. I could feel that it was a bit dried out. Someone else had the dry aged sirloin and declared it the best steak they've ever had. It sure better be at $65!!
We finished with a dessert sampler which included their classic molten chocolate cake, a warm apple cider, and a berry tart topped with a small souffle. All tasting portions and unfortunately the highlight of the meal.
All in all, I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or not. The space was nice although slightly loud with the bar next to us. The wait staff, while attentive, didn't seem to know enough about the menu items. Also, there were bread crumbs all over the table and these were never cleaned up until after the savory courses.
Normally, when I go to Jean Georges, the desserts are the low point of the mean while, at Nougatine, it's the other way. I'm not sure if this speaks to the strength of the savories at Jean Georges and the corresponding weakness of the savories at Nougatine or the weakness of the desserts at Jean Georges. Either way, I did feel like the food and the service were inconsistent and with a much better albeit more expensive restaurant next door, why choose the stepchild?
Friday, September 28, 2007
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ok. So this isn't about where you can buy great chocolate chip cookies. But it is a recipe if you can decipher it. Found it on the internet. Cheers!
1. 532.35 cm3 gluten
2. 4.9 cm3 NaHCO3
3. 4.9 cm3 refined halite
4. 236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
5. 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11
6. 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11
7. 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
8. Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein
9. 473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao
10. 236.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)
Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Ingredients:1. 532.35 cm3 gluten
2. 4.9 cm3 NaHCO3
3. 4.9 cm3 refined halite
4. 236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
5. 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11
6. 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11
7. 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
8. Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein
9. 473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao
10. 236.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)
To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1.
Additionally, add ingredients nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction.
Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm). Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank & Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Serafina
Sunday brought a large party to Serafina (55th and Broadway ) at 5pm. The dinner had to be early since we had a family (with a 2 yr old) coming in from Pennsylvania and another family (with a 3 yr old and twin 10 month olds) coming from Long Island. Both had to make it back at a reasonable hour to put their respective kids to bed. Ah, the family life. At least the early hour makes it easy to get reservations.
Honestly, with various kids running around, crying, spitting up, etc, everyone walking in and out of the room, and the many conversations with people who haven't seen each other for a long time, it was hard to pay close attention to the food. I do remember a pizza, a fried calamari and a caprese salad that we had to start. The pizza had a nice combination of flavors if I remember right. Unfortunately I don't remember WHICH flavors. The fried calamari was a little mushier than I would have expected and the caprese (all about the freshness of the buffalo mozzarella and the meatiness of the heirloom tomatoes) was good on the mozzarella side and not so great on the tomato side.
I had the risotto with champagne and black truffles. This was probably the most flavorless truffle dish I've ever had. The champagne taste was non-existent and, while there were plenty of truffle shavings, they didn't taste like anything. Very strange. I had to add mucho pepper to flavor the dish. Very disappointing. Some of the other pastas were good: the penne alla vodka and the rigatoni alla bolognese.
Desserts were nice all around. Besides the gelatos, we had a nutella crepe and a chocolate souffle. The chocolate souffle was super rich. I was torn since I don't usually favor chocolate desserts because they're almost always too sweet. However, I do love souffles. This one wasn't "quite" a souffle per se but it was just light enough. Many places will call their chocolate mousse cakes a souffle and this one was in between.
This restaurant is nice for a group around 12 since they have a separate room. Foodwise, I prefer the location on 61st between Madison and Park. The bar scene there is also much more lively.
Honestly, with various kids running around, crying, spitting up, etc, everyone walking in and out of the room, and the many conversations with people who haven't seen each other for a long time, it was hard to pay close attention to the food. I do remember a pizza, a fried calamari and a caprese salad that we had to start. The pizza had a nice combination of flavors if I remember right. Unfortunately I don't remember WHICH flavors. The fried calamari was a little mushier than I would have expected and the caprese (all about the freshness of the buffalo mozzarella and the meatiness of the heirloom tomatoes) was good on the mozzarella side and not so great on the tomato side.
I had the risotto with champagne and black truffles. This was probably the most flavorless truffle dish I've ever had. The champagne taste was non-existent and, while there were plenty of truffle shavings, they didn't taste like anything. Very strange. I had to add mucho pepper to flavor the dish. Very disappointing. Some of the other pastas were good: the penne alla vodka and the rigatoni alla bolognese.
