12.31.10
Posted in Chelsea, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 18:16 by Dominique
53 West 19th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-255-4160
171 Spring St. & Thompson St./West Broadway, 212-343-4255
Great for: patatas bravas, razor clam special, pintxos morunos
I met Partner in Crime taking tennis lessons one winter and she’s been my adventure buddy ever since. Which is good, because I had a photo shoot for my samurai movie before I met up with her at the Flatiron Boqueria, so I was wearing not only pretty intense makeup but head-to-toe leather. And that was the most conservative outfit I could cobble together! Fortunately it is really dark inside and no one seemed to notice or care.
After waiting for an hour at the bar, we finally got to sit down. We did well to start with the patatas bravas. It’s a big dish with delicious spicy cream sauce over the top and tomato sauce on the bottom. The potatoes are crispy and a good bite size. The garlic-flavored salchichon (sausage) with bread and small olives is nice. I didn’t really taste any garlic in the many thin slices of meat. I quickly gave up on the extremely hard bread.
The special grilled razor clams with salsa verde remind me of calamari texture. They are interesting and yummy; I am not sure I’ve ever had any before, but I will from now on. Once I realized the pintxos morunos are not supposed to be piping hot, they were really good. They’re six nice-sized cubes of seared lamb marinated in lemon and cumin with salsa verde on skewers. The salsa verde is terrific, I could definitely lick a few spoonfuls of it.
The special scallop tapa with blackened market corn, eggplant, zucchini, fava beans and crispy jamón Serrano was lovely but a deceptively small dish. They literally mean one diver scallop sliced into four pieces. I didn’t taste the eggplant or zucchini (which I don’t like), surprisingly. The corn and blistered pepper were great. We finished with the classic gambas al ajillo, which is simply shrimp, garlic and Guindilla peppers in olive oil. It’s very nice but the plump, fresh shrimp are swimming in a ton of oil. The peppers are hot, be careful. I liked the paper-thin slices of garlic too.
While we were waiting I had a nice Poema brut and PC enjoyed a Señorio de Sarria Viñedo #7 from Navarra recommended by the bartender. You can try more wines by the glass than the menu shows, incidentally.
Our service was quite nice, especially considering how slammed the place was. And the ambience, of course, is very sexy, dark despite the many lights scattered around.
In general, the dishes have a lot of salt and oil. They’re good, but not subtle and there aren’t many flavors. I feel tapas can be better. I did not get that impression from Alta, for instance. If I didn’t have to wait so long for a table I would definitely consider trying some more things.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $110 (5 tapas, 2 glasses wine) before Blackboard Eats discount
Noise level: deafening
Chance of walking in: not good. You will wait a long time.
Permalink
12.30.10
Posted in Asian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 4 to 5.5, Southeast Asian, West Village at 19:02 by Dominique
51 Grove & Bleecker Sts., 212-352-0460
Great for: losing your voice and hearing, mediocre food, wasting a lot of money
As you can tell I did not like this place. Expensive + mediocre + making me wait = angry Dominique. At least I got to spend time with my friend Eurasian Beauty.
After waiting twenty minutes despite having a reservation, we went with two small dishes from the specials, which you would think they could manage. The tumeric [sic] fried sardines with hot and sour sauce were pretty good, especially towards the tail, though the sauce was the best part. The four small spiced salmon cakes with lime leaf, snake bean, Thai basil and sweet chili sauce were only fine. I was disappointed that for over $10, they were just spongy patties of fish and not actual bits of meat.
The poached chicken and crab salad with coconut, cherry tomatoes and green nahm jim dressing was okay. True, there are some things I don’t love in the ingredient list, but it could have been a lot better. It was overly creamy, for one thing.
We got the Wagyu brisket with vegetables to finish. It was the best thing we had but still just decent. The four slices of meat were soft and juicy, probably braised in the sauce. The dish was kind of bland. We specifically ordered the small size but they either brought the big or charged us for the wrong one – we thought initially it was a good deal for the amount of food, so maybe the former. They fixed the check to charge us for just the small, in any case.
Our service was fine except for the mix-up. The décor is that annoying faux-Asian blond wood with uncomfortable tiny furniture that everyone seems to be affecting nowadays. You want to copy Momofuku? Be as good, dammit. There’s a bar and a long table in front where you sit community style. There are some little tables in a Lilliputian back room if you insist on keeping to yourself. EB and I still could barely hear each other there. This place is decidedly off my list.
