03.10.10
Posted in Asian, Chinatown/Little Italy, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Southeast Asian, rated 6 to 6.5 at 17:04 by Dominique
141 Grand & Crosby/Lafayette Sts., 212-966-8916
Great for: um, not much
After very relaxing facials with my friend G, we wandered around looking for a non-brunch, non-Chinese lunch. We found it, but it wasn’t very satisfying. At least we had fun hanging out, though that’s because G is a dear and that’s par for the course with her.
We began with num tok grilled beef barbecue with onion, chili powder and lime juice. It was super lime-flavored, not medium rare as requested, and not bad. I think I prefer when citrus is provided on the side – it’s tough to get that exactly right for different people, and too much sourness is pretty much irreparable. The tom yum noodle soup with shrimp was better, but not spicy as promised. It was white people hot, I guess. There were nice noodles and the shrimps were very cooked.
Our chef special main of crispy scallops with sweet chili sauce was quite good. It was not as sweet as I feared it’d be, and the scallops were pretty well executed. The best were the sauceless ones, actually, though they could have been juicier.
The $2 Thai iced tea is a bizarre orange color, and not very sweet. I’m not sure if that’s what it’s supposed to be like – the few times I’ve had it before, it’s been pretty sweet. On the other hand, I am certain about our service, which left much to be desired. Considering they only had two other tables in a fairly large space to look after, the girls were very pissed off about serving us. They were glacially slow doing everything and really quite puzzlingly hostile. I was more pleased with the standard pan-Asian décor and the lovely track lights.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $40 (2 apps, 1 iced tea)
Noise level: fairly quiet
Chance of walking in: decent.
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03.03.10
Posted in Asian, Japanese, Midtown East, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 17:10 by Dominique
213 E.45th St. & 3rd/2nd Aves., 212-867-5454
Great for: trying lots of small things, robata (grill) items
I have wanted to try this place since it opened and I heard terrific things about it. Finally, one lunchtime I got to go. Now I want to have dinner there too, especially since I didn’t get to try any robata things. Who knows when that’ll happen, though.
The amuse bouche of grilled octopus was terrific; meaty, not rubbery, and very unexpected at lunchtime (the fact that they served an amuse bouche, not the cephalopod itself). That is only the third time in my life I have unreservedly enjoyed octopus. To the kitchen: bravo!
P got organic teriyaki chicken over rice, which came in a nice, hefty, delicious portion. I was very hungry and did the lunch special where you can get two different things for only slightly more than the price of one. My grilled washu beef was delightful. (Washu is a hybridization of Kobe and Black Angus.) I rarely eat rice, but if you pour such tasty sauce on it I will be forced to happily eat all the saucy bits. I also really liked the salmon flakes with salmon roe over more rice. They clearly craft their dishes with care here, and it showed.
I was pretty full by this time, as you can imagine, when out came a complimentary tiny apple pie flute. I enjoyed my nibble of it, as I did the carafe of Otokoyama Kimoto. The service is deferential and extremely polite, as it is at most Japanese restaurants. This one certainly stays on my list.
Rating: 7.5 / 10, pending dinner visit
Our cost: $70 (lunch, 1 carafe sake)
Noise level: polite hum
Chance of walking in: maybe decent, but I’d probably call ahead.
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Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, rated 8 to 8.5 at 01:04 by Dominique
264 Elizabeth & E. Houston Sts., 212-966-9640
Great for: everything, private parties
I am so happy to discover a great new restaurant in my neighborhood. Plus, it’s really close to SoHo Billiards, where the Boyfriend practices, so we’ll probably be coming back often.
We started with perfectly cooked mussels with andouille, white wine and herb butter. They were terrific. Not gritty and the sausage was perfectly salted. The broth was so yummy I actually used bread to eat more of it.
In an attempt to be healthy, I got the striped bass with potato purée, snap pea emulsion, grilled onion and sopressata. There was no sopressata that I could find but the dish was just lovely, with nice soft fish and some crunchy skin. It was kind of a small portion and the peas were a little unexpected but overall I really liked it. My included side of local greens in soy vinaigrette was absolutely great. I loved the dressing and the leaves were a little big but I was delighted to stuff it all in my mouth. His shell steak au poivre was also terrific. The meat was evenly cooked and there were lots of fries with wonderful garlic chili mayo.
We had very friendly service. It’s really cute inside, with an inner dining room after you get past the large bar. There’s a back room with stripper poles for private parties. (The next time I do a birthday dinner, I’m so there.)
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $85 (1 big app, 2 Lionshead pilsners)
Noise level: convivial hum
Chance of walking in: it won’t stay undiscovered for long – you probably want to call first.
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02.22.10
Posted in Asian, Greenwich Village, Japanese, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates at 23:56 by Dominique
11 Barrow St. & W.4th St., 212-675-7775
Great for: interesting little plates
I was supposed to audition for this show in the far West Village. They said I should watch it first to be sure I wasn’t offended by the religious mocking. I knew I wouldn’t be, but it’s always nice to see a free show. Except this one. The singing sucked ass, the story made no sense, and if the people had got up on stage and masturbated it would have been far less solipsistic and annoying. In any case, we ran away as soon as the show ended, to a place with redeeming qualities.