Desserts were nice all around. Besides the gelatos, we had a nutella crepe and a chocolate souffle. The chocolate souffle was super rich. I was torn since I don't usually favor chocolate desserts because they're almost always too sweet. However, I do love souffles. This one wasn't "quite" a souffle per se but it was just light enough. Many places will call their chocolate mousse cakes a souffle and this one was in between.
This restaurant is nice for a group around 12 since they have a separate room. Foodwise, I prefer the location on 61st between Madison and Park. The bar scene there is also much more lively.
Landmarc
This past Thursday, I took a visiting friend to Landmarc in the Time Warner Center. It's a restaurant I've gone to many a time since it is convenient, solid and reasonably priced. The menu is the same as at the Tribeca location but is varied. They have a daily pasta dish, oysters and mussels, a selection of grill items (steaks, lamb chop, pork chop), a burger, salads, and various offal (sweetbreads, foie gras, calf's liver and boudin noir). It's a very interesting menu to say the least.
Having eaten earlier in the evening, we skipped appetizers and went straight for entrees. He had the ribeye with peppercorn sauce and I had the special of the day, a seared duck breast over vegetables. The bread service as usual was excellent. We ordered a half bottle of a Barolo to go with our meat courses. At $28 for the half bottle, it was an amazing deal and delicious.
My friend quite enjoyed his steak. It was prepared medium rare as ordered and very juicy. I didn't like my duck as much. It was a bit undersalted and definitely not as good as many of the other items on the menu. With so many interesting options on the menu, it's a shame that the "special" just wasn't.
We finished with an ice cream and a tiramisu. All the desserts are $3 and therefore appropriately sized.
I still consider Landmarc one of the best values in the City. Plus it doesn't hurt that it's only a block away.
Having eaten earlier in the evening, we skipped appetizers and went straight for entrees. He had the ribeye with peppercorn sauce and I had the special of the day, a seared duck breast over vegetables. The bread service as usual was excellent. We ordered a half bottle of a Barolo to go with our meat courses. At $28 for the half bottle, it was an amazing deal and delicious.
My friend quite enjoyed his steak. It was prepared medium rare as ordered and very juicy. I didn't like my duck as much. It was a bit undersalted and definitely not as good as many of the other items on the menu. With so many interesting options on the menu, it's a shame that the "special" just wasn't.
We finished with an ice cream and a tiramisu. All the desserts are $3 and therefore appropriately sized.
I still consider Landmarc one of the best values in the City. Plus it doesn't hurt that it's only a block away.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Lupa and Clinton Street Baking Company
This weekend, with the kid at a sleepover, we hit Lupa for dinner on Saturday night and Clinton Street Baking Company the next morning for brunch. All this food and so little time to eat it.
Lupa as usual on a Saturday night was packed. Things started off on the wrong foot right away when the host looked right past me and allowed a young blond woman to push to the front and ask for a table. Luckily, she was also told it would be 1.5 hrs. We put ourselves on the wait list for both a table and bar seats. After about an hour, we were seated at the bar, looking over our menus.
I had the octopus to start and the lamb short ribs. Maria started with the special heirloom tomato salad and had a tagliatelle with pork shoulder and porcini ragu. The octopus was solid as usual but the short ribs were too salty and too sweet at the same time. I also didn't quite expect a rack of ribs from Lupa. The winners though were the tomato salad and the tagliatelle; the salad with a perfectly seasoned vinaigrette and the flavorful but not overpowering ragu in the tagliatelle. We skipped dessert anticipating brunch the next day.
Clinton Street Baking Company had the expected wait as well. When we arrived, there were 34 people waiting outside the 32 person restaurant. Ouch. Even though it ended up taking 1.5 hrs to seat us after being told an hour, we did get a nice corner table by the window. They had some interesting muffins behind the counter: ginger pear crumb and raspberry yogurt. But it was the spinach and cheese muffin that really raised our eyebrows. I'll have to try that sometime.
I had a more than generous portion of their maine blueberry pancakes with warm maple butter. Thick fluffy pancakes with blueberries between each layer. A syrup that was a combination of maple and what tasted like butterscotch. Best pancakes I've ever had. Maria had the Spanish Scramble: eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, sauteed onions, scallions, monterey jack, and toast. What's there not to like? More chorizo would have been cool though. Too stuffed to consider dessert :), we took a nice walk through Soho instead.
