11.18.09
Posted in American, Barbecue, Lower East Side, New York City, 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, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, West Village 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, 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, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, seafood, SoHo 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, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, TriBeCa 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, eclectic, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, 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, 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, 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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04.09.09
Posted in American, Barbecue, Gramercy, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 02:26 by Dominique
30 W.26th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-255-4544
Great for: brisket, mac & cheese, sausage, corn casserole
I was wandering in the area one day and meant to go home for lunch except I happened to see Hill Country first. And being the carnivore I am, I had to stop and see if it was worth all the fuss. It is, but the quality doesn’t come cheap. And I don’t know much about barbecue besides “this tastes good” so I won’t get into the whole authenticity debate.
I got three slices of the brisket, as I’d heard it’s a can’t-miss. I opted for lean, though; a girl’s gotta stay slender in New York. I think that’s why I found it tender but not as moist as could be desired. I liked how big the slices were, too. The two pork ribs matched them in size and had lots of fat and lovely black pepper outside. The meat was so soft it almost fell off the bone by itself, but I found the fat distracting. I tried not to overorder and got just one delicious jalapeño and cheese sausage in addition. I wanted to try the regular kind as well, until I saw they are fit for giants. They’re also fit for picky eaters, as I found hardly any filler stuff and they were bursting with juicy goodness.
I got to try three sides for the price of one large mac and cheese (it wasn’t busy, and I charmed one of the pitmasters). I can see why the mac and cheese is a favorite. The long pointy penne and creamy cheesiness are delightful and I actually devoured the little cup of it before the meat! Once I started I couldn’t stop. The green bean casserole was pretty good but I found the beans too crunchy and the mushrooms too large. I don’t think there was any ham in it either. I loved the corn casserole/pudding. The cornbread was not bland as so often happens, while the corn held its own, texturally.
I think the footpedal-operated sinks outside the bathrooms are a good idea. The waiters and all the guys behind the counters were very nice, although it was a rainy weekday midafternoon and they may just have been glad to see a customer. The meats are sold by the pound, while the sides are priced per big or little cup. It does add up quickly; the meats aren’t cheap. But I really liked the place and it was definitely enough food to keep me happy until dinnertime.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My cost: $28
Noise level: raucous party at peak times I’m sure
Chance of walking in: it’s like an enormous barn, so you’re probably fairly safe to get a seat soon.
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03.30.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 22:38 by Dominique
71 Clinton & Rivington Sts., 212-228-0994 – I think they’ve closed, though.
Great for: sharing among piglets, comfort food until 4am (Friday & Saturday, else 2am)
[I shattered my clavicle snowboarding two weeks ago. I just had surgery - Dominique v2.0, now part titanium! - and am recovering fairly well, but I have to work on my little brother's frustrating MacBook. The good news is, there's not much else I can focus on through the pain and Percocets so I'll probably get caught up with reviews this week. If I say something odd, blame the meds.]
After a long day of snowboarding with my friends M, V and A (and a late night of partying beforehand) I still wasn’t ready to call it quits. M and some of his friends decided upon dinner here and I was happy to stumble the few blocks over to join them. It’s a good thing Fat Hippo’s byob policy included bottles of vodka – our Stoli kept us reasonably happy as we waited for our table. And waited. And waited some more. The host told N, who lives across the street, that she could put her name down and come back in 30 to 40 minutes. When we all showed up 30 minutes later, we were told one of us should have stayed and it’d be another 20 minutes. Ultimately we waited about an hour and a half from the time we all got there. It was unenjoyable foreplay, but as it turned out, well worth it for the quality (and wonderfully low price) of the food.
It’s great if you have several people so you can try most of the menu. We were absolutely starving – it was 10pm and the five of us had polished off most of the vodka, not to mention M and I had been riding all day – and ordered whatever caught our eyes. We ended up with one app, five entrées and four sides, which was just about the perfect amount. Our lone app, bite-size mozzarella balls with herb-roasted tomatoes and baby arugula, was well-executed.
We enjoyed the Maryland crab cake with mac and cheese, corn and succotash with roasted garlic caper sauce. It was crisp outside and tender inside with just enough breading. The accompanying vegetables were lovely and crunchy. We had to load up on two of the burger fondue after reading its description, and that turned out to be a wise decision. The dish itself reminds me of deconstructionist art. You get six dollar coin-sized sliders per order; buns bracketing meat, lettuce and tomato, with bacon bits and diced pickles on the side. The centerpiece is a small, generous cauldron of cheese. We found the best system was to get some cheese on a bun, sprinkle things to taste and then put it all together. The sliders are surprisingly filling despite their tiny size. The slender french fries were terrific too, both crunchy and chewy. We were oddly delighted by the trailer park chicken sampler with sautéed collard greens, raisin sauce and corn bread. We really liked the beer can-roasted breast and Southern fried drumstick, and then the smoked thigh meat which we discovered after some knifework. All the meat was tender and I even liked the sauce. The pork chop was the best of all the dishes. Stuffed with pulled pork, it also came with bacon, sautéed brussels sprouts and maple jalapeño mustard sauce. We fought over it a little bit.
The two sides of mac and cheese were definitely not overkill. They had lovely crunchy spirals with just enough cheese and cream. The green bean casserole, while not exactly what I was expecting because of the giant mushrooms, was still pretty good. I liked the sauce. The green tomato gratin is nice if you like tomatoes. I didn’t detest it despite my lifelong hatred of non-smushed-up tomatoes.
Fat Hippo now has a liquor license, so no more drinking from – I mean, bringing your own bottle. It won’t be quite as cheap any more but the food at least is really worth it. They were a bit slow about getting things out when we went, though that’s excusable since they’d officially been open only two weeks. Our waitress wasn’t the friendliest I’ve ever met – in fact, she seemed to willfully mishear us quite often – but she eventually got the job done. I liked the stripped-down décor. There was some weird off-putting artwork but it was made up for by the tasteful and unobtrusive strip of mirror and the comfy chairs and banquettes. I’m excited to come back here soon and try the rest of the menu.
Rating: 8.5 / 10 – lost .5 for waiting but gained back for cheap goodness
Our cost: $115 for 5 people! (1 app, 5 entrees, 4 sides)
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: haha. Put your name down and check every 5 minutes and make sure one person is there holding your party’s place.
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