11.25.11
Posted in Chelsea, Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 18:41 by Dominique
239 W.14th St. & 7th/8th Aves. (Centro Español), 212-929-7873
Great for: vegetable and meat tapas, sangria, large parties, flamenco shows
I starred in a webseries that teaches foreign nurses English – it took all day for a whole month. This was our wrap party. I’d been here a few years ago to watch flamenco, and I really wish I’d had the food then! Tapas is often mildly disappointing in NYC – too salty, oily or bland. These guys get it right. (Well, I’ve only been to Marbella, where my family opted not to eat the local food, so it’s not like I know what’s completely authentic, but I do know from yummy.)
There were nine of us and I think we sampled most of the menu. All their “vegetable” tapas were simple and lovely – we had the pan con tomate, tortilla (scrambled eggs with creamy potatoes), patatas bravas and egg tomato soup. The seafood tapas were not as good, though decent. I found the grilled octopus tasteless and squishy but still okay, and liked the fried calamari better. I didn’t bother with the grilled calamari since I usually don’t like that.
The meat tapas, on the other hand, were stellar. We had a nice cheese and meat plate with two cheeses, a spicy chorizo and a prosciutto-type meat with olives. The chorizo escarole soup was pretty good, as were the shrimp in garlic oil. I loved the chorizo dish and its sauce, and the croquetas were perfect, thinly breaded balls of cod mousse that came six to a plate.
My favorites were the tortilla, chorizo, patatas bravas, croquetas and egg tomato soup. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them! The waiters were sweet and patient, and we really enjoyed the delicious sangria. It’s sweet and not too alcoholic. This place definitely stays on my list.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $335 (12 kinds of tapas, 5 pitchers of sangria)
Noise level: noisy party
Chance of walking in: it’s busy.
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Posted in Chelsea, Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 18:36 by Dominique
228 W.18th St. & 7th/8th Aves., 212-206-8930
Great for: pastelitos
Have you ever had Venezuelan food? Neither had I, until I went to an audition nearby and decided to try this place for lunch. It’s no Argentinean steak or Brazilian churrascaria, but it’s still pretty tasty.
The lunch special of shredded chicken with rice, beans and sliced plantains, $9.95 as opposed to $15 at dinner, was good. Though it needed a ton of hot sauce, I liked it enough that I even ate the beans. (I usually hate beans.) I was delighted by my jamon y queso pastelito, a round fried pastry big as a saucer. It was delicious, stuffed with a large block of cheese and ample ham. Like the empanada’s big sister who has three kids and always wants to feed people.
The restaurant is quite big with a friendly atmosphere and colorful décor. I think next time I should get lots of pastelitos on Bolívar Day or some other happy holiday to get the full experience.
Rating: 7 / 10
My cost: $15 (1 pastelito, 1 lunch special)
Noise level: between ceiling fans, music and conversations, pretty high
Chance of walking in: decent.
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10.09.11
Posted in Chelsea, Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 23:25 by Dominique
128 W. 26th St. & 6th/7th Aves., 212-243-8183
Great for: most seafood, panna cotta
This place is actually a steakhouse, but for whatever reason we plumped for all seafood. I loved my tuna tartar over avocado and sour cream garnished with bloomed mustard seeds and soy and wasabi oil. It was a great idea beautifully composed in squares, with a nice melding of flavors. The little bits of mustard cut all the cream well. My friend’s lobster salad with winter melon (which was like watermelon) had too much of the latter and not enough of the former. It was decent.
I was mildly enthused by my Alaskan king crab tagliatelle. It was a bit bland. The crab itself was nice but the pasta somehow didn’t absorb any flavor. The veggies were good though. The fennel pollen tuna in pesto finished with saba over butternut squash caponata, on the other hand, was lovely. The just-barely-seared tuna and the braised vegetables underneath were delicious. It was definitely something to dig into.
I’m glad I allowed myself to be tempted by the “sinful” panna cotta, made fresh daily. It was soft fluffy vanilla loveliness, not too heavy despite probably ridiculous amounts of cream.
The waiters are good at their jobs. The décor is the epitome of midtown corporate. I rather liked it though their efforts were uneven.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $135 (2 apps, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of Chianti)
Noise level: probably not above a convivial hum
Chance of walking in: I imagine you can walk in fairly easily.