Lupa as usual on a Saturday night was packed. Things started off on the wrong foot right away when the host looked right past me and allowed a young blond woman to push to the front and ask for a table. Luckily, she was also told it would be 1.5 hrs. We put ourselves on the wait list for both a table and bar seats. After about an hour, we were seated at the bar, looking over our menus.
I had the octopus to start and the lamb short ribs. Maria started with the special heirloom tomato salad and had a tagliatelle with pork shoulder and porcini ragu. The octopus was solid as usual but the short ribs were too salty and too sweet at the same time. I also didn't quite expect a rack of ribs from Lupa. The winners though were the tomato salad and the tagliatelle; the salad with a perfectly seasoned vinaigrette and the flavorful but not overpowering ragu in the tagliatelle. We skipped dessert anticipating brunch the next day.
Clinton Street Baking Company had the expected wait as well. When we arrived, there were 34 people waiting outside the 32 person restaurant. Ouch. Even though it ended up taking 1.5 hrs to seat us after being told an hour, we did get a nice corner table by the window. They had some interesting muffins behind the counter: ginger pear crumb and raspberry yogurt. But it was the spinach and cheese muffin that really raised our eyebrows. I'll have to try that sometime.
I had a more than generous portion of their maine blueberry pancakes with warm maple butter. Thick fluffy pancakes with blueberries between each layer. A syrup that was a combination of maple and what tasted like butterscotch. Best pancakes I've ever had. Maria had the Spanish Scramble: eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, sauteed onions, scallions, monterey jack, and toast. What's there not to like? More chorizo would have been cool though. Too stuffed to consider dessert :), we took a nice walk through Soho instead.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Tailor
This one's going to be a long one.
This past Thursday, the family ventured to Tailor with a friend visiting from Hong Kong. Tailor is Sam Mason's much anticipated restaurant whose endeavors from concept to opening has been captured in his ongoing blog.
I had the pleasure of experiencing Chef Mason's genius when he was pastry chef at wd-50 a couple of years back. His whimsical approach to desserts led to an interesting conversation with him about how he managed to get cotton candy into a chocolate truffle. And I do remember his lemon curd as one of the best desserts I've ever had.
We arrived at Tailor (525 Broome Street) without a reservation but hopeful about getting a table. The dining room was busy so we were ushered downstairs to the bar area. Neither wd-50 nor Tailor are for the faint of heart and this became evident immediately as we looked over the cocktail menu. After quizzical looks, we asked the waitress for recommendations and ordered the Crumble (brown butter rum, pink clove and scrumpy...whatever that is), the Waylon (bourbon, smoked coke, and preserved lemon) and the Paprika Punch (rum, bell pepper, lemonade and molasses). Wow!
The flavor sure were interesting. The pepper was a little too strong for Maria so she and I swapped the Punch for the Crumble. Not being much of a mixed drink person, the Paprika Punch made for an eyebrow raising experience but didn't change my sensibilities much.
At that point, the hostess notified us that our table was ready. Our drinks were brought upstairs but we had to settle the tab separately. I suppose that since the bar is downstairs that they don't have any way to move the tab but it would be a nice touch.
The dining room has four 4-tops of the left, three 4-tops with a larger table on the right and a community table in the middle. Our table was quite large. I'm not quite sure what was playing but the music was oddly hypnotizing and made some of us quite sleepy. Nevertheless, my excitement over trying this inventive menu kept me wide awake.
On reviewing the menu, I noticed that they had a tasting menu. As far as I'd known, that hadn't been available. The waiter confirmed that they had decided to serve a tasting menu at the last minute. And he emphasized that it was "just a minute ago". Not sure how that's possible if we're eating at 8pm and the menu was pre-printed. The waiter was also a bit confused when I asked if the whole table had to order the tasting menu. He suggested we order some from each side of the menu, that is the Salty and the Sweet. That had nothing to do with my question so I'm not sure what he was talking about.
We ended up ordering the full suite of six savories since we just had to try everything. A server came with what looked like a serving of gelato. Of course it was the butter but my daughter was very confused for a second. The bread service was of two varieties: a green olive bread and a walnut raisin. Both were excellent. The server told us that it came from a bakery just around the corner. I'll have to figure out what that is since the bread was really good.
