03.03.10
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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02.16.10
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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11.18.09
Posted in American, Barbecue, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 13:06 by Dominique
192 Orchard & E. Houston Sts., 212-253-6280
Great for: fried chicken, ribs, everything really
I love food. (Obviously.) However, I also have to be thin for my careers. I try to use my obsessive love of food as motivation nowadays – so whenever I have a craving for something, I require myself to nail an audition, book a job, or perform well before I can have it. This cuts down on impulsive yummy fattening food, plus I burn some energy working hard to earn it. I think in this case I had a couple successful auditions and ribs and fried chicken were my treat.
I got the fried chicken dinner with French fries and potato salad (which they forgot). It is three big pieces of chicken with lovely crunchy spicy skin. I wished that much of the fat or thick skin had been taken off but it was very good. The fries were great too. Being a greedy little piglet, I also got a half rack of ribs that were literally fall-off-the-bone tender. There was lots of fat, and the ribs were well spiced with a wet and dry rub. They definitely gave me ideas for next time I make ribs at home! I wish Georgia’s weren’t so expensive so I could have more.
The restaurant itself is quite small, with seven deuces and four counter stools. I got takeout because I wanted to watch tv too. You cannot make substitutions and they only take cash. It’s cheap for NYC – I’m still in sticker shock over how much lunch at Hill Country was – but not very cheap compared to 4 dumplings for $1 a few blocks over. (Vanessa’s Dumplings ftw!) The employees are very friendly, notwithstanding the ancient shotgun hanging on one wall.
Rating: 8 / 10
My cost: $25 (I kind of ordered 2 dinners)
Noise level: fairly quiet
Chance of walking in: probably not very good on busy nights.
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Posted in American, Greenwich Village, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, West Village, rated 7 to 7.5 at 09:53 by Dominique
331 W.4th & Jane Sts., 212-242-9502
Great for: simple good food, eating until 3:30am
[I know, I'm woefully behind on posts. I've been busy with tons of auditions and the new Boyfriend - I think this one will stick, as he just moved in with me!]
I had a very busy night of playing poker live (up a bit until I didn’t leave when I said I would, whereupon I promptly lost my whole stack with QQ against 10s), a friend’s birthday with lesbian jell-o wrestling (she won), and a different friend’s fetish wedding (everyone wins). Between the jell-o and the ceremony I realized I hadn’t had dinner, and figured my last $12 would go pretty far at Corner Bistro. Plus, I’ve never been in the whole time I’ve lived in New York. I always hear how it’s the best burger in the city. In my non-burger-obsessed opinion, it’s not - that honor stays with the Grotto and Shopsin’s - but it is a darn good deal and certainly one of the better burgers.
I got the bistro burger with bacon, grilled onions, no cheese, tomato and fries. I enjoyed the juicy and insanely thick patty, though I could barely get my tiny hands around it, let alone my mouth – I would have liked it marinated more, but for $7 it’s great. They were really generous with crispy and not-too-fatty bacon. The fries were pretty good, mainly crunchy, and could use more seasoning. Overall, I was satisfied. I’d definitely stop in again.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My cost: $12
Noise level: noisy with people but nice with jazz
Chance of walking in: not too easy to walk in, I got the last seat at 12:30 am.
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09.07.09
Posted in American, Flatiron, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Union Square at 00:00 by Dominique
10 E.16th St. & Union Square West/5th Ave., 212-243-1616
Great for: lunch, eating around Union Square if everything else is full
My actor friend V, who’s been really helpful to me (thanks V!) suggested lunch one day around Union Square, and as much as I love Republic, I also wanted to branch out. I take my bloggerly duties quite seriously.
I couldn’t resist Uncle Red’s Addiction, which is just fried chicken. I didn’t find it quite as lovable as he did. There was a bit too much honey and skin. I did love the gravy and smashies, even the cauliflower and carrots, which were good with gravy. V thought his catfish sandwich was good, not amazing. It was very big at least.
