01.30.09
Posted in French, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Upper West Side, rated 6 to 6.5 at 04:55 by Dominique
102 W.86th St. & Columbus, 212-496-0458
Great for: the specials, singer/waitress, old world service
One evening, the Boyfriend’s father was kind enough to take us out to dinner. I like eating on the UWS; it reminds me of the childhood I should have had (well, maybe that’s more the UES, but this ex-Pennsylvania hick won’t split hairs). And both B and Mr. G are so smart. It’s nice to enjoy spirited intellectual conversations along with my food.
B and I got special appetizers of sea scallops wrapped in bacon on chopped leeks with tiny tomatoes and a stripe of raspberry coulis. It was delicious and I really liked the leeks. The scallops were a little on the small side, perhaps, but not gritty or too chewy as sometimes happens. Mr. G had his usual steamed artichoke with a delightful lemony sauce (aïoli, perhaps).
B’s shell steak au poivre with thin-cut fries and veggies was a bit overcooked but nice when drenched in sauce. It was very large and not too fatty. Mr. G’s special entrée of halibut on spinach and red pepper coulis with vegetables could have been softer but I think that was partly the kind of fish. I was glad I picked the sole meuniére. The two thin filets of tender fish with a touch of breading outside were so yummy. I liked the sauce a lot too.
I couldn’t resist the dessert special, mille-feuille with a sugary coating and custard inside. It wasn’t too tall as such pastries sometimes are, and was lovely and perfectly flaky. The crème caramel was pleasant too.
Mr. G thought a bottle of Perrier-Jouët would accompany our dinner very well, and it did. He goes to the restaurant quite often so the French owner and waiters came and said hello to us a lot and were very sweet. They seemed generally friendly anyhow. There is an adorable little upstairs area, but Mr. G said the service is a bit slower up there. All in all, deservedly an Upper West Side staple, especially if you stick with the specials or the sole.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $230 + 70 tip (3 dinners, bottle of Perrier-Jouët, 2 cappuccinos, 1 Frangelico)
Noise level: loud murmur and occasional mellifluous singing
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
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01.19.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 15:20 by Dominique
129 Rivington & Norfolk Sts., 212-982-1690
Great for: sandwich lovers, takeout, great food reasonably priced
The Boyfriend and I were looking for food one Monday afternoon when we stumbled upon this place. I usually don’t eat sandwiches because I try not to eat bread, but I am so glad I took a chance here. All sandwiches should be so good. And inexpensive!
My Spicy Rizzak with sliced turkey, crispy bacon, melted cheddar, onion, pepperoncinis instead of tomatoes and hot chipotle mayo on a toasted sesame semolina hero was a spicy delight. I couldn’t stop saying “Mmmmm!” even when my mouth was full of it. It had lots of turkey and I loved the texture and flavor. I could have wished for more bacon but then I always do.
His Cobb with grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and blue cheese dressing was also great. He only let me have one bite, and that mainly because I reminded him I was reviewing. I am not a fan of half the ingredients and yet I would almost have ordered it myself, it was that tasty.
The sandwiches come with ridged chips which are fine, nothing special. The bread could be thinner, although I would be happy with mere bread fingerholds so my perception is probably a little skewed. It was good though, nice and crispy.
We had very nice service from the lone waiter. It’s a decent-sized place with lots of windows, apparently much bigger than the old space. There was interesting food porn on the walls with small dolls. I was really happy with the prices – the sandwiches are totally satisfying, maybe even too much food if you’re not a big eater, and only $8. I wish they were a bit closer to my house so I could go more. Or maybe I’m happy they’re far away so I won’t get too fat.
I couldn’t resist stopping by one day when I was nearby and got a small roast beef sandwich with pepperoncinis for only $5. Terrific! I loved the real meat – none of that sliced compressed meat-like stuff – and they changed the art to skateboards with printed dogs on them. Apparently the place is a bit of a cool art gallery, too.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $20 (2 sandwiches)
Noise level: bustle
Chance of walking in: not good. Late in the afternoon is better. They’re open noon to 10pm every day and deliver as well.
