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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12.29.10
Posted in Asian, fusion, Latin, Midtown East, Murray Hill, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 9 to 10 at 04:58 by Dominique
622 3rd Ave. & 40th St., 212-808-8110
Great for: large parties, dates, fusion made wonderful, eating healthy
I didn’t know what to expect from Zengo. When the Pool Champion and I pulled up, though, I realized I’d been to the two restaurants that had been in this space before. This one is definitely the best of the three.
On the recommendations of our terrific, pretty waitress, we got a bunch of starters and one main dish. I honestly cannot tell you which was the best, they were all so good. The rainbow ceviche of tuna, salmon, fluke, vegetables, puffed rice and ponzu was lovely and not too sour. We loved the fresh fish in nice even chunks. I even liked the accompanying plantain chips. The steamed buns al pastor, filled with braised pork belly, pickled pineapple, avocado and chile Fresno were really interesting and delicious.
The wagyu tiradito is also unique and awesome. It basically looks like a scallion and asparagus roll with beef laid on top. It’s spicy with miso mustard and sort of creamy, accompanied by a truffle ponzu sauce which rocks. We also got salted edamame.
We made our one entrée count with the grilled Colorado lamb loin with edamame, corn, cherry tomato and pearl onion in hoisin-adobo sauce. I tasted ginger too. It was so tender, juicy and well-flavored. The only imperfection was that the roasted corn is sometimes a little burnt.
Of course we had to try their tequila snow cones I’d read about in UrbanDaddy. You get three different ones per order – we had strawberry, tamarind and hibiscus. I’m not sure why they put them in flimsy paper, but I guess that is why you have to slurp them fast. The strawberry is best, the hibiscus is fine. Don’t bother with the tamarind.
PC persuaded me to have a cocktail with him. I can heartily recommend the Mekhong pina and the cucumber mojito. They have many more cocktails which I would like to try when I am officially drinking again.
They have this adorable and clever taco-holding contraption that you should check out just for geek points. The décor is Alhambra meets upscale S&M party with a unique chandelier. It’s a cavernous space, sexy and not too dim. Early on it seems to be a corporate after-work spot (we are in midtown, after all) though with a naughty feel, and the crowd gets younger and hipper as the night goes on. The bar looks like a lot of fun too.
Latin-Japanese fusion is a great idea, more restaurants should do it – they both use lots of fresh seafood and spices, it totally matches! I am coming back soon.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $140 before Blackboard Eats discount (4 small, 1 main, 1 dessert, 3 drinks)
Noise level: Noisy but not too bad. We could hear each other over the table even when leaning back.
Chance of walking in: The place is enormous but on the other hand so popular I would err on the safe side and reserve ahead.
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03.30.10
Posted in Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, Union Square at 01:08 by Dominique
137 4th Ave. & 13th St., 212-677-7300
Great for: Mexican in Union Square, eating standing up, well-executed meat
I thought the Boyfriend would be delighted I was willing to eat Mexican – he was fairly happy with the food here, just not the price. He feels Chipotle is a slightly better value. Considering they get Niman Ranch pork and other high-quality ingredients over there, I sort of agree. Dos Toros only specifies the source of its chicken. They do pack the tacos super full of meat but the tacos are quite tiny. And, of course, the waiting would drive me crazy. We got lucky and snagged seats and service immediately.
I tried all three tacos – carnitas (pork), pollo asado and carne asada. The shells are very crispy, though not after they’re overstuffed with the super juicy meat. Seriously, I could barely open my mouth wide enough. I really enjoyed them. The accompanying veggies are fresh and crispy. I’d say three tacos is ample; I probably would have been ok with just two. I was a little annoyed the guy didn’t tell me they charge extra for guacamole, and just slyly asked, “Would you like some guac?” B liked his steak quesadilla, which tasted a bit different from my steak taco, in a toasty nutty way. It was a good size, maybe a bit on the small side.