We both got the chashu ramen. A simple broth with just noodles, scallions, very thin pork slices and and radish bits, it’s pretty good. I give them props for doing something simply and well. $14 is a little expensive for what it is, though. We got more mileage out of the bottle of organic Sho Chiku Bai Nama.
Our service was nice and the place seems quite popular. There are lots of interesting little plates I’d try in a more adventurous mood.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $55
Noise level: depends how drunk the other patrons are
Chance of walking in: not good.
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Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Midtown Central, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 22:27 by Dominique
10 W.32nd St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-594-4963
Great for: entrées, probably barbecue (everyone else had it)
This was a lucky spin of the Koreatown restaurant roulette wheel. We did not get barbecue this time, because I wasn’t sure the Boyfriend would like it – we’re slowly expanding his thoroughly American food horizons – but I would happily come back and try it.
There were lots of pickled vegetables in the small plates. The chawan mushi and tofu were the best. We enjoyed the giant pizza-roll-looking mandoo. They’re definitely a good value at that size.
His je yuk dubu kimchi, a boneless chicken breast in house sauce, was impressively tasty. It didn’t look like a whole breast’s worth of meat, and was a little odd, but we really liked it. The beef and seafood soondubu was also good,. It was spicy and tasty and the tofu was silky, as proper soondubu should be. Much better than BCD Tofu House.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $55
Noise level: fairly quiet
Chance of walking in: good.
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02.16.10
Posted in Asian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, Southeast Asian, rated 6 to 6.5 at 23:50 by Dominique
196 Elizabeth & Spring/Prince Sts., 212-925-3310
Great for: ginger fried chicken, hobo noodles, dates on a budget
Lovely Day is sort of a SoHo institution, so people were pretty upset when they closed for several months last year after fire damage. Fortunately, they managed to get back on their feet and their beloved ginger fried chicken was not lost.
That chicken is good and juicy, but they should make the pieces smaller so the flavoring gets to more of the meat. I love the accompanying aïoli, basically a spicy mayo. The kimono fried shrimp with sweet chili sauce was fine, not a standout. I wish it were spicier.
The Boyfriend’s pad thai with shrimp was pretty good. There was too much sweet fish sauce – it was better when doused in hot sauce. A Thai place really should have better pad thai. I was tempted by the special of Chilean sea bass but couldn’t pass up the chicken hobo noodles. It was satisfying, though the chicken could be moister. The best part was the addictive and lovely, soft but not sticky noodles.
The green tea ice cream was fine and so were the nice waiters. We liked the cute log cabin décor. The quaint and homey thing keeps the vibe low-key. The place was packed on a cold Wednesday at 10pm including every seat at the bar. I guess people are very happy it’s open again.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $55 (one green tea ice cream, 2 non-alcoholic drinks)
Noise level: noisy but not too bad
Chance of walking in: they’re always packed. You can only make a reservation at lunch. They’re open until 11pm every day though.
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Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, West Village, rated 7 to 7.5 at 17:18 by Dominique
99 7th Ave. South & W.4th St., 212-645-0600
Great for: dates, jazz, large entrées
My dear friend D and her girlfriend A invited the Boyfriend and me to a seminar nearby and we weren’t quite ready to call it a night afterward, so we wandered into Garage for some dinner. I’ve seen the place for years and never been inside – I was definitely missing out. It’s not a very wallet-friendly place, but it definitely is kind to the palate.
I really enjoyed my bay scallop linguine with asparagus in Champagne cream sauce. There were lots of little scallops and ample sauce, which was a bit sour from the Champagne but still tasty. The Boyfriend’s chicken and smoked mozzarella ravioli in light Parmesan alfredo with prosciutto and peas was absolutely wonderful. Fortunately there was such a generous amount, I got to eat some of it. We especially loved the terrific garlicky sauce.
D liked her Chilean sea bass in lemon-thyme beurre blanc with homemade spinach gnocchi and sauteed broccolini. A’s fettuccine and pan-roasted shrimp with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach had extra large shrimp and was also delicious.
We really liked the cute décor and the homey, warm atmosphere. Try to sit in the upper balcony if you can. It’s a lovely date place, though quite expensive.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Out cost: $150 (only entrées + 2 glasses white wine)
Noise level: music is a good volume and the talking isn’t too loud
Chance of walking in: it’s pretty packed.
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01.06.10
Posted in East Village, Latin, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5 at 02:42 by Dominique
304 E.6th St. & 2nd/1st Aves., 212-253-5888
Great for: tequila lovers with deep pockets, dainty eaters
I wanted to do something nice for the Boyfriend, and we’d decided to move in together the next week (I know, I know, crazy fast, but it’s working), so I figured what could be better than taking a Mexican food- and drink-loving guy to a tequila bar/restaurant? Turns out I should probably have taken him to Crema, although we did find a lovely new tequila we both like.