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01.07.09
Posted in Asian, Chelsea, Japanese, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 15:18 by Dominique
185 7th Ave. & 21st St., 212-989-4466; 427 Amsterdam & 80/81st Sts., 212-580-0007
Great for: tuna usuzukuri, elegant dining in Chelsea (I haven’t tried the UWS one yet)
I have been meaning to come here for about four years, and somehow I’m always in the area during the late afternoon when they’re closed. This time I was going to a shopping thing around dinnertime so I finally got to cross it off. Well, not literally, since I liked it, but I moved it from “should try” to “proven good.”
My appetizer choice of tuna usuzukuri turned out to be inspired. It’s a really big plate of slightly seared tuna slices, jalapeño, cilantro, yellow tobiko, wasabi mayo, tomatoes and crunchy bits. Everything goes together so well. I ate every last bite, even the tomatoes, and could have had more. It wasn’t too spicy for me; I liked the contrast of crunchy vegetables and tobiko with the soft tuna.
I was in a noodley mood that day, I guess (I had ramen at Tsushima a few hours beforehand), and went for the tempura soba. I ended up regretting the choice a bit, for reasons unrelated to the cooking. The tempura were two shrimp, yam, eggplant and squash. I don’t like any of those except shrimp. And the three kinds of mushroom – string, wood ear and regular – were lost on me as they are the food I hate most. The rest was really good though. There were a couple spinach leaves I could eat. I even enjoyed the fluorescent green pickles slices on the side but only cold, as I discovered after attempting to add them to the soup. There was a satisfyingly large amount of soba, which tasted the same as usual noodles. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but I liked it. There wasn’t an overabundance of broth either.
I found the service very friendly. The many waiters wore all black and were quiet like ninjas, albeit super cheerful ninjas. They didn’t bother me much as I sat alone reading my Economist but were unfailingly quick and attentive, especially considering it was 7 pm on a busy Wednesday. The large space extends quite far back and was packed when I left. I liked the nice grey-streaked marble that was the sushi bar as well as the airy minimalist design and blond and dark wood with cool white accents. There was an interesting sculpture behind the sushi chefs that reminded me of a Jenga game. I was surprised at how little the place echoed, since the ceilings are high and wooden-looking and I didn’t notice any carpeting. Overall, a very pleasant experience.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My cost: $30 (no drinks)
Noise level: not bad, despite high ceilings
Chance of walking in: low.
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Posted in Asian, Japanese, Midtown East, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 15:02 by Dominique
141 E.47th St. & Lexington/3rd Aves., 212-207-1938
Great for: yummy cheap lunch, business lunch, big parties
I saw in Serious Eats that there was a special limited edition Wednesday ramen place in midtown. But they only serve thirty bowls of it, starting at noon. When I found myself in midtown at 11:45 one Wednesday, I knew exactly where to find lunch. I went about 10 blocks out of my way and I’m happy to say it was worth it. They actually do specials every weekday and the other food was good enough to warrant a non-ramen-centric visit. (Hence its own review outside of the Ramen Roundup.)
One of the waitresses took pity on me hovering outside in the rain and let me come sit down a few minutes before they officially opened. Even before I was allowed to order she brought green tea and a salad. I didn’t realize that the ramen comes with a bowl of rice and ikura, so I got an appetizer of shrimp shumai (they don’t offer gyoza). Each had a whole shrimp on top and there was a dainty bit of minced jalapeño on the side. I loved it.
The shio ramen came with two slices of not-too-fatty pork and one giant straight-out-of-the-shell scallop. The noodles were lovely, chewy and sticky, with lots of scallions and bamboo slices on top. The scallop looks weird but is nice. As a whole it was not that salty and I really liked it. I noticed there wasn’t much extra stuff like at other ramen houses but honestly the soup didn’t need it. Besides, I had a whole bowl of rice and ikura (salmon roe) to help hold my attention. It was also only slightly salty, even a little sour in a good way. They were surprisingly generous with the eggs. I can’t believe all that was only $13.50.
Everyone was very polite. I especially liked that the waitress didn’t argue when I over-ordered; I hate when servers assume that I won’t want to eat much because I’m a small woman. OK, maybe not that small, but I’m certainly no Amazon. I just eat like one sometimes. The resto itself is quite large, though from the outside it looks tiny. The pretty, plushy, white leather chairs that look a bit like handbags are amusing. They go well with the blond wood scheme. I was pleased to see that the clientele was almost all Japanese people. By 12:05 there were already ten people eating the ramen, so you should definitely not dawdle if you want to get some of that shio goodness. You also have a chance on Fridays with miso ramen.