They make a big deal about doing a whole sustainable thing, which is a gimmick as far as I’m concerned, since it is merely smart business practice, but you can feel good about eating here. The place is tiny. You’ll almost certainly need to have your food to go. It might be nice before movies at the Regal, especially in the summer.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $25 (3 tacos, 1 quesadilla, a mango Jarritos)
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: there is a curb outside that you can sit on, though I’d walk the extra few blocks to the park.
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01.06.10
Posted in East Village, Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5 at 02:42 by Dominique
304 E.6th St. & 2nd/1st Aves., 212-253-5888
Great for: tequila lovers with deep pockets, dainty eaters
I wanted to do something nice for the Boyfriend, and we’d decided to move in together the next week (I know, I know, crazy fast, but it’s working), so I figured what could be better than taking a Mexican food- and drink-loving guy to a tequila bar/restaurant? Turns out I should probably have taken him to Crema, although we did find a lovely new tequila we both like.
We started off with good croquetas. The one of chorizo was slightly better than the cheese and smoked tomato one. We preferred the seared shrimp and scallops stuffed with chorizo and roasted sweet pepper. They came in skewers and we could have eaten a few more, for sure.
I also enjoyed his tacos with chicken, cilantro, radishes and lime. They were insanely hot in places – someone definitely didn’t understand how crucial dicing and spreading out peppers is – and otherwise crispy and quite nice. My entraña with chimichurri over summer corn pudding with pico of tomato, radish, red onion and Mexican oregano was only fine. It felt like a small amount of steak. I enjoyed the pudding, at least. We definitely needed more tequila to forget how much we were being charged for eh food.
The cocktails are pretty good. I liked the suro-mago, though I was puzzled that it came in half a tumbler. I don’t know why they didn’t just put it in a smaller glass. The amor morado came in a more appropriately sized container and was also good. The Boyfriend said his margarita was good, not terrific, despite people saying it’s Mayahuel’s specialty (but then the Cali boy is picky). He loved his 2 ounces of Siete Leguas, which is strong-tasting yet approachable. It was so good, we got a bottle at Astor Wines later.
This is an overpriced, New York-y type of place. Our waitress knowing her tequila saved them half a point. It’s pretty decent compared to some of the swill that passes for Mexican here, but at these prices I kind of expect a little more, and a bit better, food.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $135 (regular dinner + 4 cocktails)
Noise level: noisy until late
Chance of walking in: not great, but it’s still new.
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12.10.09
Posted in Flatiron, Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates at 19:04 by Dominique
31 W.17th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-675-7223
Great for: dates, trying something new (and delicious)
I was supposed to go out with P ages ago but I broke my shoulder, and he was busy, then I was busy, and it just ended up happening six months later. I gave him a couple choices and Aldea emerged the winner, in more ways than one.
His appetizer of shrimp alhinho could have been cooked less, but it was nice, with smoky sauce and a generous four shrimp. Despite the presence of mushrooms I was delighted with the peas and bacon. And not just because I love bacon; the peas were tasty and firm, and all the flavors went together very well.
His arroz con pato was terrific. We loved the cracklings and chorizo, though not so much the apricot purée, and the duck was totally addictive. I would be so happy if the little Chinese restaurants near me would make fried rice this way! My Niman Ranch pork loin over corn and bacon with potato cubes was also great. There was lots of pork and something pickled that sharpened the taste of everything else. I liked how the meat was quite tender. It could maybe have come off the fire a tad earlier but overall it was really impressive. For once, I found the entrées better than the apps. It is usually the other way around.
To finish we got the strawberry tasting. I loved the mousse-like semifreddo and the sorbet. The black pepper biscuit was funny but actually quite nice with the strawberries & cream. I was very glad we ordered it.
