02.02.11
Posted in Asian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, SoHo, Southeast Asian at 03:52 by Dominique
177 Prince & Thompson/Sullivan Sts., 212-254-7337
Great for: duck mojito, dessert, cocktails, large parties, fucking in the bathroom
Feisty Brooklynite’s birthday party here turned out to be the same night as a tornado warning. That’s definitely a quick way to figure who really loves you. Since I live just across SoHo and she’s one of my best friends, I obviously showed up.
The panko coconut-crusted shrimp tasted overly of coconut, while the semolina fritters had nice chicken and shrimp inside. They could both be crispier. The calamari, on the other hand, is interestingly crunchy without breading. The duck mojito was the best appetizer I tasted. It doesn’t taste like a mojito at all, just vaguely Latin.
The Thai-latin BBQ scallop, prawn and salmon with mixed green salad, white chimichurri and sriracha was quite good. I wished for more than just one of each thing. The saffron paella with seafood in a banana leaf is incredibly awkward to eat – fuck leaves, we don’t live in trees any more – but pretty good. I liked the white sauce on top and could use more of it. The rice needed more flavor. Their pad thai is pretty good.
The sweet world dessert with chocolate volcano cake, créme brûleé and ice cream was far and away the best thing we put in our mouths all night. I wanted to roll around in it. The volcano is rich and decadent, while the créme brûleé is creamy heaven.
I liked all the cocktails we tried, and I especially recommend the chocolate cake shots. The bartender Nick, if he is still there, is both hot and nice. Our waitresses were either kind of deaf or stupid but they seemed to mean well.
The place is girl party central. They were annoying but the music is great. As are the bathrooms. You can see the entire dining room from inside but no one can see you, and my first thought was “Nice! Bathrooms to fuck in!” It’ll be really obvious what you’re doing, but on the plus side, some of the girls will probably dare each other to flash you. Yep, it’s a fun place overall.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $100 (2 apps, 2 mains, 1 huge dessert, 2 cocktails, 2 shots)
Noise level: noisy when there are girls
Chance of walking in: prob not too bad, there’s a lot of space.
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12.29.10
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.
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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.
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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.
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09.30.10
Posted in American, brunch, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, SoHo at 01:27 by Dominique
54 Prince St. & Lafayette, 212-226-0211
Great for: tuna tartare, Tilly cocktails, brunching and people-watching
SoHo, despite its reputation as a hub of nightlife, is oddly short of places to eat late. Or at least the eastern bit is. Towards Broadway there’s more stuff open. Delicatessen helps somewhat by being open until 12 on weekdays and 1 on weekends. I’ve been here before for drinks in their subterranean party space, so I was glad to finally try the food.
The tuna tartare with wasabi tobiko, crème fraiche and taro chips is wonderful. One of the best I’ve ever had, it’s a huge disc with lovely taste and texture. I even liked the taro chips, the wasabi really flavored the tobiko, and the tuna was great quality. On the other hand, the La Frieda short rib blend sliders with bacon, Swiss and minced pickles were just fine. They weren’t as rich as you’d expect. Some of the meat was a bit burned, though overall the combination was pretty good.
They can’t do chicken properly here. We tried the chicken caesar salad and the enormous paillard over arugula, fennel, parmesan and balsamic, and the chicken was all weirdly done. The salads were delicious minus the meat. The paillard was just grilled, no breading or flour, and the edges were overcooked while the center was juicy and tasty. There is no excuse for a restaurant that has trouble with chicken.
The place redeemed itself somewhat with the Tilly cocktail, which was so good I asked the bartender for the recipe. 1.5 ounces Ketel One, 3/4 ounce triple sec, the juice of half a lime, 4 small strawberries and a splash of pomegranate juice all blended are heaven. There you go, a foolproof way to to make people’s eyes light up at your next party. When I made it at home, my friend and I couldn’t stop saying “Mmmm” for quite a while.
Our waitress was as pretty as she was nice. The cooking was also impressively fast, though it was very late and they weren’t packed. It’s a large restaurant with abundant sidewalk space, and somehow usually filled despite the mostly so-so food. I am proud of myself for not stopping here for the tuna tartare when I leave the Equinox up the block every day or so. It is good enough that I might consider working out an extra hour to have it! And maybe a Tilly. Just one.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $90
Noise level: noisy all the time
Chance of walking in: not great. With such a big restaurant, though, it raises your chances.
Their MacBar next door is not very good. I tried the small “lobsta’” mac and cheese and it was a disappointing waste of $9. It was my treat for the day, so I finished it, but there’s not a lot of flavoring, just expensive ingredients they overcharge for. I personally have not tried Delicatessen brunch. However, the place is always slammed during that time, and the patrons are pretty, so it’s probably worth stopping by.
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09.29.10
Posted in American, New York City, New York City Reviews, NoLIta, rated 6 to 6.5, SoHo at 21:59 by Dominique
282 Bowery & E. Houston, 212-226-1966
Great for: eating late in a weird area, pizza, noisy scene
I’m generally a Keith McNally fan. The man definitely has a way with French bistros. I wasn’t as impressed by Morandi, but then I was coming off a massive Halloween bender and that’s not their fault. In this case, I was on my way to an audition and sober, so I’m pretty confident about this review.
In deference to the cheapskate (and hence ex-) Boyfriend, we shared a salsiccia pizza, though everyone else seemed to have their own. I liked the superthin crispy crust, which was a bit too blackened. The ingredients were scattered in very even average density; someone clearly took a lot of care with that. Broccoli rabe plus sausage is a new combination to me and I grew to like it. If you don’t, they have more than ten other choices and fairly good ones. None of that lame no-topping crap like some other Italian joints. Yes, I know, it’s “classic” to have just sauce and cheese – whatever, I want meat on my pies.