Rating: 5 / 10
Our cost: $75 (3 small, 1 medium dish)
Noise level: earsplitting even in the back; I got a sore throat from yelling across the tiny table
Chance of walking in: you can’t, but don’t bother. Go somewhere good.
Permalink
12.29.10
Posted in Asian, fusion, Latin, Midtown East, Murray Hill, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 9 to 10 at 04:58 by Dominique
622 3rd Ave. & 40th St., 212-808-8110
Great for: large parties, dates, fusion made wonderful, eating healthy
I didn’t know what to expect from Zengo. When the Pool Champion and I pulled up, though, I realized I’d been to the two restaurants that had been in this space before. This one is definitely the best of the three.
On the recommendations of our terrific, pretty waitress, we got a bunch of starters and one main dish. I honestly cannot tell you which was the best, they were all so good. The rainbow ceviche of tuna, salmon, fluke, vegetables, puffed rice and ponzu was lovely and not too sour. We loved the fresh fish in nice even chunks. I even liked the accompanying plantain chips. The steamed buns al pastor, filled with braised pork belly, pickled pineapple, avocado and chile Fresno were really interesting and delicious.
The wagyu tiradito is also unique and awesome. It basically looks like a scallion and asparagus roll with beef laid on top. It’s spicy with miso mustard and sort of creamy, accompanied by a truffle ponzu sauce which rocks. We also got salted edamame.
We made our one entrée count with the grilled Colorado lamb loin with edamame, corn, cherry tomato and pearl onion in hoisin-adobo sauce. I tasted ginger too. It was so tender, juicy and well-flavored. The only imperfection was that the roasted corn is sometimes a little burnt.
Of course we had to try their tequila snow cones I’d read about in UrbanDaddy. You get three different ones per order – we had strawberry, tamarind and hibiscus. I’m not sure why they put them in flimsy paper, but I guess that is why you have to slurp them fast. The strawberry is best, the hibiscus is fine. Don’t bother with the tamarind.
PC persuaded me to have a cocktail with him. I can heartily recommend the Mekhong pina and the cucumber mojito. They have many more cocktails which I would like to try when I am officially drinking again.
They have this adorable and clever taco-holding contraption that you should check out just for geek points. The décor is Alhambra meets upscale S&M party with a unique chandelier. It’s a cavernous space, sexy and not too dim. Early on it seems to be a corporate after-work spot (we are in midtown, after all) though with a naughty feel, and the crowd gets younger and hipper as the night goes on. The bar looks like a lot of fun too.
Latin-Japanese fusion is a great idea, more restaurants should do it – they both use lots of fresh seafood and spices, it totally matches! I am coming back soon.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $140 before Blackboard Eats discount (4 small, 1 main, 1 dessert, 3 drinks)
Noise level: Noisy but not too bad. We could hear each other over the table even when leaning back.
Chance of walking in: The place is enormous but on the other hand so popular I would err on the safe side and reserve ahead.
Permalink
Posted in French, fusion, Miscellaneous, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, SoHo at 02:11 by Dominique
558 Broome #D & Varick Sts., 212-226-4399
Great for: crevettes, duck confit eating organic, dates, if you’re stuck in far West SoHo
The Pool Champion and I tried to go to Boqueria in SoHo but they were way too packed. We ended up here instead. It’s a nice spot in rather a barren area.
To start we shared escargots sautéed with Pernod in cayenne-curry sauce. They were unique and pretty good, but needed some salt; I tasted a lot of cayenne. The crevettes, shrimp in rum and cilantro-chili butter, were absolutely lovely. The sauce is addictive.
My three medium sausages of rabbit and ginger in carrot miso cream sauce over couscous were pretty good. There was an awful lot of ginger, and overall it was a bit sweet. The spice combination is inspired, though; I’m glad I tried it, it’s not my usual type of thing. We liked PC’s duck confit in jerk spice and mango marinade on couscous. The enormous leg has nice crispy skin hiding tender juicy meat. The marinade ends up tasting like good barbecue sauce. I didn’t really like the couscous, which was slightly bland and full of raisins.
It’s a tiny, cozy, friendly place with eleven tables for two. At the same time it is dark and sexy with red lighting. Plus, the menu claims to be all organic, so you can feel virtuous about eating here too.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $70 (2 apps, 2 mains, BYO)
Noise level: very loud because it’s so cramped. It’s fun to talk to the neighbors though.