The service tends toward the crazy attentive; they told us everything in every dish as it was set it down. Our waiter was very nice, patient and friendly while also leaving us alone enough. Plus the restaurant is decorated in the most tasteful blue and silver – it looks so carefully designed I was afraid to knock into things. If this is what Portuguese cuisine is like, I can’t wait to go to Lisbon. (Although my understanding is that this is more fusion than traditionally Portuguese.)
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $110
Noise level: low, especially upstairs, and the music is a good volume
Chance of walking in: probably not high. It’s delicious.
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11.04.09
Posted in Latin, Midtown East, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 02:11 by Dominique
200 Park Ave. & 44th St., 212-867-6767
Great for: business lunches, sangria, skate
I used to work at Jovia, and I was a fan of Sumile and Bar Fry, so I always follow Josh DeChellis’ career with affection and interest. (That, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with him saying I was the prettiest hostess at Jovia. And being unfailingly kind.) He is a terrific chef, if sometimes a bit ahead of his time. I was delighted when my friend P suggested La Fonda and happy with my food, though he wasn’t quite as satisfied.
I decided to be adventurous and get the scallops tiradito appetizer with chiles, citrus, tomato and cilantro. I rarely enjoy raw scallops, Momofuku Ko being the notable exception, so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy these. The sauce may have been a tad too strong for the delicate scallops but at least it wasn’t a face-puckering citrus fest as ceviche often is. P’s pickled red and yellow watermelon salad with avocado and jalapeño-pickled onion was odd and pretty good. The salad leaves were still the best part, though.
I very much liked my skate wing special entrée with fingerling potatoes, onions, potatoes and peppers. The veg were all a bit pickled, maybe from a sauce that seemed to be red pepper coulis, but the skate was absolutely scrumptious and perfectly browned. Unfortunately, the bass special (instead of snapper) with saffron, tomato and calamari did not measure up. The rather large filet was a bit dry and overcooked, and the overall dish was small for its hefty price.
We figured cookies for dessert would be a safe bet. They give you 10 (two each of five types) plus a chocolate. Two-thirds were good and we liked the chocolate. It probably wasn’t the best use of $9. The sangrias, on the other hand, were both lovely. I liked my rosé and he liked his red – they had just some fruit, and weren’t too heavy.
We had very polite service in a very busy dining room. It’s an enormous space, 1.5 levels near Grand Central, and has that nice sleek corporate chrome-and-glass look. I wasn’t thrilled with it but I wouldn’t mind returning to try some different things.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our price: $160 (3 glasses of sangria + dessert)
Noise level: not bad
Chance of walking in: dinner may be easier than lunch.
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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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12.28.08
Posted in Greenwich Village, Latin, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, West Village at 17:59 by Dominique
111 W.17th St. & 6th Ave., 212-691-4477
Great for: converting people who hate Mexican food, lots of cocktails, celebrations
I generally love or hate foods (mostly for textural reasons). I’m good about trying them again periodically, though. Mexican is probably the only cuisine I don’t like across the board, since I’m decidedly not a fan of plain rice, beans, avocados or raw tomatoes. I find the spices boring and I try to avoid cheese, so that kind of knocks out most options. However, I heard from a few people that Crema was the best Mexican food in the city, so my friend D and I checked it out. She’s from Cali so I figured she could tell me how good it really was.
I am so glad we came. Not only did I love it, D said it stacked up pretty well against California. My four taquitos de chilorio, slow-cooked pork mini tacos with chile ancho, oregano and jalapeño vinegar, chipotle-cilantro drizzle and cream, were awesome. The spice and the cream is a great combination.
My main of flautas (crispy corn tortillas) with shredded chicken, cheese, corn and caramelized onions and three salsas was amazing. The tomatillo-avocado, chili aioli paste and velvety pinto bean salsas were all creamy and yummy though the chili aioli was my favorite. I found myself actually liking chicken, as I so rarely do, and by extension liking Mexican for the first time. D’s adobo-marinated grilled skirt steak tacos with cowboy beans and corn tortillas was fantastic. The juicy meat was very good and I even liked the beans with chorizo on top and chicken mixed in.