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01.05.11
Posted in American, Chelsea, Meatpacking District, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 23:30 by Dominique
409 W. 14th St. & 9th Ave., 646-289-3930
Great for: food, cocktails, large parties, an entire night out in one place
The Music Exec liked to impress me, and he certainly did a good job picking this place. I used to party here when it was Lotus… those were fun nights. I was not expecting much after reading some snide reviews so I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food.
We started with a special appetizer of grilled octopus in lovely romanesco sauce with chorizo and almond. The octopus was soft, just the way I like it, and as it so rarely is. The tuna tartare tacos with avocado, citron-soy and red chili aïoli were also wonderful.
His medium rare New York strip steak with peppercorn sauce was a little more towards medium, but still quite good. The meat itself is flavorful even without the delicious sauce. It was also nice and big, maybe twelve ounces. My pan-roasted cod and crispy rock shrimp with ramps, snap peas, young ginger and sweet soy was terrific. Everything was tender, juicy, plump and bursting with flavor. I actually found the soy sauce salty, a good contrast to the near sweetness of the seafood.
We couldn’t resist a side order of truffled Parmesan herb fries. They are as crispy and addictive as you could desire. I was starving, to be sure, but they’re truly awesome.
The cocktails here are expensive and great. Our waitress wasn’t sure which pinot noir ME wanted so she brought both bottles; she was that thorough all night.
Sitting upstairs is nice and noisy, though not too much so. The tables have extremely sharp metal corners but are wide enough that you probably won’t hurt yourself until you’ve had a few drinks, by which time you won’t care. Although we didn’t have trouble making a reservation the day before, the place was totally packed.
The place turns into a club after dinner, so it’s basically a one-stop shop for going out. The next time I want a pricey, crazy, delicious night out with rich friends, this will be my choice.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $195 (2 apps, 2 mains, 1 side, 2 drinks)
Noise level: the people are loud but the music is quiet enough
Chance of walking in: you probably can’t. Call ahead and bring ten friends to share the fun.
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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.
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11.26.10
Posted in Chelsea, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 02:29 by Dominique
205 10th Ave. #1 & 22/23 Sts., 212-675-8805
Great for: croquettes, calamari, deviled eggs, potatoes
Since I’ve only lived on the east side of Manhattan, I have neglected Chelsea restaurants shamefully over the years. (Well, that’s mostly my dates’ faults.) Fellow eater Hagan of Wandering Foodie suggested lunch and it seemed as good an opportunity as any to pay a visit to the justly-famed Tía Pol.
We started with some very robust roasted chickpeas, which may have been cooked in bacon fat. Whatever my waistline has to say about that, my taste buds heartily approve. The crisp croquettes are also great here. The ham ones came with a béchamel or cheesy filling, it was hard to tell, and I didn’t really care because I was too busy devouring mine. The ham was of the quality you’d expect from a good Spanish restaurant. The special croquettes with creamed asparagus were also lovely and quite big, too.
I wasn’t sure about Hagan’s insistence on a calamari po’boy but it was terrific. The combination of aïoli, tomatoes and bitter greens was a great contrast to the delicious squid, which was only mildly rubbery. What a unique and well-done idea for a sandwich.
I loved the fantastic, creamy deviled egg al pimentón de la vera (paprika). It was exactly what I hoped for. There’s just something about deviled eggs – it’s a good thing they’re too much trouble to make at home, or I’d have really high cholesterol. The spicy lamb skewers, while decent, were the one misstep in the meal. They needed more flavor. They do have salt flakes on top but that’s not the same. We were happy to finish with the excellent patatas bravas with their spicy aïoli, crisp exteriors and soft insides.
We ate at the bar, which was pleasant, and I didn’t notice any lapses in service. The atmosphere is typical blond wood and sleek without being too hip. I can see myself making more of an effort to be in the neighborhood.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $50
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: it’s not that big, so you will probably have to wait. Parties of 6-8 can reserve.