We had a nice waitress, and the walls are interesting to read and look at, but I was a bit disappointed. I wonder if we should have ordered other things, although I suspect the fried chicken is a specialty from its name, and maybe it’s just not my style of food.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $35
Noise level: it’s not quiet
Chance of walking in: probably pretty good.
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09.06.09
Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, rated 7 to 7.5, seafood at 16:35 by Dominique
290 Hudson & Spring Sts., 212-989-6410 [now closed]
Great for: sustainable seafood, far West SoHo food
It’s so much fun going to new restaurants… Especially when they turn out to be good. It’s nice that this one uses sustainable seafood without making a big deal of it. And my date with (another) Bar Owner went pretty well.
My kampachi crudo with Meyer lemon, lardo and melon was great. I didn’t really eat the melon, but it made sense to have it there. If I liked sweets with my savory food it would be a nice contrast to the tartness of the lemon and the salt of the meat. His wild striped bass sashimi with cherry, fennel, thyme and black garlic was also good, although I can see why bass is not as popular in sashimi – the texture takes a little getting used to.
I enjoyed my crispy branzino on romesco with fennel confit and black olive. And the vegetables weren’t too salty – I find that’s a problem with olives sometimes. He liked his spanish mackerel with baby turnips, green beans and lemon too. Both dishes were well-executed and the fish was nicely tender inside. Our side of escarole with poached egg and anchovy was interesting, and I found the leaves less bitter than expected.
I would definitely recommend the Bridgehampton cocktail – you can’t go wrong with Grey Goose, elderflower liqueur and rose water. His West Hampton was also pretty good. I would have liked it more if it didn’t have cucumber in it. Our waiter attentive and although I wasn’t blown away by the restaurant overall, it’s a stellar addition to the neighborhood and the quality of food and service after just opening augurs well for them.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $145 (2 cocktails)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: decent. [Sadly, they've closed already.]
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08.30.09
Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Tribeca, rated 8 to 8.5 at 23:29 by Dominique
134 Reade & Greenwich/Hudson Sts., 212-941-9401
great for: large parties, dates
I was glad the Music Exec picked this restaurant (impressively, without any input from me) – he managed to choose a newish place I’d never been to that was good. Pretty much the trifecta for me as a reviewer.
On his suggestion, I got the “baked potato” app which is really crème fraîche agnolotti in potato brown butter with pancetta and truffle essence. It is strong-tasting but I really enjoyed it. The agnolotti are like stretched-out, slender ravioli with lovely pancetta inside. There was quite a lot of olive oil. His wild kampachi tartare with avocado, American caviar and potato chips was citrusy and good.
I loved my bacon-wrapped pork chop over mashed potatoes with peas and pickled onions. It seemed to be breading instead of bacon, but I have no quibble with the large chop or how juicy and tender it was. I kind of wanted to pick up the bone at the end, it was so delicious. We also liked his marinated flatiron steak with potato sticks, charred green garlic and red wine peppercorn sauce. All the portions here seem to be very generous.
Pleasant service, cozy farmhouse feel with plenty of tables, terrific food… you pretty much can’t go wrong here. I only wish it were a little closer to me.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $175 (Pellegrino, 3 glasses of wine)
Noise level: not loud, pretty spacious with a lot of wood
Chance of walking in: might be ok.
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08.23.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, eclectic, rated 9 to 10 at 01:22 by Dominique
120 Essex St. Stall 16 & Delancey (enter from door on corner, next to cheese shop), 212-924-5160
Great for: quirky but delicious food, interesting conversation, après-shopping eats
I was terrified of eating here, as I’ve heard about Kenny’s legendary temper and read firsthand accounts of people being cursed or chucked out. But as a fledgling restaurant critic it’s my duty to go and review food… so I plucked up my courage and ventured in one sunny day. I’m not sure if I was wearing my sling (from the shoulder-shattering incident) – in fact, I don’t think I was – but Kenny and his son were lovely to me. I even committed the idiotic faux pas of asking for suggestions from the bewilderingly enormous menu in 10-point font on double-sided legal paper and they scolded “WHAT?!” but laughed and said cute girls are allowed to ask questions. I don’t know why I forgot you’re not supposed to. I was so nervous I even dropped my phone. Anyway, they quickly put me at ease and we chatted away for the next hour.