The amuse bouche arrived at that point. It consisted of plums, cocoa nips, and mustard and beer foam. I did have the server replace my daughter's amuse with one without the foam. Even if I was ok with the alcohol, I don't think she would have liked it. The amuse did have a great balance between the sweet and salty but I'm not a fan of beer so it wasn't a win for me. However, from a strictly textural perspective, the plums, cocoa nips, and foam did provide a nice contrast.
The savory portion of the menu was brought out 3 at a time. First, we had the peanut butter foie gras with chocolate powder and finely diced pear. It's pretty amazing to taste a mousse with the combination of foie gras and peanut butter flavors. It's definitely the most interesting preparation I've had the pleasure of having. This was definitely one of our favorites.
With that came the snapper sashimi with olives, watermelon, and pistachio crusted avocado ice cream. Really interesting combination! The varied flavors and textures really came together to make each bite an experience. This wasn't a favorite but it's hard when there are other excellent dishes to compare to.
Also with the first wave came the peekytoe crab with pineapple, pine nut puree, and a basil sauce. Included was a thin ham "chip". My daughter loves this dish, which surprised me since she's not usually a fan of crab. However, I think the combination with the sweet cooked pineapple and the ham really made a mix. But I think we all wished there was more of the ham to go around.
After clearing out the first set of dishes, we eagerly awaited the next. Bread was offered again and accepted. Oddly enough, one server replaced my friend's utensils while our waiter took my fork off my plate and back onto my mat. Very strange. But onward.
Duck tartar with marjoram pesto and pickeled cherry jam...although I'm not sure where the cherry jam was because I didn't see it or taste it. The waiter also said that there was pork sausage in the tartar. I couldn't tell but I'd think it would be a problem in NYC if a dish had pork but didn't have it listed. This was the one dish that didn't seem to have that sweet element. I love duck so there you go.
Our favorite of the night was the pork belly with miso butterscotch sauce and artichokes. I couldn't really taste the miso but the pork and sauce was so good we had to order another. The artichoke wasn't strong enough to alter the taste of the dish but provided a counter texture to the pork. Our absolute favorite.
Last was the passion fruit poached char with coconut, lime pickle, mushrooms, and what looked like little dumplings. It wasn't the prettiest dish in the world but the sweetness of the sauce with that char, dumplings and mushrooms were excellent.
Finally done with the salty side of the menu, we moved to the sweets. Here we ordered the soft chocolate with sesame ice cream and a spicy mole crisp. This was a great taste combination and my favorite among the desserts even though I'm not usually partial to chocolate. Unfortunately, the chocolate "twist" did look a bit like a you-know-what in the opinion of my 10 yr old. That put her off a bit.
We also had the caramel panna cotta, with crunchy coffee "soil", corn sorbet, and a couple of caramel popcorns. This was the only dish that I felt the balance was way off. I thought the corn sorbet was too strong and overwhelmed the rest of the dish. We ended up leaving the sorbet well enough alone but gobbled up the rest.
And last, we had the blueberry, black olive cake with yogurt sorbet. I ended up eating this by myself. I think the rest of the table was experimented out. I enjoyed the olive cake a lot but the sweetness of the blueberries were stronger...probably why it's in the dessert section.
So ended our meal. My friend and I were satisfied but could have easily eaten more. I'm hoping Chef Mason expands his menu soon. Overall, the food was very much fun but probably not somewhere the family would want to do more than once in a blue moon. I'm inclined to try every time the menu changes. Service however was inconsistent. While our water glasses were never empty and bread was brought regularly, the issue with the tasting menu, the oddity of the silverware (not really a big deal), and the fact that no appearance of the petite fours that I've seen described makes me consider the restaurant still in its early stages. I'll be back to check it out again.
This past Thursday, the family ventured to Tailor with a friend visiting from Hong Kong. Tailor is Sam Mason's much anticipated restaurant whose endeavors from concept to opening has been captured in his ongoing blog.
I had the pleasure of experiencing Chef Mason's genius when he was pastry chef at wd-50 a couple of years back. His whimsical approach to desserts led to an interesting conversation with him about how he managed to get cotton candy into a chocolate truffle. And I do remember his lemon curd as one of the best desserts I've ever had.