Chance of walking in: you will probably wait.
Permalink
12.27.10
Posted in Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, NoLIta, rated 8 to 8.5, SoHo at 19:54 by Dominique
55 East Houston & Mott Sts., 212-274-8881
Great for: pasta, reliably excellent food, large parties – you can have your own room
I came here several years ago with a friend and I remember really liking it. I’m happy to see it has expanded into a sort of annex next door, which I think they occasionally use as private event space. On this particular evening it was open to the public. My date was a guy I went to law school with (yes, I went when I was very young) and recently ran into while dealing a poker game. Manhattan is a small world.
I have to commend their bread first. As my faithful readers know, I don’t eat bread unless a sandwich needs fingerholds. When I noticed salami peeping out of this, though, I had to try it. I managed to stop myself after two whole slices. That probably also had to do with the arrival of the very nicely done calamari. I liked the crispy spicy batter, although the calamari was a bit rubbery. The marinara was lovely and addictive.
The black ink linguine with shrimp in marinara was so awesome I ate until my tummy hurt. I blame it on the soft, yet not sticky, noodles and lots of delightful, plump shrimp. Also, of course, the magical marinara. The linguine alla vongole was light and wonderful. It was not drowned in olive oil as at so many restaurants. I want to copy that when I make it at home.
Everything was excellent. I particularly like the black wood tables. I’m only sorry I didn’t come back sooner.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $75
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: decent. It’s not very obtrusive and the rest of the block kind of is.
Permalink
12.26.10
Posted in fusion, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, SoHo at 22:07 by Dominique
210 Elizabeth near Prince St., 212-343-7011
Great for: anchovies, lamb sirloin, sophisticated dining, brunch
In the spirit of adventure, I reconnected with the Music Exec from last year. We meant to go to Balaboosta, but I stupidly didn’t make reservations and they had a 45-minute wait. So we wandered over to Public and I’m glad I got to try their dinner. I fondly remember brunch here three years ago.
We started with a random appetizer of marinated white anchovies, which turned out to be really good. I liked the combination of greens, onions and fish. Anchovies are unfairly maligned – they needn’t be horrid and brown and canned. They can be lovely just like anything else.
I loved my roast lamb sirloin on crispy goat cheese polenta with saffron-braised baby vegetables and harissa aïoli. It’s a good thing it’s quite a small dish, since the lamb is very rich. The flavors went together well, the sauce was perfect, and the polenta was interesting and delicious. His grilled swordfish with wheatberry couscous, baba ghanoush & minted courgettes (eggplant) was surprisingly good considering how much I dislike most of those things. Swordfish tends to be tough, but here it was fairly tender and its flavor really came through.
I was trying to stick to my ascetic diet but when he saw my eyes light up at the description, ME persuaded me to get the sticky toffee pudding with Armagnac ice cream and hot caramel sauce. I’m so glad – I’ve loved sticky toffee pudding since I discovered it at Schiller’s. It is ridiculously decadent despite being a sort of fruitcake (it’s made of figs, go figure). And totally worth it. They do it really well here; it was desirable from first to last bite.
Service is as fitting as the décor. The place is what I think of as classic New York, with a clean minimalist look, bright enough to see but dim enough to be romantic. It definitely stays on my list.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $165 (3 glasses wine, 1.5 bottles water, 1 app, 2 mains, 1 dessert)
Noise level: convivial hum
Chance of walking in: it’s really big so you have an okay chance.
Permalink
12.07.10
Posted in Asian, East Village, Japanese, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 01:11 by Dominique
231 E.9th St. & 2nd/3rd Aves., 212-979-9674
Great for: skewers, kamameshi, atypical New York Japanese cuisine
My dear friend Dominique – she of the birthday that a shattered shoulder couldn’t make me miss – came along to help me use my Blackboard Eats discount. I like having grown-up girls’ dinners. It feels very chic and sophisticated. Whether two reformed club girls are as classy as we look now is another story, of course. (I like to think I improve myself every day.)
We started with the highly-recommended yuba gyoza, which were tofu sheet dumplings with minced chicken and shiso. They were bland, though salt and ponzu helped.