Rating: 8 / 10
My cost: $25 (special for $13.50 + app)
Noise level: sushi temple hush
Chance of walking in: decent, there is an upstairs as well.
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01.03.09
Posted in Chelsea, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, brunch, rated 7 to 7.5 at 11:47 by Dominique
191 7th Ave. & 21st/22nd Sts., 212-675-5980
Great for: minimuffins, alcoholic brunch, reliable food
My dear friend C was visiting from London and planned brunch with me and our other friend K. I was bored of not drinking – I went three months and lost about 1.5 inches in circumference! Although my mother has been force-feeding me over the holidays and I think I will need to stay on the wagon a while longer – and wanted to celebrate her brief return, so I got the $15 unlimited champagne too. It turned into a very not-sober, fun day.
First off they have cute little minimuffins with what looked like strawberry jam. They seem very popular with everyone (no bready things for me). My eggs Benedict with one crab cake was quite good. The eggs could have been a shade less cooked, though. And both could have been larger. C’s rigatoni with eggplant was tasty but also small. She ordered it expecting it to be enormous since she was really hungry; it was funny to find the one Italian restaurant in the city without huge pasta portions. K’s burger with bacon, on the other hand, was very large. She enjoyed it a lot.
I liked the pretty plating. We had mainly leisurely service except when our waiter was making sure we had enough champagne in our giant glasses. He even refilled me after we paid the check (it never hurts to smile sweetly). C, who used to live in the neighborhood, said she has always seen it totally packed and was surprised she could even get a reservation for brunch. I definitely want to try their dinner.
Rating: 7 / 10 (just brunch, pending dinner visit)
Our cost: $110 (3 brunches with $15 unlimited drinks)
Noise level: boisterous
Chance of walking in: not good, definitely reserve.
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Posted in East Village, French, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 10:49 by Dominique
190 1st Ave. & 12th St., 212-358-7171
Great for: simple French food, al fresco dining even in winter
My best friend E wanted to have dinner somewhere in the East Village one freezing night. Tree had been high on my list for some time and wasn’t terribly pricey, so it was an obvious choice. The three of us – the Boyfriend came along too – got to sit in the cute window seat.
I went with the prix fixe for $25. The French onion soup was a perfect balance of spices and creamy cheese. Somehow the bread was still crispy after ten minutes, to my delight. B’s split pea soup, the special app, was simply delicious. We liked its very fine consistency.
After the waitress told us about the bacon cassoulet E had to get it. A carnivore’s dream, it has pork sausage, veal, duck confit, tomatoes and white beans. It was, naturally, very rich. The bacon was the best meat though. I didn’t expect very much from stew meat so I think I liked it better than she did. My roast salmon with a fennel crust on spicy lentils and shallot confit was simple and satisfying. I didn’t find the lentils spicy – a bit bland, in fact - though they had a nice texture. The salmon was very crispy on top and rosy pink inside. It could have been slightly less cooked but overall I quite liked it.
My included crème brûlée (on a freakishly hot plate) was a lovely finish to the meal. E and B had red wine that they enjoyed and E and I tried a good rosé champagne too. Our waitress was really nice. I liked the window seat, and next time I want to sit in the back garden, which is as big as the front and covered so you can enjoy it in the winter as well.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $115 (1 app & entrée, 1 prix fixe meal, 4 glasses wine/champagne)
Noise level: wavering sound system turned up too loud
Chance of walking in: not too bad. Ask for the pretty back garden.
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Posted in French, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, rated 7 to 7.5 at 10:15 by Dominique
132 W. Houston & Sullivan Sts., 212-475-1543 (now closed)
Great for: appetizers, burgers, eating late in SoHo
Princess Dominique wanted steak close to home one day and this was the best reasonable-money option we could come up with. (New Boyfriend is adjusting well to my demanding palate.) Fortunately they were open quite late, as we walked in around 10 pm.
B had soup of the day to start, a fantastic butternut squash. I don’t even like that vegetable and I was enthusiastic about it. My frisée aux lardons was just as good; somehow I enjoyed the very strong taste of bleu cheese. I also appreciated how soft the lettuce was. We had high hopes for the rest of the meal.
B, at least, was not disappointed. He liked his burger with everything on it and good French fries. My entrecote (shell steak) with salad and gratin dauphinois instead of fries was not quite as satisfactory. Other than being an exceptionally fatty cut, overly chewy in places and a bit raw in others, it was good. Of course, that took some of the enjoyment away. I did love the potatoes and the generous helping of salad, though.