We arrived at Tailor (525 Broome Street) without a reservation but hopeful about getting a table. The dining room was busy so we were ushered downstairs to the bar area. Neither wd-50 nor Tailor are for the faint of heart and this became evident immediately as we looked over the cocktail menu. After quizzical looks, we asked the waitress for recommendations and ordered the Crumble (brown butter rum, pink clove and scrumpy...whatever that is), the Waylon (bourbon, smoked coke, and preserved lemon) and the Paprika Punch (rum, bell pepper, lemonade and molasses). Wow!
The flavor sure were interesting. The pepper was a little too strong for Maria so she and I swapped the Punch for the Crumble. Not being much of a mixed drink person, the Paprika Punch made for an eyebrow raising experience but didn't change my sensibilities much.
At that point, the hostess notified us that our table was ready. Our drinks were brought upstairs but we had to settle the tab separately. I suppose that since the bar is downstairs that they don't have any way to move the tab but it would be a nice touch.
The dining room has four 4-tops of the left, three 4-tops with a larger table on the right and a community table in the middle. Our table was quite large. I'm not quite sure what was playing but the music was oddly hypnotizing and made some of us quite sleepy. Nevertheless, my excitement over trying this inventive menu kept me wide awake.
On reviewing the menu, I noticed that they had a tasting menu. As far as I'd known, that hadn't been available. The waiter confirmed that they had decided to serve a tasting menu at the last minute. And he emphasized that it was "just a minute ago". Not sure how that's possible if we're eating at 8pm and the menu was pre-printed. The waiter was also a bit confused when I asked if the whole table had to order the tasting menu. He suggested we order some from each side of the menu, that is the Salty and the Sweet. That had nothing to do with my question so I'm not sure what he was talking about.
We ended up ordering the full suite of six savories since we just had to try everything. A server came with what looked like a serving of gelato. Of course it was the butter but my daughter was very confused for a second. The bread service was of two varieties: a green olive bread and a walnut raisin. Both were excellent. The server told us that it came from a bakery just around the corner. I'll have to figure out what that is since the bread was really good.
The amuse bouche arrived at that point. It consisted of plums, cocoa nips, and mustard and beer foam. I did have the server replace my daughter's amuse with one without the foam. Even if I was ok with the alcohol, I don't think she would have liked it. The amuse did have a great balance between the sweet and salty but I'm not a fan of beer so it wasn't a win for me. However, from a strictly textural perspective, the plums, cocoa nips, and foam did provide a nice contrast.
The savory portion of the menu was brought out 3 at a time. First, we had the peanut butter foie gras with chocolate powder and finely diced pear. It's pretty amazing to taste a mousse with the combination of foie gras and peanut butter flavors. It's definitely the most interesting preparation I've had the pleasure of having. This was definitely one of our favorites.
With that came the snapper sashimi with olives, watermelon, and pistachio crusted avocado ice cream. Really interesting combination! The varied flavors and textures really came together to make each bite an experience. This wasn't a favorite but it's hard when there are other excellent dishes to compare to.
Also with the first wave came the peekytoe crab with pineapple, pine nut puree, and a basil sauce. Included was a thin ham "chip". My daughter loves this dish, which surprised me since she's not usually a fan of crab. However, I think the combination with the sweet cooked pineapple and the ham really made a mix. But I think we all wished there was more of the ham to go around.
After clearing out the first set of dishes, we eagerly awaited the next. Bread was offered again and accepted. Oddly enough, one server replaced my friend's utensils while our waiter took my fork off my plate and back onto my mat. Very strange. But onward.
Duck tartar with marjoram pesto and pickeled cherry jam...although I'm not sure where the cherry jam was because I didn't see it or taste it. The waiter also said that there was pork sausage in the tartar. I couldn't tell but I'd think it would be a problem in NYC if a dish had pork but didn't have it listed. This was the one dish that didn't seem to have that sweet element. I love duck so there you go.
Our favorite of the night was the pork belly with miso butterscotch sauce and artichokes. I couldn't really taste the miso but the pork and sauce was so good we had to order another. The artichoke wasn't strong enough to alter the taste of the dish but provided a counter texture to the pork. Our absolute favorite.
Last was the passion fruit poached char with coconut, lime pickle, mushrooms, and what looked like little dumplings. It wasn't the prettiest dish in the world but the sweetness of the sauce with that char, dumplings and mushrooms were excellent.