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05.14.09
Posted in Chelsea, Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, West Village at 05:14 by Dominique
202 W.14th St. & 7th Ave., 212-255-2060
Great for: large parties and dates, carbonara, hearty good food for very little money
It used to be Osteria Primitivo, but the pressure of the recession inspired the owners (who also run several other Italian restaurants in New York) to replace it with an incredibly wallet-friendly place. Every dish is less than $15! Plus, each one is good! It’s so rare to find both characteristics in the same place. How lucky that we settled on it for girls’ night out.
We managed to get a table for six on Friday at 8:30 when I called the day before, which was a little surprising to me but less so when I saw how effectively they’d utilized the mid-sized space. Our table was right in the middle of the room, great for people-watching. We didn’t have much time for that after the food came, though. The traditional oven-baked eggplant appetizer with tomato, mozzarella and basil was “sloppy but yummy,” R said. L and D found the steamed black mussels in a white wine and black pepper broth garlicky and delicious. K loved her tomato carpaccio special with mozzarella and chili oil. The spaghetti alla carbonara with very fatty pancetta, eggs and pecorino romano cheese was definitely worth naming the restaurant after. Shredded basil leaves scattered on top helped counteract the heavy deliciousness and I was kind of happy I hadn’t eaten all day so that I had room for it and a main course.
K was observing Lent so they made her a gnocchi special with just asparagus and no speck. The tagliatelle with shrimp, arugula and cherry tomatoes was also delightful, as was the pan-seared salmon in an herbed crust with lentil salad and lemon dill sauce. (These girlfriends are great, they always make sure to let me try a little bit of everything.) My own main course of baccalà codfish with Gaeta olives, oregano and parsley in a spicy tomato broth was great; spicy and garlicky with nice crisp fish. I loved the long strings of onions and the giant soft onion on top. It is a very salty dish though, and the fish was a tad dry.
The portions are quite generous. It was just the right amount of food for me, but then I hadn’t had anything all day. Everyone cleaned their plates or tried to. The wine is priced as reasonably as the food. We got two bottles of the shiraz Mandra Rossa from Sicily for $23 each. It was all right – I found it a bit watery. Our servers got confused and brought out two main courses with apps but were quick about straightening that out. Though a little abrupt sometimes, they were nice overall.
I liked the inviting and well-lit room with a good mix of candles and recessed ceiling lighting. The music was a little odd sometimes, but not too loud, thankfully. The dining room is pretty large and there’s a small private alcove too. Rustic wooden furniture completed the homey look. I’ll definitely be back soon to try more of the menu.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $215 for 6 ppl (2 bottles of $23 shiraz)
Noise level: pretty noisy but less than you’d expect; conversation isn’t too difficult
Chance of walking in: it’s new so you should call ahead.
Oh fun! La Carbonara liked this review enough to link to it. I’m happy to support a deserving restaurant.
Went back in November 2010 and they are still terrific. What a great addition to Chelsea.
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01.07.09
Posted in Asian, Chelsea, Japanese, New York City, 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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01.03.09
Posted in brunch, Chelsea, Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, 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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09.03.08
Posted in Asian, Chelsea, Japanese, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 02:45 by Dominique
88 10th Ave. & 15th/16th, 212-989-8883
Great for: omakase, toro, sakephiles, design enthusiasts
Commodities Broker had had a terrific day in the markets, and I was stressed out mid-acting program, hence an 8-course omakase splurge one night at Stephen Starr‘s giant Philadelphia import. CB’s also fun to dine with because he likes to drink even more than I do.
I saw a couple things I wanted to substitute on the tasting menu, but was convinced to give them a chance. I even tried CB’s special appetizer of hydroponic tomato salad with onion, soy, and shiso. It was really fresh and juicy – I’d love it if I could stand tomatoes outside of sauce. The onions were also raw but didn’t hurt too much, to my relief. Sometimes raw onions can pack a wallop like straight wasabi.
The most elaborate toro tartare I’ve ever seen was up next. It came with osetra caviar, crème fraîche, wasabi, dashi-soy, chives, avocado paste and tiny rice cracker croutons. The lovely soft toro itself came in a shallow square dish with a dainty silver scraper. Be careful with the super spicy wasabi. The whole thing was delicious artwork. An itty-bitty raspberry-sized yamamomo peach waited on the side as a palate cleanser after we destroyed the pretty sculpture.