The service and cooking are mercifully quick. I shudder to imagine how much longer the lines would be if they were any slower. It’s also admirable considering they serve late and open back up for breakfast a couple hours later. There are classic McNally touches of numbered wine carafes, tile and exposed brick everywhere. It looks basically like Schiller’s writ large, down to the double door entryway. It’s always lively, packed and a bit noisy from the tin ceilings. I like the enormous frosted windows. The retro slatted chairs are, surprisingly, fairly comfy. Be careful, there are children and the tables are close together so if you’re swearing at your meal partner because he won’t stop arguing, you might get some horrified parental stares. Overall, it’s not mind-blowing but it is really good pizza. If I want food late and haven’t had bread in a while I might come back.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $20
Noise level: loud party with children
Chance of walking in: haha you will wait a while. Have some drinks.
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07.12.10
Posted in Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, SoHo at 02:19 by Dominique
231 Mott & Prince Sts., 212-966-1234
Great for: olives all’ascolano, possibly pizza (pending another visit)
The first couple times I tried to come here, they were closed, or doing a private party. Don’t you hate when that happens, and then you finally try the place and it’s not amazing?
I started with the four juicy olives all’ascolano, which are breaded olives with veal and sausage inside. They were a little oversalted, but satisfying and a nice size and number. P got grilled octopus with potatoes. It was chewy and quite tasty.
We both got the Yukon gold gnocchi with oxtail ragù. The gnocchi had kind of a weird taste and the meat was super fatty and gristly. I never had oxtail before, and when I researched it online later I learned that it’s supposed to be a bit fatty, but this really freaked me out. I didn’t even finish my dish. Now that I’ve had oxtail at Má Pêche I don’t think the meat was very good quality. P quite liked his, on the other hand, so I’m willing to give them another try.
To calm down my palate, I got an affogato gelato in an espresso shot that was pretty good. I felt there was a bit too much cocoa powder which made it very bitter. It sort of did the trick.
We had a nice waitress. I found the meat slicer prominently displayed behind the bar the most interesting thing in the restaurant. I literally couldn’t stop watching people slice things on it. Fortunately P thinks my nerdy tendencies are funny. It was less amusing that they misspelled “proscuitto” [sic] on the entire menu.
I suspect pizza is their best thing, since that’s what everyone else ordered. Each pie is really big, though, and I didn’t want to eat that much. Next time I will suck it up and get a pizza, and sit in the lovely back room with its skylight.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $90 (1 glass wine)
Noise level: not too bad
Chance of walking in: fine.
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03.25.10
Posted in Italian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, SoHo at 21:37 by Dominique
200 Mott & Spring Sts., 212-966-0904
Great for: crostone, quiet awesome Italian, logophiles, brunch
I love wandering around SoHo and the Lower East Side. There’s always a new little shop or restaurant, and sometimes it’s not even new; it’s only been hiding from you. That was the case with Epistrophy, which apparently has been right there for nearly 6 years and yet invisible to me the whole time. I’m just glad I got through platform 9 3/4 and found it – sometimes it still disappears on me, but I just keep the address firmly in my mind.
The Boyfriend suggested we start with crostone al pomodoro and mozzarella, which turned out to be the best idea ever. The dish is deceptively simple; toast with melted cheese and thin-sliced tomatoes. The mozzarella helped meld all the flavors together and protect me against the tomato texture, while the toast is a terrific half inch of crunchiness that is just the right level of crisp because of the cheese and tomato juices. The Boyfriend was in raptures, and has in fact asked for this dish on several occasions since. It is perfect.
His short ribs in red wine and herbs with roast potatoes were lovely, salty, dense and stewy with tender meat. The potatoes were well-spiced and delicious. It might have been a tiny bit dry but overall it was really lovely and I had to stop myself from sneaking too many bites. My pork chops Milanese with fennel and arugula in lemon dressing were also very good. I loved the salad and the pork was exactly the light, delicious dish I wished for. They must have an expert meat tenderizer – the chops were uniformly thin, so much so that the little bit they were overcooked didn’t even matter.
I got a big kick out of their word-themed décor. It’s interesting that they serve Italian food but the place has a French feel, especially with the distressed brick walls. It looks like an old antique store with lots of books. Which is basically my idea of heaven, plus they serve terrific food!!!
Rating: 8 / 10 (in April 2010 just as good)
Our cost: $55
Noise level: the hum of happy, well-fed people
Chance of walking in: low; I’ve been there on a late Monday night and it’s still packed.
In April, we tried the crostoni misti, which was almost as good as the simple tomato kind. I very much like the soppressata one. The tilapia in spiced tomato sauce (fregola al sugo di pesce) is very yummy and spiced as advertised. I am starting to suspect that they cook things super hot here, as the meats and fish we’ve tried have uniformly been a teeny bit too well done. The Boyfriend’s ravioli al carciofi with basil pesto, pinenuts and parmesan was terrific, with flavors that go together really well. I had to sit on my hands for a bit to stop stealing nibbles.
Their raspberry cheesecake is so scrumptious I want to roll around in it. It’s creamy, not too sweet, with nice tart raspberries and a nice contrast of chocolate drizzle. They also have lovely house wines.
Their brunch is also lovely; I’ve been a couple times, and pretty much anything with eggs is great.
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03.03.10
Posted in American, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, SoHo 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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02.16.10
Posted in Asian, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, SoHo, Southeast Asian 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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