Finally done with the salty side of the menu, we moved to the sweets. Here we ordered the soft chocolate with sesame ice cream and a spicy mole crisp. This was a great taste combination and my favorite among the desserts even though I'm not usually partial to chocolate. Unfortunately, the chocolate "twist" did look a bit like a you-know-what in the opinion of my 10 yr old. That put her off a bit.
We also had the caramel panna cotta, with crunchy coffee "soil", corn sorbet, and a couple of caramel popcorns. This was the only dish that I felt the balance was way off. I thought the corn sorbet was too strong and overwhelmed the rest of the dish. We ended up leaving the sorbet well enough alone but gobbled up the rest.
And last, we had the blueberry, black olive cake with yogurt sorbet. I ended up eating this by myself. I think the rest of the table was experimented out. I enjoyed the olive cake a lot but the sweetness of the blueberries were stronger...probably why it's in the dessert section.
So ended our meal. My friend and I were satisfied but could have easily eaten more. I'm hoping Chef Mason expands his menu soon. Overall, the food was very much fun but probably not somewhere the family would want to do more than once in a blue moon. I'm inclined to try every time the menu changes. Service however was inconsistent. While our water glasses were never empty and bread was brought regularly, the issue with the tasting menu, the oddity of the silverware (not really a big deal), and the fact that no appearance of the petite fours that I've seen described makes me consider the restaurant still in its early stages. I'll be back to check it out again.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tisserie
I probably shouldn't even talk about this one since Tisserie isn't a restaurant per se. They have some sandwiches, quiches, pizza, and wraps along with a multitude of desserts. You order your food (savories or sweets) at the counter and bring it to the few smalls tables downstairs or upstairs so no real service except for behind the counter. Everything is pre-cooked and is just heated up.
Elissa had turkey and cheese in a croissant and I had a slice of tomato and goat cheese quiche. The croissandwich, after being heated in an oven was actually quite tasty. I guess you can't go wrong with cheese and butter in a pastry. The quiche was just ok. The filling was nice but the crust was too hard, which means overcooked. Since this is a pastry place, I assume the crust was made from scratch and not a frozen store bought crust. However, overcooking it evens the playing field.
Afterwards, Elissa had a couple of petit fours: the vanilla and chocolate diamond. These were a bit too crumbly but had a nice light flavor. I had guava cream cheese pastry. It had a good mixture of guava with the cream cheese but I did think the guava flavor could have been stronger. Doesn't mean I wouldn't have eaten another one.
We had dinner here and it would probably make sense to have lunch instead since it's earlier in the day and the food is probably fresher. However, it is a cheap option in Union Square.
Elissa had turkey and cheese in a croissant and I had a slice of tomato and goat cheese quiche. The croissandwich, after being heated in an oven was actually quite tasty. I guess you can't go wrong with cheese and butter in a pastry. The quiche was just ok. The filling was nice but the crust was too hard, which means overcooked. Since this is a pastry place, I assume the crust was made from scratch and not a frozen store bought crust. However, overcooking it evens the playing field.
Afterwards, Elissa had a couple of petit fours: the vanilla and chocolate diamond. These were a bit too crumbly but had a nice light flavor. I had guava cream cheese pastry. It had a good mixture of guava with the cream cheese but I did think the guava flavor could have been stronger. Doesn't mean I wouldn't have eaten another one.
We had dinner here and it would probably make sense to have lunch instead since it's earlier in the day and the food is probably fresher. However, it is a cheap option in Union Square.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Perilla
Tonight, in celebrating my birthday, the family went to Perilla for dinner. Opened by Chef Harold Dieterle, winner of Top Chef Season 1, it's been a to-do since it opened back in May.
Half our party was 15 minutes early but we were seated right away, which is contrary to many places in the City, but definitely a positive. The restaurant is not very large. It has a nice bar up front where diners are welcome, an ideal spot for single diners or walk-in's. Decor is simple and, in some cases as with the tables, kinda cheap. But we were there for the food. The Chef was in attendance tonight. In fact, he was sitting at another table with 2 couples. Dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, I wasn't sure if he was working or not. Hopefully, the food would not suffer for his not being in the kitchen.
