04.21.09
Posted in New York City Reviews at 18:00 by Dominique
178 Broadway & Driggs, 718-387-7400
Great for: bacon, spinach, fries and the porterhouse of course
My poor broken clavicle required titanium to reassemble. I went home for a week after surgery to recover without imposing on my friends, and actually healed very well after an excruciating first few days, so by the time I got back to Manhattan I was totally ready to go out again. (My family is mostly nice but I’m pretty much set after three days with them.)
My English Ex came here two years ago and said the bacon was the only thing worth getting. He was right about its scrumptiousness, but they have clearly stepped up their game because everything else was fantastic too. The bacon comes in thick giant slices, $2 a pop, grilled and charred and marinated or smoked or something to the point that you can’t tell where the meat leaves off and the fat begins. Which is great, because then I can eat all of it. Just one slice is surprisingly satisfying; if I didn’t know myself better I’d say I could just have a few slices and be full.
The classic porterhouse for two was buttery delicious goodness. I definitely would not recommend eating here often, unless you’re trying to induce a heart attack, but it was so good I’d almost say what the hell, it’s worth it. In case you’ve never had the pleasure here or at one of the recent Luger offshoots, porterhouse for two is a giant slab of T-bone plus filet mignon that is cooked in the plate in a small lake of butter. It’s sliced in great big hunks so you can still cut it yourself, but don’t have to deal with carving it off the bones. Some of my first piece was a little too charred but every one thereafter was a great balance of chewy and soft flavor.
The creamed spinach is terrific. They somehow make it mostly spinach – I barely even saw cream – and yet it was soft and practically a steak sauce. Speaking of which, their house sauce is very good. I can’t remember the last steakhouse I went to where I liked the house blend at all, but this one was good on everything. Their fries are giant and delicious too. If you can possibly cram them in you should try.
I enjoyed our $32 half-bottle of Beaulieu Valley Rutherford, which came out to about four small glasses. The only disappointment in the meal was the decaf coffee, which my friend said tasted “like dirt.” My regular coffee was nothing special but at least not silica-based. I’ve heard from many people that Luger’s has been falling off lately, but maybe the economy has spurred them to recapture their former glory. This was truly one of the best steaks I’ve had in my life.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $200 (1 half-bottle of wine, 2 sides, 2 coffees)
Noise level: not very loud
Chance of walking in: doubtful. Don’t forget to bring cash, unless you have their credit card.
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04.19.09
Posted in Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, Northern European, rated 7 to 7.5 at 16:02 by Dominique
79 Orchard & Broome/Grand Sts., 212-219-9545
Great for: Reuben sandwich, snacking
My very good friend S came over to take care of me, since I was essentially one-armed after my snowboarding accident. I guess all the Percocet made me dopey, because when I went to let her in, I closed my door and locked us out. While we waited for another friend to bring my spare set of keys, we decided to get some food. I vaguely remembered hearing about this fantastic little Austrian place near me and we managed to find it.
When I told the waitress I wanted to try their liptauer, she suggested getting the pretzel appetizer which came with that and some other spreads. They were all delicious and the liptauer was lighter than I expected from something made of cheese. The pretzel itself was lovely, too, and I have never previously liked any pretzels.
My “Katja’s Ruben” [sic] sandwich was fantastic, a combination of pork belly, cabbage, cheese, pickles and mustard. The bread had been fried in butter and the whole thing was enormous. I took half of it home! The pork belly was very fatty with a rind, but it was easy to separate the meat out. I loved the cabbage and pickles. The only thing I disliked was the purple cole slaw, which seemed to have apple cubes in it. I think if you like cole slaw it might be ok though.
S liked her broiled trout on spinach with fingerling potatoes, though she could have used more spinach to counteract the abundance of butter. The decent side of brussels sprouts improved with liberal pepper and mustard.