Since robatayaki is the restaurant’s raison d’être, we ordered mostly that. The special of corn was great, much better than you’d expect from what seems to be just a bit of corn on the cob with soy sauce. They did a great job with the filet mignon with wasabi and house dipping sauce, which tasted nutty and amazing. The tasty spiced lamb was also really good. The one misstep was the weird, kind of hard hotate (scallop) in umami sauce. Fortunately the last thing, young hamachi fillet with salt, was mainly tasty.
The waitress persuaded us to also get the kamameshi with salmon and salmon roe. Initially we thought rice with stuff on top would be nothing special. We were very happy to be proved wrong. It was so simple and yet so wonderful. I think I’ve seen this on other traditional menus and I will definitely be trying it again.
We rounded out our meal with some dessert. Two scoops of their green tea ice cream turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for. D tried the black sesame warabi mochi, made from bracken starch and covered with kinako soy bean flour and brown sugar syrup. It was quite nice, though not my cup of tea.
The waitresses were all very polite and helpful. The restaurant looks a little crazy in front but the back is quieter and it’s a fun atmosphere. This is good food in an area not known for its outstanding cuisine, so bravo to them.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $90 not including discount
Noise level: noisy
Chance of walking in: they are very busy, you should reserve.
Permalink
12.05.10
Posted in Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates, Spanish at 23:49 by Dominique
29 Clinton & Stanton Sts., 212-979-0002
Great for: sangria
I was technically not drinking for a while, in an ongoing attempt to slim down, but after two hours of very athletic tennis with the Pool Champion it was hard to resist the siren call of beautiful white sangria. Also we were sort of on a date and somehow I feel bad letting guys drink alone when they’re trying to impress me. It of course has nothing to do with how much I enjoy a nice drink.
We got some nibbles to replenish our energy too. The tapa of the day, scallops in pomegranate orange glaze on salad with mushrooms, was quite good. It was surprisingly not too sweet and the scallops had a lovely crunchy glaze. The croquetas de bacalao with aïoli were thick, not as fluffy as I expected and tasty. It was at least a very large amount of cod for the price. The dates stuffed with cheese wrapped in Serrano ham were only pretty good. Overall they were very sweet while the ham was basically a salt lick, so the flavors didn’t meld terribly well.
The white sangria is lovely. It’s refreshing, just the right strength and the embodiment of summer. I could use some of that right now in Manhattan winter.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $$60 (3 tapas, 3 sangrias)
Noise level: not too bad
Chance of walking in: decent.
Permalink
12.04.10
Posted in French, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 20:51 by Dominique
201 E. Houston Sts. & Orchard/Ludlow, 212-995-5546
Great for: brasserie food almost any time for very little
Instead of playing a tournament at the poker club where I work, I ended up having to deal it and didn’t have time for a single bite all day. When they finally let me go (with a pittance of an hourly rate, to add insult to injury), I hadn’t eaten in twenty-four hours and was ravenous and cranky. Lina Frey made all that go away for only a small bit of my hard-earned cash.
My friends J and H happened to be wandering around the area so they joined me for late supper. J started with a salade maison in citronette vinaigrette, which was good. My steak tartar with peppercorn, lemon and truffle oil maybe had a little too much lemon, which kept it from being perfectly delightful. They were not careful with the lemon seeds either, as some were mixed in. I liked the nice contrast of the peppercorns.
Our two sautéed salmons with crispy mustard hazelnut crust were lovely. The fish comes on top of a funny vegetable hash brown-type thing which might be radish. Whatever it is, it’s sort of hard to eat but very tasty. The moules au poivre are an interesting twist on a brasserie staple. The au poivre is exactly like on steaks. On mussels it makes them taste like they’re in curry. I liked it.
The lamb chops with honey mustard glaze were very good but had too much glaze. We appreciated how spicy they were. The haricots verts with caramelized shallots were so delicious we got an extra order. Dark and salty, they were almost Chinese. I need to try making that at home.
We finished with a Nutella crepe, since they’d run out of a lot of the other desserts. It was simple and delightful. So were my Cinsault-grenache glass of Laurent Miquel rosé and J’s Malbec.
It’s kind of a small plates place. Our super nice waitress suggested two to three plates per person would do it. Overall there were a couple standouts but everything was at least decent, not to mention dirt cheap. Plus they are open until at least midnight every day and the décor is really nice – they’ve even got a skylight. And if you have a large party there’s a big table with its own nook in the back. I was impressed at how well they were doing after being open four weeks, and I am definitely coming for another nice meal next time they let me out of work before 6am. (People like to play poker until the wee hours. I don’t mind, just don’t forget to tip me.)