Although I’m sure it would have been wonderful, I’m glad I didn’t order a side because it left just enough room for dessert. We shared the pastel de tres leches, a sponge cake soaked in three milks and mango syrup with dulce de leche ice cream. It was mind-blowing. The spongy moist goodness of the little cake looked like cottage cheese and tasted like heaven. I am not kidding, if you have a sweet tooth you need to go devour this immediately. I even liked the coconut caramel topping though I usually despise coconut in any form.
I was sticking with the not-drinking thing (it’s kind of hard, what do you do socially in NYC after 10pm if you don’t drink?) so D dutifully had a cocktail in my stead. The Colada Monterrey, a mixture of light and dark rums, coconut syrup and pineapple juice with a cinnamon-chile rim was good. There might have been too much spice on the rim, but it showed a deft mixologist behind the bar. They have an extensive cocktail list and when I start drinking again I intend to sample much of it.
I found our service leisurely, though we took quite a while to order so that was possibly partly our fault. It’s a long, colorful dining room that invites dallying and celebration. I mean I really didn’t have anything to celebrate except cleaning up at the Escada sample sale earlier ($40 pants and $60 heels – yes, I believe I will, thank you), but the excellence of the food certainly made me feel like I was.
Rating; 8.5 / 10 (still, after February 2010 visit)
Our cost: $105 (1 app, 2 mains, 1 cocktail, 1 dessert)
Noise level: quiet on Sunday but it probably gets noisy
Chance of walking in: decent.
Took a boyfriend from California here for his birthday in February 2010 and it was just as good. Their guacamole is tangy, not too creamy, and overall very tasty. I think we did the Restaurant Week deal. I can heartily recommend the tortita de cangrejo (crab cake), barbacoa taco, melt-in-the-mouth scallops, enchiladas suizas, goat milk caramel cheesecake (like flan and cheesecake had a love child with hints of peanut butter) and Mexican strawberry shortcake. I enjoyed my ginger martini, he liked his margarita, and the Crema cosmo is great. Still my favorite Mexican restaurant anywhere.
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12.23.08
Posted in Latin, Lower East Side, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5 at 02:32 by Dominique
253 Broome & Orchard/Ludlow, 212-228-6710
Great for: cocktails, making new friends in close quarters
It was the worst of times, it was a dark and depressing night… My beloved Chanel 2.55 bag was stolen. I’d had it for all of three months and some bitch apparently decided to go shopping when we were at the same bar. Thank goodness I had renter’s insurance, which covered it and its contents. Nevertheless, I was still distraught 24 hours later, and my best friend E offered to take me out to dinner to take my mind off it (and feed me, since I had no access to funds). She’s a sweetheart.
She had already kind of eaten before we talked, so she just shared stuff with me. For an app I tried the arrachera tacos with avocado, cilantro and onion. They were pretty good, though the soft taco and enormous avocado slices were a little much for me. I liked the steak cubes the best.
The camarones borrachos, fresh shrimp sautéed in tequila, guajillo chiles and garlic over green rice with avocado and tortillas, was likewise decent. I was surprised to find myself really liking the rice. I think the shrimp could have been cooked a tad less but it was still quite yummy. I didn’t see any chiles. Overall the food was okay; not great, certainly not bad either, just a cut above middling.
I liked my strawberry vanilla margarita a lot. It tasted very strongly of vanilla, which I love. E’s coconut mojito was good at first but then not so much. Perhaps too much soda water? We also thought the sangria had too much red wine. It was fine, but definitely not worth waiting even if I didn’t hate waiting.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $55 (1 person eating, 3 drinks)
Noise level: the music is fine, the people are loud
Chance of walking in: Ha! Good luck. Sunday 9pm wasn’t too bad, but it’s always hopping whenever else I walk by.
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