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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12.04.10
Posted in French, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 20:51 by Dominique
201 E. Houston Sts. & Orchard/Ludlow, 212-995-5546
Great for: brasserie food almost any time for very little
Instead of playing a tournament at the poker club where I work, I ended up having to deal it and didn’t have time for a single bite all day. When they finally let me go (with a pittance of an hourly rate, to add insult to injury), I hadn’t eaten in twenty-four hours and was ravenous and cranky. Lina Frey made all that go away for only a small bit of my hard-earned cash.
My friends J and H happened to be wandering around the area so they joined me for late supper. J started with a salade maison in citronette vinaigrette, which was good. My steak tartar with peppercorn, lemon and truffle oil maybe had a little too much lemon, which kept it from being perfectly delightful. They were not careful with the lemon seeds either, as some were mixed in. I liked the nice contrast of the peppercorns.
Our two sautéed salmons with crispy mustard hazelnut crust were lovely. The fish comes on top of a funny vegetable hash brown-type thing which might be radish. Whatever it is, it’s sort of hard to eat but very tasty. The moules au poivre are an interesting twist on a brasserie staple. The au poivre is exactly like on steaks. On mussels it makes them taste like they’re in curry. I liked it.
The lamb chops with honey mustard glaze were very good but had too much glaze. We appreciated how spicy they were. The haricots verts with caramelized shallots were so delicious we got an extra order. Dark and salty, they were almost Chinese. I need to try making that at home.
We finished with a Nutella crepe, since they’d run out of a lot of the other desserts. It was simple and delightful. So were my Cinsault-grenache glass of Laurent Miquel rosé and J’s Malbec.
It’s kind of a small plates place. Our super nice waitress suggested two to three plates per person would do it. Overall there were a couple standouts but everything was at least decent, not to mention dirt cheap. Plus they are open until at least midnight every day and the décor is really nice – they’ve even got a skylight. And if you have a large party there’s a big table with its own nook in the back. I was impressed at how well they were doing after being open four weeks, and I am definitely coming for another nice meal next time they let me out of work before 6am. (People like to play poker until the wee hours. I don’t mind, just don’t forget to tip me.)
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $96 (8 dishes, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine all for 3 people)
Noise level: not bad
Chance of walking in: decent.
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11.26.10
Posted in brunch, East Village, French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 18:45 by Dominique
84 E. 4th St. & 2nd Ave., 212-979-2034
Great for: pani frattau
My friend Lovely Blonde and I tried to play tennis one Saturday morning but it started to drizzle just as she picked me up on her Vespa. That was all the excuse we needed to skip exercise and go for early brunch. Stupid Prune had a half hour wait at 10am so Belcourt it was. (I do really want to try Prune, I just hate waiting more than I could possibly love the food. I only wait if I am paid handsomely or it’s less than 15 minutes.)
After falling in love with half the things on the menu, I finally settled on salt cod hash with poached eggs, harissa, potatoes, peppers, scallions and flat bread. What little there was of the fish was tasty, and I quite liked the combination of things. The bread was not good.
LB’s waiter-recommended pani frattau was terrific. It consists of music-paper bread lasagna with house-made ricotta, crème fraîche, tomatoes, Parmesan and poached eggs. The whole thing was soft and yummy and almost inspired me to make lasagna at home again. (It is a bit too much trouble and I have too many leftovers when it’s just me.) And of course, how could I, a singer and violinist, not love music-paper bread?
Service was nice, décor too, and I plan to visit again to see if they make anything else well.
Rating: 7 / 10 (pending dinner review)
Our cost: $30 (2 brunch entrées + $5 pot of tea)
Noise level: noisy
Chance of walking in: decent, there are a lot of tables.
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03.04.09
Posted in French, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 05:08 by Dominique
81 Ludlow St. #2 & Broome Sts., 212-677-9383 (then Le Cubain, now Sebastián)
Great for: brasserie food late if you’re too far from Balthazar
This turned out to be the last time the now-ex-Boyfriend and I would have a dinner date. (He was a great boyfriend for two months and then suddenly Mr. Hyde came out to wreck my life. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for another month, but ruining my birthday was the last straw. We’re friendly now though.) At least we were happy with the food and each other this particular night.