And it didn't for the most part. We had several of the appetizers including the braised cuttlefish, the crispy Berkshire pork belly, and the spicy duck meatballs. The cuttlefish was simple, light and solid but no wow factor. The pork belly was truly amazing. Served with pea tendrils, trumpets and raisins, the flavors were powerful. The only negative (and a minor one) is that the skin wasn't really crispy as written on the menu. For me, this was the dish of the night.
The spicy duck meatballs were served with Okinawa yam gnocchi, water spinach and a quail egg. The egg was supposed to be beaten with the gnocchi and spinach. This dish was a variation on the meatballs served in the Top Chef Season 1 vs Season 2 cook-off from episode 2 of Season 3. The meatballs were extremely flavorful but the rest of the dish disappointed. The gnocchi, honestly, were pretty bland. I couldn't taste the yam in it. The rest of the spinach and quail egg mixture was fine but it seemed like there should have been more. If the meatballs were larger and more of the focal point of the dish, I would forgive the flavorless gnocchi. As it was, the dish was good but it could have been great.
For entrees, I had a chance to try the breast of lamb, the hangar steak, the roast duck, the summer truffle ravioli, and the wolfish. Since I just had a bite of each dish except for my own (the wolfish), I can only say that everything seemed solid except for the hangar steak. It was slightly overcooked to medium but that shouldn't have accounted for the toughness and lack of juices. Perhaps an off night? The rest of the entrees were fine but nothing extraordinary. I did have a glass of the Buchegger Gruner Veltliner 2006 with my meal. It was probably a little too sweet for me and a not sweet enough for Maria. I suppose if I were to buy a bottle, that would be a good compromise.
Service throughout the evening was professional and attentive. My parents did bring a cake which they probably shouldn't have done without checking with the restaurant. It turns out they would charge us $4 per person to serve the cake. This was more expensive than the cake itself and not worthwhile. It was not unexpected but it would have been a nice bonus and would have meant a larger tip for the wait staff.
Chef Dieterle was kind enough to stop by to chat and take a picture with Elissa on his way out. He's a very unassuming person and seemed a bit uncomfortable with the picture taking but he bore it well. All in all, it was a nice experience. I'd like to come back in the spring to see how the menu evolves or if the Chef makes any changes to the preparations of the dishes he has now. And I'll remember to come down if I ever find myself dining solo.
Half our party was 15 minutes early but we were seated right away, which is contrary to many places in the City, but definitely a positive. The restaurant is not very large. It has a nice bar up front where diners are welcome, an ideal spot for single diners or walk-in's. Decor is simple and, in some cases as with the tables, kinda cheap. But we were there for the food. The Chef was in attendance tonight. In fact, he was sitting at another table with 2 couples. Dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, I wasn't sure if he was working or not. Hopefully, the food would not suffer for his not being in the kitchen.
And it didn't for the most part. We had several of the appetizers including the braised cuttlefish, the crispy Berkshire pork belly, and the spicy duck meatballs. The cuttlefish was simple, light and solid but no wow factor. The pork belly was truly amazing. Served with pea tendrils, trumpets and raisins, the flavors were powerful. The only negative (and a minor one) is that the skin wasn't really crispy as written on the menu. For me, this was the dish of the night.
The spicy duck meatballs were served with Okinawa yam gnocchi, water spinach and a quail egg. The egg was supposed to be beaten with the gnocchi and spinach. This dish was a variation on the meatballs served in the Top Chef Season 1 vs Season 2 cook-off from episode 2 of Season 3. The meatballs were extremely flavorful but the rest of the dish disappointed. The gnocchi, honestly, were pretty bland. I couldn't taste the yam in it. The rest of the spinach and quail egg mixture was fine but it seemed like there should have been more. If the meatballs were larger and more of the focal point of the dish, I would forgive the flavorless gnocchi. As it was, the dish was good but it could have been great.
For entrees, I had a chance to try the breast of lamb, the hangar steak, the roast duck, the summer truffle ravioli, and the wolfish. Since I just had a bite of each dish except for my own (the wolfish), I can only say that everything seemed solid except for the hangar steak. It was slightly overcooked to medium but that shouldn't have accounted for the toughness and lack of juices. Perhaps an off night? The rest of the entrees were fine but nothing extraordinary. I did have a glass of the Buchegger Gruner Veltliner 2006 with my meal. It was probably a little too sweet for me and a not sweet enough for Maria. I suppose if I were to buy a bottle, that would be a good compromise.