We started off with good croquetas. The one of chorizo was slightly better than the cheese and smoked tomato one. We preferred the seared shrimp and scallops stuffed with chorizo and roasted sweet pepper. They came in skewers and we could have eaten a few more, for sure.
I also enjoyed his tacos with chicken, cilantro, radishes and lime. They were insanely hot in places – someone definitely didn’t understand how crucial dicing and spreading out peppers is – and otherwise crispy and quite nice. My entraña with chimichurri over summer corn pudding with pico of tomato, radish, red onion and Mexican oregano was only fine. It felt like a small amount of steak. I enjoyed the pudding, at least. We definitely needed more tequila to forget how much we were being charged for eh food.
The cocktails are pretty good. I liked the suro-mago, though I was puzzled that it came in half a tumbler. I don’t know why they didn’t just put it in a smaller glass. The amor morado came in a more appropriately sized container and was also good. The Boyfriend said his margarita was good, not terrific, despite people saying it’s Mayahuel’s specialty (but then the Cali boy is picky). He loved his 2 ounces of Siete Leguas, which is strong-tasting yet approachable. It was so good, we got a bottle at Astor Wines later.
This is an overpriced, New York-y type of place. Our waitress knowing her tequila saved them half a point. It’s pretty decent compared to some of the swill that passes for Mexican here, but at these prices I kind of expect a little more, and a bit better, food.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $135 (regular dinner + 4 cocktails)
Noise level: noisy until late
Chance of walking in: not great, but it’s still new.
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01.03.10
Posted in Asian, Chinese, New York City Reviews, Williamsburg at 22:08 by Dominique
208 Bedford Ave. & N.5th/6th Sts., 718-388-8898
Great for: everything, especially noodles, and it is not expensive at all
I usually only leave Manhattan for things that start with p: planes, poker and parties. In this case it was the bi-monthly Williamsburg Spelling Bee, which I suppose would go under prizes. I went on a lark with some British friends several months ago and won, and have been winning the local bees ever since. (There are also the NYC and Big Gay Bees.) This time I came in second. I could tell it wouldn’t be a good night when I spelled my first word, blintze, incorrectly. (Did you know it officially has an e? I was totally shocked too. In fact, Microsoft Word is giving it the red line right now.) But the winner spelled crazy words like emmeleia and pteridology correctly, so I wasn’t as upset with myself as I normally would have been. Plus I was meeting the New Boyfriend. He promised he’d move out of Brooklyn soon, which made me willing to explore it a bit while he lived there.
This restaurant is so good, I would seriously consider hopping a train for the two stops it takes from the Lower East Side just to have more of their noodley goodness. It’s better than a lot of the nearby places in Chinatown! We started with spicy wontons with peanut sauce, which are rather large and not terribly spicy. I thought it a tasty dish despite my dislike of peanut sauce.
He ordered chicken lo mein, which they got confused and served with beef instead. It didn’t matter – it was very, very good, with chewy, soft noodles and crunchy vegetables. I loved my terrific black pepper beef udon for basically the same reasons. The flavors and textures were perfectly balanced. It’s a lot harder to get it all right than it seems, and this jaded, spoiled Manhattanite was impressed. If he still lived in the neighborhood, we’d go back. As it is we might yet!
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $40 (1 app, 2 noodle entrees, 1 beer and 1 wine)
Noise level: not too noisy but still lively
Chance of walking in: not bad.
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Posted in Asian, Japanese, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 21:53 by Dominique
245 Eldridge St. & Houston/Stanton Sts., 212-358-7773
Great for: a quiet meal in that random Milk & Honey part of the LES, sushi
It was a sushi kind of Sunday, and after some Blackberry consultation, the New Boyfriend and I settled on this place. Our starter of furikake-dusted calamari with nori, sesame seeds and lime aïoli was pretty good, but not that impressive. The calamari could have been less rubbery and the aïoli was a bit distracting; it needed more spice and less citrus.
I was happier with my sushi sashimi combo. The tuna, salmon and hamachi sushi were well executed, as were the good-size pieces of salmon, tuna, shrimp and yellowtail nigiri. The spicy tuna maki were small and nice. Our favorite thing of the meal was the creative and spicy yellowfin tuna roll with Thai basil.
In a word, the meal was nice. So was our service, mostly. Initially we were the only patrons, and asked them to switch the channel to poker. We sat facing the TV and discussing the action. Then two guys came in and unasked, the owner changed back to baseball. Which the guys, who weren’t even facing the TV, ignored. Poker might be a slightly odd request but I found the switching back quite rude. I’m not deducting points for that; it was just a weird footnote to an otherwise pleasant dinner.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $65 (1 app, 1 combo, 2 rolls)
Noise level: quiet, but it was empty
Chance of walking in: good.
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