I absolutely loved my duck confit with frisée and haricots verts. The generous portion of juicy, tender duck sat atop ridiculously good salad and dressing. I cleaned my plate and probably could have eaten three more! B wanted the country pâté, which they were out of. His shrimp cocktail in its stead had great sauce, while the shrimp were on the firm side but good.
Though I had a lot of surgery to do on my steak with béarnaise sauce, mesclun salad and french fries, it was enjoyable. The fries were crunchy and a bit bland, while the salad and slightly vinegary béarnaise were lovely. Overall, very satisfying. Poor B was 0 for 2 ordering things that they actually had, as they’d run out of the burger. It turned out to be just as well; his hangar steak topped wtih fried onions in brandy sauce and mashed potatoes was so perfectly great I was not allowed to try it. Of course, I made sure to snatch some bites when he went to the bathroom – I have a duty to my dear readers, after all. I very much liked it too.
His glass of Côte du Rhône and my Champagne were both satisfactory as well. I can’t say as much for our waitress, but she wasn’t awful and I suppose it was quite late. It’s a nice-looking place, too. I’m glad they’re open until midnight every day except Sunday (11pm). It’ll definitely be a go-to spot in the area if I’m ever hungry late. Plus, they’ve just opened a club 2 doors away downstairs called Chloe, supposedly the next Beatrice though I hear varying reports on that.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $95 (2 glasses wine)
Noise level: Euro party
Chance of walking in: better very late or very early. Sadly, it’s closed and has become Le Cubain, a sort of Cuban-French brasserie. It seems to have the same owners and décor. And now it’s Sebastian, back to French.
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01.30.09
Posted in French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, Upper West Side at 04:55 by Dominique
102 W.86th St. & Columbus, 212-496-0458
Great for: the specials, singer/waitress, old world service
One evening, the Boyfriend’s father was kind enough to take us out to dinner. I like eating on the UWS; it reminds me of the childhood I should have had (well, maybe that’s more the UES, but this ex-Pennsylvania hick won’t split hairs). And both B and Mr. G are so smart. It’s nice to enjoy spirited intellectual conversations along with my food.
B and I got special appetizers of sea scallops wrapped in bacon on chopped leeks with tiny tomatoes and a stripe of raspberry coulis. It was delicious and I really liked the leeks. The scallops were a little on the small side, perhaps, but not gritty or too chewy as sometimes happens. Mr. G had his usual steamed artichoke with a delightful lemony sauce (aïoli, perhaps).
B’s shell steak au poivre with thin-cut fries and veggies was a bit overcooked but nice when drenched in sauce. It was very large and not too fatty. Mr. G’s special entrée of halibut on spinach and red pepper coulis with vegetables could have been softer but I think that was partly the kind of fish. I was glad I picked the sole meuniére. The two thin filets of tender fish with a touch of breading outside were so yummy. I liked the sauce a lot too.
I couldn’t resist the dessert special, mille-feuille with a sugary coating and custard inside. It wasn’t too tall as such pastries sometimes are, and was lovely and perfectly flaky. The crème caramel was pleasant too.
Mr. G thought a bottle of Perrier-Jouët would accompany our dinner very well, and it did. He goes to the restaurant quite often so the French owner and waiters came and said hello to us a lot and were very sweet. They seemed generally friendly anyhow. There is an adorable little upstairs area, but Mr. G said the service is a bit slower up there. All in all, deservedly an Upper West Side staple, especially if you stick with the specials or the sole.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $230 + 70 tip (3 dinners, bottle of Perrier-Jouët, 2 cappuccinos, 1 Frangelico)
Noise level: loud murmur and occasional mellifluous singing
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
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01.03.09
Posted in East Village, French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 10:49 by Dominique
190 1st Ave. & 12th St., 212-358-7171
Great for: simple French food, al fresco dining even in winter
My best friend E wanted to have dinner somewhere in the East Village one freezing night. Tree had been high on my list for some time and wasn’t terribly pricey, so it was an obvious choice. The three of us – the Boyfriend came along too – got to sit in the cute window seat.
I went with the prix fixe for $25. The French onion soup was a perfect balance of spices and creamy cheese. Somehow the bread was still crispy after ten minutes, to my delight. B’s split pea soup, the special app, was simply delicious. We liked its very fine consistency.