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $96 (8 dishes, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine all for 3 people)
Noise level: not bad
Chance of walking in: decent.
Permalink
Posted in Asian, eclectic, Midtown Central, Midtown West, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 9 to 10, Southeast Asian, Steak at 00:59 by Dominique
Chambers Hotel 15 W. 56th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-757-5878
Great for: greedy carnivores, a downtown-feeling restaurant in upper midtown
Getting a Momofuku reservation is harder than it seems. It’s not just a matter of clicking at the exact right time, which requires a fast internet connection and technological competence. You also have to corral enough people for a res who are a) all free on the same range of nights or willing to make it happen and b) not going to flake at the last minute. (You know who you are. Stop it!) When you click through, you’re confronted with a week’s worth of choices and you have a few seconds to swoop on one. This time I confirmed options with two other people I knew would deeply appreciate it all, Average Wonderwoman and R, and then trusted that between us we could find three more carnivores. It all worked out in the end, though we ended up sans sixth person.
It was worth every bit of stress when we walked in and saw the beautiful menu. Our starter of tongue salad with basil in plum vinaigrette, sprinkled with peanuts, was lovely with a good balance between vegetables and meat. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first tasting of tongue; I needn’t have feared. The meat reminded me of the paper-thin slices that come in beef pho, except this was all very good. I really liked the vinaigrette and the mint leaves were a nice touch. Tongue is just meat like anything else and I was amazed how much I liked it.
The seared Wagyu with radish in ginger scallion sauce is amazing. I could have eaten a whole plate of small delightful morsels myself. I don’t know how raw meat can be so tender – maybe it’s the marinade. The Momofuku cookbook isn’t holding anything back, at least not about ginger scallion sauce, because it tasted just like when I make it at home.
We next had the pleasure of côte de boeuf, which was sliced ribeye roasted in thyme and garlic. It was nutty, soft and just fantastic. There was none of that stringy thing that often happens with beef. I had to keep reminding myself to cut ladylike pieces and not just stuff whole slices in my mouth.
My favorite might have been the lemongrass and Thai basil saucisson. It’s hard to decide between so many amazing things. The sausage was incredibly juicy and rich, and when wrapped in a leaf with pickled stuff and fried garlic and shallots it was a substantial packet of joy. It is extremely rich and does become a little much after you’ve had a lot, which is another reason to load it with veggies. Plus, there are still three courses to go. You don’t want to fill up yet.
After my bad experience at Emporio, I was nervous about the oxtail, but I actually liked it here braised in soy and sherry with scallions. Fat lovers will rejoice – fat pickers like me will have fun teasing out meat morsels. We initially confused the braised shank in crab paste and chilies with a brontosaurus bone that had somehow survived, tender and tasty, for the last sixty-five million years.
It was a bit difficult to do it justice at the end of the meal but we all made valiant efforts. Between the shank meat, which was easily plucked off with the tongs, and the oxtails nestled around it, a die-hard carnivore could not be happier.
For a digestif we had a very refreshing short rib consommé, which seemed to be spiced like pho. It was a perfect last course for a perfect meal. And I’m sure our stomachs were thankful.
Service is pretty friendly, much more so than at most of the other Momofukus. The chairs are a little more comfortable, though still wooden, and it’s the biggest of all his restaurants. There is a funny giant X of tables in the center of the room, maybe to make logistics easier for the beef feasters. I definitely have to come back to try the rest of the menu, although writing this has got me salivating for the whole beef extravaganza all over again. Maybe when I’m off my diet I can celebrate…
Be careful of the dangerous Milk Bar outpost upstairs. Not content with eating an entire cow, I also took home a slice of crack pie, and wow does it live up to its name. Good thing I don’t live close to either dealer, I mean store. In any case, this feast is a must for any New Yorker. And if you get a reservation and have an extra seat, let me know.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $115 per person (including some drinks) – they argued, but eventually let us pay the $85 prix fixe for the 5 people we had instead of the 6 we thought we would. The rest of the menu is pretty expensive too.
Noise level: it’s kind of echoey with high ceilings
Chance of walking in: probably difficult.
Permalink
« Previous entries Next Page » Next Page »