The waiters were uniformly nice. The décor was as well, kind of standard brasserie but not too corporate. At first I thought they had really strange music. There was weird porno electronica, which gave way to old French caterwauling, then Pete Tong on BBC 1, which was when I realized it was just an eclectic iPod on shuffle. All in all, cute and mostly yummy.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $65 (no drinks)
Noise level: Not too much
Chance of walking in: Good, it’s on a bit of an odd corner. But sadly, it’s closed now.
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01.02.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, brunch, rated 7 to 7.5 at 05:35 by Dominique
4 Clinton St. & Houston/Stanton Sts., 646-602-6263
Great for: brunch if you have errands or want to shop in the area, interesting milkshakes
I’ve lived near this place for a year and tried to go twice. I suppose I could walk over and put my name down and then come back again at my best guess of the right time, but it’s a little far from me for that. Plus the Ex-Boyfriend didn’t like to shop so we had nothing to do around there. New Boyfriend, on the other hand, sometimes has weekdays off, obviating the need to deal with any waiting.
I got spicy shrimp and cheese grits in creamy Creole sauce with hash browns instead of fried green tomatoes. Not actually that spicy, it was delicious though the shrimp could have been less cooked. I loved the potatoes and the grits were a creamy delight. Hungry Boyfriend got the special app of crispy potato pancakes with house applesauce and sour cream. He found it tasty with some interesting spices, especially when he ate all three things together. I hate applesauce and adding it to things - I believe my exact words were, “Ewww, sweet and savory together! I like my food segregated. Brown v. Board of Education has not happened in my mouth yet” – but I agreed the sour cream and latkes were a good combo.
His buttermilk biscuit sandwich with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, homemade tomato jam and bacon accompanied by hash browns was also yummy. I liked the nice solid bacon despite it not being that crispy. I had the satisfying toffee-coffee milkshake with coffee ice cream, espresso and Kahlua for dessert. It’s not very sweet or thick and packs quite a punch of caffeine.
This place is almost impossible to walk right into. We happened to come at about 3 pm on a very cold Tuesday and accepted the tiny counter right by the door, or we would have had to wait a while. I can see why people make such a fuss over it though. It’s cheery, bright and homey, if your mom was Southern and really tidy. I liked the low-key bluegrass and ’50s swing music which was not too loud for once. Our service was quite slow, but the place was totally full. And they more than made up for it with their friendliness.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $65 (coffee & milkshake)
Noise level: not much
Chance of walking in: for brunch put your name down and come back in about 2 hours. There’s lots of great shopping down Clinton.
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01.01.09
Posted in French, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Tribeca, rated 9 to 10 at 18:13 by Dominique
241 W. Broadway & Walker/White Sts., 212-226-6252
Great for: wonderful food in Tribeca for not much money, dates, private parties
The Boyfriend and I had just made our four-day relationship official the night before, so we left my friend’s birthday party at Bubble Lounge early to smooch. (I like commitment. Amazingly, so does he.) It was a bitterly cold night. Fortunately the best place around was right across the street. I came here when it opened about three years ago and thought it very good; if anything, it’s improved since then.
I got two appetizers in lieu of a main. The soupe du jour in a delightful little skillet was a delectable split pea with puréed bacon and shrimp and cream on top. I had a hard time sharing it with B. My lovely large crab cake tarte over salad and endive with creamy dill sauce was similarly fantastic. Crisp outside, the cake was soft and flaky inside with just the right amount of vegetables.
His mignon of Berkshire pork wrapped in applewood bacon with Calvados cream sauce and vegetables was amazing, with hints of sugar and wonderfulness. It almost felt wrong that something could be so good. That didn’t stop us from devouring it and B sopping up all the sauce with bread, of course.
We had attentive, nice service without hovering. The waiter made sure we had everything we needed and left us alone to snuggle as much as possible, which we very much appreciated. I liked the fun art and atmosphere; there was a noisy private party in the bar up front but the restaurant is big enough that they didn’t bother us, and it was actually fun for a Saturday night. My only regret is that I haven’t come here more often.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $60 (2 apps, 1 entrée, no drinks)
Noise level: convivial hum
Chance of walking in: decent - it’s rather out of the way for most people and the space is large.
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