After the waitress told us about the bacon cassoulet E had to get it. A carnivore’s dream, it has pork sausage, veal, duck confit, tomatoes and white beans. It was, naturally, very rich. The bacon was the best meat though. I didn’t expect very much from stew meat so I think I liked it better than she did. My roast salmon with a fennel crust on spicy lentils and shallot confit was simple and satisfying. I didn’t find the lentils spicy – a bit bland, in fact - though they had a nice texture. The salmon was very crispy on top and rosy pink inside. It could have been slightly less cooked but overall I quite liked it.
My included crème brûlée (on a freakishly hot plate) was a lovely finish to the meal. E and B had red wine that they enjoyed and E and I tried a good rosé champagne too. Our waitress was really nice. I liked the window seat, and next time I want to sit in the back garden, which is as big as the front and covered so you can enjoy it in the winter as well.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $115 (1 app & entrée, 1 prix fixe meal, 4 glasses wine/champagne)
Noise level: wavering sound system turned up too loud
Chance of walking in: not too bad. Ask for the pretty back garden.
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Posted in French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, SoHo at 10:15 by Dominique
132 W. Houston & Sullivan Sts., 212-475-1543 (now closed)
Great for: appetizers, burgers, eating late in SoHo
Princess Dominique wanted steak close to home one day and this was the best reasonable-money option we could come up with. (New Boyfriend is adjusting well to my demanding palate.) Fortunately they were open quite late, as we walked in around 10 pm.
B had soup of the day to start, a fantastic butternut squash. I don’t even like that vegetable and I was enthusiastic about it. My frisée aux lardons was just as good; somehow I enjoyed the very strong taste of bleu cheese. I also appreciated how soft the lettuce was. We had high hopes for the rest of the meal.
B, at least, was not disappointed. He liked his burger with everything on it and good French fries. My entrecote (shell steak) with salad and gratin dauphinois instead of fries was not quite as satisfactory. Other than being an exceptionally fatty cut, overly chewy in places and a bit raw in others, it was good. Of course, that took some of the enjoyment away. I did love the potatoes and the generous helping of salad, though.
The waiters were uniformly nice. The décor was as well, kind of standard brasserie but not too corporate. At first I thought they had really strange music. There was weird porno electronica, which gave way to old French caterwauling, then Pete Tong on BBC 1, which was when I realized it was just an eclectic iPod on shuffle. All in all, cute and mostly yummy.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $65 (no drinks)
Noise level: Not too much
Chance of walking in: Good, it’s on a bit of an odd corner. But sadly, it’s closed now.
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01.01.09
Posted in French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 9 to 10, TriBeCa at 18:13 by Dominique
241 W. Broadway & Walker/White Sts., 212-226-6252
Great for: wonderful food in Tribeca for not much money, dates, private parties
The Boyfriend and I had just made our four-day relationship official the night before, so we left my friend’s birthday party at Bubble Lounge early to smooch. (I like commitment. Amazingly, so does he.) It was a bitterly cold night. Fortunately the best place around was right across the street. I came here when it opened about three years ago and thought it very good; if anything, it’s improved since then.
I got two appetizers in lieu of a main. The soupe du jour in a delightful little skillet was a delectable split pea with puréed bacon and shrimp and cream on top. I had a hard time sharing it with B. My lovely large crab cake tarte over salad and endive with creamy dill sauce was similarly fantastic. Crisp outside, the cake was soft and flaky inside with just the right amount of vegetables.
His mignon of Berkshire pork wrapped in applewood bacon with Calvados cream sauce and vegetables was amazing, with hints of sugar and wonderfulness. It almost felt wrong that something could be so good. That didn’t stop us from devouring it and B sopping up all the sauce with bread, of course.
We had attentive, nice service without hovering. The waiter made sure we had everything we needed and left us alone to snuggle as much as possible, which we very much appreciated. I liked the fun art and atmosphere; there was a noisy private party in the bar up front but the restaurant is big enough that they didn’t bother us, and it was actually fun for a Saturday night. My only regret is that I haven’t come here more often.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $60 (2 apps, 1 entrée, no drinks)
Noise level: convivial hum
Chance of walking in: decent - it’s rather out of the way for most people and the space is large.