We had a very nice waitress and the chef was friendly too. The small narrow space is utilized very well and doesn’t feel cramped. The décor is minimalist but homey. They have many beers (which I don’t drink) and cocktails (which I was on too much Percocet to drink). It’s kind of a hidden gem but that stretch of Orchard Street has a lot of other good restaurants. Definitely go before everyone finds out about it.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $45 (1 app, 2 entrees, 1 side, no drinks)
Noise level: music loud, people pretty quiet
Chance of walking in: not too bad now but hurry, it’s small and the food is very tasty.
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04.15.09
Posted in Midtown East, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Spanish, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates at 02:54 by Dominique
247 E.50th St. & 3rd/2nd Aves., 212-752-1414
Great for: sharing, live music, fun inexpensive dinner, dates
This was a very busy day for me. I was out the night before, and slept about an hour before taking off at 6am to snowboard. Around noon I caught an edge and flipped several times before landing on my shoulder and (fortunately helmeted) head. We had to go back to Manhattan so I could see a doctor without paying a fortune. Turned out my clavicle was broken in three totally displaced pieces. The doctor actually said as he showed me the x ray, “So this is pretty bad…”
- I think he was understating it, actually.
But I’d had enough hydrocodone, Percocet and Vicodin that I wasn’t crying any more and I made it to my dear friend Dominique’s birthday dinner in acceptable time.
We started with a bunch of small plates. The trio of croquettas was great. I couldn’t decide which was my favorite among the pork, crab and cauliflower. They were all interesting combinations, though tiny. The empanadas with veal, roasted red pepper, currant and salsa verde were all right, not special. I liked the crisp thin outsides – unfortunately the insides didn’t quite measure up. Everyone except me loved the sweet and salty plantains with sea salt caramel, cilantro and crème fraîche. But then I hate plantains. I found them a little sweet though nice otherwise. The roasted fingerling potatoes with chipotle aioli were more my speed. We liked the tiny beef and pork meatballs, though they were a tad dry. Also, the tamarind-chipotle barbecue sauce was too sweet and abundant.
I think the best thing we ate was the crisp, small and tender calamari in five spice corn flour. The chipotle mayo sauce was great, the squid so well-executed it could have been fish! We definitely wanted more despite the generous size of the dish. Though the grilled shrimp and asparagus over rice with chorizo and creamy shallot vinaigrette was smaller than we thought it’d be, it was also very good, especially the sour note of the sauce contrasting with the cream.
P, our lone vegetarian, found the ensalada tropical with fruits, nuts and cheese sweet but refreshing. His special vegetarian plate was ok, but they pretty much brought the exact things we asked them not to. The flight of three ceviches is a good bet. The mango snapper was tiny and all right; I liked the decent amount of tuna better, and the salmon, though a bit sour, the best.
We loved the rich Grand Marnier chocolate cake with vanilla anglaise and raspberry sauce. They even put a candle in it for Dominique, and the two members of the Gipsy Kings performing in the front sang her happy birthday! Apparently they have live music here often. We enjoyed the El Besito cocktail with cava, strawberry and rose syrup so much we mainly just ordered that. The espumosos are good too.
Our waitress wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier but she tried at least. The restaurant is quite big with two long rooms. I liked the lovely granite tabletops, minimalist décor and nice candlelit ambience. It would be great for a date and it was certainly fun for Dominique’s party.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $350 for 6 people (5 small plates, 3 apps, ceviche flight, veg plate, 11 cocktails)
Noise level: the live music was loud but it rocked
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
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04.09.09
Posted in American, Barbecue, Gramercy, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 02:26 by Dominique
30 W.26th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-255-4544
Great for: brisket, mac & cheese, sausage, corn casserole
I was wandering in the area one day and meant to go home for lunch except I happened to see Hill Country first. And being the carnivore I am, I had to stop and see if it was worth all the fuss. It is, but the quality doesn’t come cheap. And I don’t know much about barbecue besides “this tastes good” so I won’t get into the whole authenticity debate.