Service throughout the evening was professional and attentive. My parents did bring a cake which they probably shouldn't have done without checking with the restaurant. It turns out they would charge us $4 per person to serve the cake. This was more expensive than the cake itself and not worthwhile. It was not unexpected but it would have been a nice bonus and would have meant a larger tip for the wait staff.
Chef Dieterle was kind enough to stop by to chat and take a picture with Elissa on his way out. He's a very unassuming person and seemed a bit uncomfortable with the picture taking but he bore it well. All in all, it was a nice experience. I'd like to come back in the spring to see how the menu evolves or if the Chef makes any changes to the preparations of the dishes he has now. And I'll remember to come down if I ever find myself dining solo.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Catch Up
With the proliferation of food blogs out there, I've decided to create my own to at least track where I've been. I probably have as little or less qualification to write about food as anyone out there, including the now infamous Restaurant Girl, who has jumped from amateur blogger to the newest Daily News food critic. I'm no writer and can rarely tell one spice or herb from the next. Nevertheless, I am so therefore, I write.
Even with my little food knowledge, I have eaten at some of the fine restaurants across the country. As New York City is my hometown, oddly enough, I've eaten at more fine dining establishments in other cities than in New York. This is mainly due to business travel and a generous (at least it used to be) expense policy.
I won't go back and try to write about restaurants I haven't been to in awhile but I will list at least some of my favorites:
Per Se (New York, NY)
Jean Georges (New York, NY)
Telepan (New York, NY)
Les Etats Unis (New York, NY)
davidburke and donatella (New York, NY)
L'Impero (New York, NY)
Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
Casa Mono (New York, NY)
Blue Hill (New York, NY)
Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (New York, NY)
Lupa (New York, NY)
Katz Deli (New York, NY)
wd-50 (New York, NY)
Landmarc (New York, NY)
Cafe Boulud (New York, NY)
Cesca (New York, NY)
Alinia (Chicago, IL)
Moto (Chicago, IL)
Tru (Chicago, IL)
Savories & Sweets (Chicago, IL)
Naha (Chicago, IL)
Blackbird (Chicago, IL)
La Folie (San Francisco, CA)
Masa's (San Francisco, CA)
Gary Danko (San Francisco, CA)
Zuni (San Francisco, CA)
Jardiniere (San Francisco, CA)
Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA)
Hawthorne Lane (San Francisco, CA)
Bix (San Francisco, CA)
Globe (San Francisco, CA)
Kokkari (San Francisco, CA)
Manresa (Los Altos, CA)
No. 9 Park (Boston, MA)
Radius (Boston, MA)
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas, NV)
Bonterra (Charlotte, NC)
Until we eat again. (gag!)
Even with my little food knowledge, I have eaten at some of the fine restaurants across the country. As New York City is my hometown, oddly enough, I've eaten at more fine dining establishments in other cities than in New York. This is mainly due to business travel and a generous (at least it used to be) expense policy.
I won't go back and try to write about restaurants I haven't been to in awhile but I will list at least some of my favorites:
Per Se (New York, NY)
Jean Georges (New York, NY)
Telepan (New York, NY)
Les Etats Unis (New York, NY)
davidburke and donatella (New York, NY)
L'Impero (New York, NY)
Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
Casa Mono (New York, NY)
Blue Hill (New York, NY)
Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (New York, NY)
Lupa (New York, NY)
Katz Deli (New York, NY)
wd-50 (New York, NY)
Landmarc (New York, NY)
Cafe Boulud (New York, NY)
Cesca (New York, NY)
Alinia (Chicago, IL)
Moto (Chicago, IL)
Tru (Chicago, IL)
Savories & Sweets (Chicago, IL)
Naha (Chicago, IL)
Blackbird (Chicago, IL)
La Folie (San Francisco, CA)
Masa's (San Francisco, CA)
Gary Danko (San Francisco, CA)
Zuni (San Francisco, CA)
Jardiniere (San Francisco, CA)
Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA)
Hawthorne Lane (San Francisco, CA)
Bix (San Francisco, CA)
Globe (San Francisco, CA)
Kokkari (San Francisco, CA)
Manresa (Los Altos, CA)
No. 9 Park (Boston, MA)
Radius (Boston, MA)
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas, NV)
Bonterra (Charlotte, NC)
Until we eat again. (gag!)
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