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12.31.08
Posted in French, Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 07:21 by Dominique
74 Orchard & Broome Sts., 212-260-5317 (now Bunny Chow, a South African restaurant)
Great for: everyone, salmon lovers, romance
My friend A and I planned a proper dinner this time. I wanted to come here before they stopped doing introductory pricing – $20.08 three-course prix fixe! – at the end of the month. Every time I walked by it looked irresistibly charming inside; it lives up to its appearance.
We were lucky enough to be seated upstairs. Even the bread was great. It looks like cornbread but is white, fluffy and hard outside. I was persuaded to eat it because of the delicious cherry and jalapeño butters. The amuse bouche, little airy bread halves, was also scrumptious. It looked like a teeny tiny slider with garlic butter and spinach inside.
Both of us got the seafood corn bisque with “gems of the sea,” which was creamy, smoky and a bit sweet. It might have been cream of mushroom, I wasn’t sure. They were generous with the terrific and fresh shrimp, scallops, lobster and mussels. I really liked it.
A’s roasted breast of free range hen with portebello [sic] truffle sauce was very good. It was, however, not as orgasmic as my steamed Atlantic salmon in green curry paste with thin chewy vegetable slices in saffron and champagne buerre blanc. I don’t even like curry nor is salmon my favorite fish, yet I loved it. I am so glad I followed the waitress’ advice to order it over the steak. It was the best salmon ever and its goodness made up for its small size.
I was a little afraid my dessert sampler would be anticlimactic but it was great too. There was ice cream, a chocolate square, a lemon square, and some apple pie thing that I actually enjoyed despite my usual distate for apple pastries. A’s sorbet trio of champagne, chocolate and blood orange was also lovely.
Our service was a bit slow but very friendly, a kink I’m sure they’ll work out with time. The whole experience was sweet and romantic, somehow. Maybe it was the décor. The food, while not always conversation-stopping, was extremely good and I look forward to visiting again with the Boyfriend. Especially since they still seem to be doing a very reasonable $27.50 prix fixe with five instead of three choices each for app and main.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $52 with soft opening $20.08 prix fixe, BYOB (prix fixe is now $27.50)
Noise level: convivial
Chance of walking in: it’s tiny so you probably need a res.
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12.23.08
Posted in French, Lower East Side, New York City Reviews at 01:29 by Dominique
188 Orchard & Houston Sts., 212-677-5200
Great for: classic brasserie food, a nice low-key time
I had a date with this guy Bar Owner. It was kinda weird because I’d met him ages ago and he waited three months to ask me out. I wasn’t really sure what the budget was so I thought of Zucco because it’s supposed to be pretty reasonable. He suggested Allen & Delancey, which I regretfully declined as I’d already reviewed it; I rather wish I’d said yes, because its chef Neil Ferguson left a little while later and who knows if it’s still as good. Zucco was very nice though, so it worked out that I thought of my bloggerly duty to you, dear Reader, and not just my tummy.
We both had the classic frisée aux lardons with a poached egg. The sauce was perhaps a bit lemony but overall it was very good. I would have preferred the salad to be a little more chopped, though when I think about it they generally do come with such giant leaves. I enjoyed the lovely, big, chewy cubes of bacon. Also the tons of delicious chives on the egg. Mmmm.
My Angus shell steak in peppercorn sauce with frites and salad was also great. Everything was perfectly done; the meat not chewy, the fries crispy. I felt virtuous eating the salad though probably the scrumptious, creamy peppercorn sauce canceled that out. His bar grille au fenouil – grilled sea bass with fennel served with cauliflower gratin – was quite good, although the orange pepper sauce was a bit bitter. That was probably from the fennel. The fish itself was crispy and decent, while the cauliflower was a good kind of bland. Perhaps seafood is not their forte quite as much as steak.
We shared a lovely $42 bottle of Sancerre in cute tiny doll glasses. I wonder sometimes if I am part Japanese, I have such an inordinate love for miniature anything. The restaurant itself is rather doll-like as well, but manages not to be too cramped. I did think the music was too loud though. It turned out that our hyper, amiable waiter was Zucco himself! He’s funny and very hospitable. I had a great time.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $125 ($42 bottle of Sancerre)
Noise level: cozy bistro
Chance of walking in: not great. It’s cute, but tiny.
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