I got three slices of the brisket, as I’d heard it’s a can’t-miss. I opted for lean, though; a girl’s gotta stay slender in New York. I think that’s why I found it tender but not as moist as could be desired. I liked how big the slices were, too. The two pork ribs matched them in size and had lots of fat and lovely black pepper outside. The meat was so soft it almost fell off the bone by itself, but I found the fat distracting. I tried not to overorder and got just one delicious jalapeño and cheese sausage in addition. I wanted to try the regular kind as well, until I saw they are fit for giants. They’re also fit for picky eaters, as I found hardly any filler stuff and they were bursting with juicy goodness.
I got to try three sides for the price of one large mac and cheese (it wasn’t busy, and I charmed one of the pitmasters). I can see why the mac and cheese is a favorite. The long pointy penne and creamy cheesiness are delightful and I actually devoured the little cup of it before the meat! Once I started I couldn’t stop. The green bean casserole was pretty good but I found the beans too crunchy and the mushrooms too large. I don’t think there was any ham in it either. I loved the corn casserole/pudding. The cornbread was not bland as so often happens, while the corn held its own, texturally.
I think the footpedal-operated sinks outside the bathrooms are a good idea. The waiters and all the guys behind the counters were very nice, although it was a rainy weekday midafternoon and they may just have been glad to see a customer. The meats are sold by the pound, while the sides are priced per big or little cup. It does add up quickly; the meats aren’t cheap. But I really liked the place and it was definitely enough food to keep me happy until dinnertime.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My cost: $28
Noise level: raucous party at peak times I’m sure
Chance of walking in: it’s like an enormous barn, so you’re probably fairly safe to get a seat soon.
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Posted in food-related musings at 00:34 by Dominique
This isn’t really food-related but it’s bizarrely awesome. Isabella Rossellini has been making “Green Pornos” for the Sundance Channel, about the mating habits of various little beasties. They’re short and hilarious – she dresses up as each insect or animal! – and actually, I guess they are slightly food-related in that they kind of put me off my dinner. Just for a few minutes, though.
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04.02.09
Posted in Asian, Japanese, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 17:06 by Dominique
252 Broome & Orchard/Ludlow Sts., 212-979-0989
Great for: special rolls, tuna amazing roll, good sushi near Chinatown
My snowboarding friend M (from the Fat Hippo post) ended up asking me out. Something about shared thrills, I guess. :)
He loves Jin and I live practically next door to it, so it was the obvious choice one cold Monday. To start, we got the mini Japanese pizza, salmon slices, spicy sauce and jalapeño on a rice cake, which was enjoyable though I’d have liked a smaller rice cake. It was a bit hard to share because they just cut the rice and then draped the salmon on top, but that gave me a good excuse to “accidentally” take extra sashimi.
The tuna amazing roll is everything its name suggests. It’s a fantastic concoction of spicy tuna, white tuna tempura, black pepper tuna, avocado and scallion that I can only describe as genius. The black pepper, especially, lifts it considerably above ordinary. The tempura somehow integrates seamlessly – the whole thing just goes together wonderfully. We kind of wanted to order another one but the waiter told us about a special tuna and yellowtail jalapeño roll that sounded great, and was. I could have done with less avocado but then I always can. I didn’t mind it, actually; I think it helped balance the spiciness of the peppers. All the special rolls are generously sized and come eight pieces each, so we just got one more little thing. The agedashi tofu with bonito flakes and scallions was super hot; the outside nice, though the inside needed a bit of flavor.
I’ve been here a couple other times, too. The regular rolls are fine, not as big or delicious as the specials. I like their selection of sakes; fiscally reasonable as well as tasty. The staff are actually Chinese, but attentive and nice. I think they did a good job with the décor, the music is always chill and fun and it’s rarely crowded. Plus it’s open until 12 on Fridays and Saturdays (as of April 2009). They’re definitely getting another visit soon.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $55 (1 tall beer, 2 apps, 2 special rolls)
Noise level: good
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
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