The sashimi course consisted of beautiful thin strips of amadai (a Japanese tilefish, seared slightly) and yellowtail with ginger and different varieties of soy sauce on small green leaves. It was great though the yellowtail was a little chewier than I expected. I especially loved the oil – sesame, maybe? – it all came in.
The watercress salad with seared sockeye salmon sashimi and mild jalapeño sauce was pretty good. The sauce reminded me of relish, and the vinaigrette was delicious. I was bit disappointed when I realized the salmon was not spicy; even a little bland, in fact. But combined with everything it was a good dish. Don’t eat the random line of sauce or whatever it is, it’s nasty and bitter.
The next course was a tasting of two of their star dishes, the market oysters and the foie gras chawan mushi. The two oysters came with foie gras and uni in teriyaki sauce, which really helped me get mine down. Everything was soft and slimy but actually good. The two dainty little cups of foie gras chawan mushi with egg and heavy cream tasted like meaty, foie-gras-infused custard. They weren’t as heavy as you’d think.
The nigiri plate came with cockle clam, kanpachi (amberjack yellowtail) with sweet ikura (salmon roe), snapper, beltfish with yellow tobiko and chutoro. All of it was very fresh and lovely. The slightly rubbery clam was sliced so thin it turned out very well. The beltfish was rubbery and scary but a bit spicy and still pretty good. The chutoro was like seared butter made of meat. I was surprised all the exotics didn’t put me off – I remember when I had the omakase at Blue Ribbon and really didn’t like any of the rarer sushi. I guess that means they have better quality fish here.
It was now time for a palate cleanser before the main course of Korean green tea and a red bean macaroon. The tea came in powder form that the waiter mixed into water with a whisk for us. The presentation was over the top but it was really good.
All the fanfare was for flash-fried Kobe beef on sweet Japanese yams and a half lobster épice with garam masala, lemon crème fraîche and alfalfa sprouts. The soft lovely beef was folded over in thin slices, but there wasn’t much of it and it was quite tendon-filled. I found the yams super sweet, maybe from the sauce. I really liked the dish but it could have been any steak. I loved the lobster without reservation. The bitter alfalfa and meringue-like crème fraîche was a good contrast to the succulent, tender, spicy lobster. CB didn’t love it as much but he doesn’t enjoy Indian food. I thought the garam masala was the best part of an excellent dish.
We finished up with a sweet potato cake with red bean center and brown sugar ice cream accompanied by red bean compote. It was pretty good; the cake was not that sweet. I would have eaten a bowl of the ice cream, though all the red beans didn’t add much to the dish. I don’t understand the Asian obsession with red beans – they’re crumbly in a bad way and neither sweet nor savory. They’re like blah soft sand. Anyway, the wonderful ice cream made up for all that.
We tried all three levels of Morimoto sake – ginjo, daiginjo and junmai ginjo. The first, caramelized pear aromas with a ripe stone fruit finish, was smooth and not too strong, dry but still hearty. The daiginjo had melon and honeysuckle fragrances and was also yummy. The Shichi Ken (Seven Swords) Yamanashi, with a custardy richness & sweet rice aroma, was extremely smooth. It was like drinking vodka straight without having to make that “eeeee” face.
Our waiter was wonderful and cute, and patient with all my questions. He was knowledgeable yet not afraid to pull out the cue card. He advised us well on the sake too. I liked how he made sure we were done with every dish before taking it. I found his service very caring, as though he was personally invested.
The whole place is outfitted in crazy finished concrete with very mod curvy furniture in blond wood. There’s a huge glass water bottle wall, all lit up like a giant Lite Brite. The translucent plastic swirl chopsticks were pretty and functional; the folded white cloth ceiling was just pretty. They had the same cool Neorest toilets as at Megu Midtown, with fewer bells and whistles but still awesome. A tip, in case you get confused or you’re a little too drunk; slide the restroom doors, don’t push/pull.
Overall, it was an enormous amount of food, most of which was done extremely well. I was really impressed. I can’t wait until I get to come back again.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $535 (8-course omakase $120, 1 big $75 & 2 small $42 & $31 bottles sake)
Noise level: not too bad.
Chance of walking in: low.
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