I got way too much food. The sliders with cheese and pickles would have been enough by themselves, but then I wouldn’t have experienced the ecstasy that is the fried potato salad. You know when meat is marinated and juicy and tender and you just want to keep on biting into it? That’s how the burgers were, with a great contrast in the pickles. I got mozzarella with the fried potato salad instead of the regular blue cheese and it was just wonderful. The potato chunks were small enough that I didn’t tire of eating them, and crispy and flavorful to boot. I ate sooo much.
I only wish I could eat there more often! It’s a bit expensive, but definitely worth the money. All the dishes are quite large, as well. Most sandwiches are about $15 and the skillets are over $20. It’s not a very big place (though I like how it feels like a homey kitchen), they stop accepting new orders around 2, and are only open weekdays and Saturdays, so it takes some determination to get there unless you’re technically jobless like me. Plus, if you act fake or snobby or are ridiculously picky about food (vegans seem to be especially reviled) or annoy Kenny in some way, he’ll probably refuse to serve you. So be real. And nice-looking apparently helps.
Rating: 9 / 10
Cost: $20 (this is not a cheapie lunch place)
Noise level: however loud Kenny has to yell to the kitchen
Chance of walking in: might be ok after the lunch rush – they don’t do dinner any more.
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07.14.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5 at 02:04 by Dominique
61 Hester & Ludlow Sts., 212-477-2427
Great for: if you’re on the Lower East Side shopping and it’s an odd (non-peak) hour
My friend S is great. The whole time I was recovering from my shoulder injury she checked on me almost every day and made time for lunch with me quite often. This was one of those days. We were lucky we both had stuff to do until about 3 pm, so we avoided the whole lunch rush.
Her big plate of tuna salad with greens and toast was pretty good. My mac and fontina cheese with black forest ham was actually with penne and also decent. I liked the lightness of the cheese, but I can’t call the dish very memorable. The small size is definitely enough for one hungry person.
They’ve got a rustic wooden theme going on with the décor. We had a nice waitress. I hear they’re packed on weekends for brunch – not sure why, from the food we had, but it is a cute little place.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $30 (lunch, no drinks)
Noise level: probably not too bad
Chance of walking in: not good during brunch.
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05.26.09
Posted in American, Latin, Midtown West, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates at 20:59 by Dominique
321 W.51st St. & 8th/9th Aves., 212-957-9338
Great for: sharing lots of interesting dishes, American food with a Latin twist, pre- or post-theatre
The Marketer knows the owners here and thought I might be able to give them some nice publicity. (I don’t think he understands the point of this blog. This is for straightforward reviews, without exception.) The eponymous Emily was indeed a sweet lady and I’m happy I can honestly recommend her restaurant. M and I had dinner plans elsewhere so we just had several small plates, but we tried a decently varied cross-section of the menu.
The Prince Edward Island mussels with tasso ham in tequila broth were very good. I’m not even a huge mussels fan. The broth doesn’t taste much of tequila, and there was lots of lovely diced ham, onions and small tomatoes as well as a generous number of mussels. The roasted jalapeño cheese poppers with creamy herb dip were great. There was just the right balance of everything, so that each popper was delicate and creamy without overpowering the peppers. The bacon mac and cheese croquette with smoky, spicy tomato dip was also terrific. It managed to be light and not too cheesy with nice big bacon crumbles.
We decided to leave room for our next dinner but couldn’t resist some dessert. M’s warm apple cake with caramel sauce and whipped cream turned out to be awesome despite its appleness. I wouldn’t order it myself, as I don’t really like apple desserts, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who does. My baked cheesecake empanada with strawberry sauce and more whipped cream was great. I found the cake a little spongy but the combination of ingredients was lovely.
The waiters are really nice and seem happy to be there. There are two dining rooms, although they’re not always both open, so it’s probably a good idea for large parties and walking in. I enjoyed the lights and décor, which made the place look inviting and upscale at the same time.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $45 (3 apps, 2 desserts)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: pretty good.
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