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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09.12.11
Posted in Gramercy, Midtown Central, Midtown West, Murray Hill, New York City, New York City Reviews, Northern European, rated 9 to 10, small plates at 03:03 by Dominique
16 West 29th St. & Broadway/5th Avenue, 212-679-1939
Great for: basically everything on the food and cocktail menus
After hearing so much about April Bloomfield I was delighted to finally try her food for myself. It certainly lived up to the hyperbole!
The sausage roll is a very large pig in a wonderfully soft blanket. They make the sausage in-house with actual meat. It was so good I wanted to cuddle with it. (I know, that doesn’t really make sense.) I would wake up a hell of a lot earlier if I had one of these waiting for me every morning! The seafood sausage with beurre blanc and chives is a large, perfectly-spiced sculpture composed of nice big chunks of shellfish arranged in a vaguely sausage-y shape. It’s a “sausage” the way a Ferrari is a car.
The thrice-cooked chips (fries) with mustard might be the best ever. They were an impeccable balance of crispy outside with soft insides. Even their accompanying pickle wedges were delightful. The almonds are spicy and terrific too. If I liked marrow vegetables I would like the baby squash with parmesan. I think it could have used more spices but I didn’t eat that much of it.
The service was nice, though I haven’t eaten in the dining room yet. On the other hand, having drunk the entire cocktail menu (in two visits, it’s short), I can say with certainty that all the drinks are strong and tasty. This is a great place for meeting friends, making new ones, and generally having a grand old time in an otherwise semi-desolate area. The lobby bar is fun when you get tired of sitting, too.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $75
Noise level: very noisy
Chance of walking in: you can’t reserve, just go and have drinks until you don’t care how long you’ve been waiting.
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01.03.11
Posted in Asian, Chinatown/Little Italy, Chinese, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 16:25 by Dominique
14 Elizabeth & Canal/Bayard Sts., 212-964-5640
Great for: xiao long bao, scallion pancakes, pork belly special
Sometimes I remember that I live in Chinatown and there must be awesome random places there. Shanghai Garden sounded good to me and my neighbor Hagan the Wandering Foodie. Turns out they changed the name, for some reason.
To start we tried juicy dumplings with crab, which were awesome and a steal at $6.95. They had properly thin skin with lots of soup and pretty flavorful meat. The scallion pancakes were very thin and not as crispy as they looked, which I was surprised to really like.
As a half-Shanghainese girl I had to get the nian gao (rice cakes) with pork, shrimp and bok choy. It tasted strongly of the vegetables but the nian gao were somewhat bland. Overall, I found the dish nice but forgettable. Hagan’s walnut shrimp with cream sauce on a bed of nice broccoli was a bit sweet. The batter was crispy and yummy though we could do with less of it. It was definitely priced for white people at $14.95.
The special of thin-sliced pork belly with cabbage, scallions, peppers, mushrooms and tofu was the best of everything we had. Complex, in a very dark sauce, it was everything you want from braised meat. We ordered too much but couldn’t help finishing the pork anyway.
The waiters are friendly though their English skills aren’t great. It’s a nice, bright restaurant that closes a little later than Shanghai Café, so if you don’t make it over there before 9pm, you can at least get your appetizer fix here. And ask for the pork belly.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $55 (2 apps, 3 mains), cash only
Noise level: not bad
Chance of walking in: fine.
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12.31.10
Posted in Chelsea, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 18:16 by Dominique
53 West 19th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-255-4160
171 Spring St. & Thompson St./West Broadway, 212-343-4255
Great for: patatas bravas, razor clam special, pintxos morunos
I met Partner in Crime taking tennis lessons one winter and she’s been my adventure buddy ever since. Which is good, because I had a photo shoot for my samurai movie before I met up with her at the Flatiron Boqueria, so I was wearing not only pretty intense makeup but head-to-toe leather. And that was the most conservative outfit I could cobble together! Fortunately it is really dark inside and no one seemed to notice or care.
After waiting for an hour at the bar, we finally got to sit down. We did well to start with the patatas bravas. It’s a big dish with delicious spicy cream sauce over the top and tomato sauce on the bottom. The potatoes are crispy and a good bite size. The garlic-flavored salchichon (sausage) with bread and small olives is nice. I didn’t really taste any garlic in the many thin slices of meat. I quickly gave up on the extremely hard bread.
The special grilled razor clams with salsa verde remind me of calamari texture. They are interesting and yummy; I am not sure I’ve ever had any before, but I will from now on. Once I realized the pintxos morunos are not supposed to be piping hot, they were really good. They’re six nice-sized cubes of seared lamb marinated in lemon and cumin with salsa verde on skewers. The salsa verde is terrific, I could definitely lick a few spoonfuls of it.
The special scallop tapa with blackened market corn, eggplant, zucchini, fava beans and crispy jamón Serrano was lovely but a deceptively small dish. They literally mean one diver scallop sliced into four pieces. I didn’t taste the eggplant or zucchini (which I don’t like), surprisingly. The corn and blistered pepper were great. We finished with the classic gambas al ajillo, which is simply shrimp, garlic and Guindilla peppers in olive oil. It’s very nice but the plump, fresh shrimp are swimming in a ton of oil. The peppers are hot, be careful. I liked the paper-thin slices of garlic too.
While we were waiting I had a nice Poema brut and PC enjoyed a Señorio de Sarria Viñedo #7 from Navarra recommended by the bartender. You can try more wines by the glass than the menu shows, incidentally.
Our service was quite nice, especially considering how slammed the place was. And the ambience, of course, is very sexy, dark despite the many lights scattered around.
In general, the dishes have a lot of salt and oil. They’re good, but not subtle and there aren’t many flavors. I feel tapas can be better. I did not get that impression from Alta, for instance. If I didn’t have to wait so long for a table I would definitely consider trying some more things.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $110 (5 tapas, 2 glasses wine) before Blackboard Eats discount
Noise level: deafening
Chance of walking in: not good. You will wait a long time.
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12.07.10
Posted in Asian, East Village, Japanese, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 01:11 by Dominique
231 E.9th St. & 2nd/3rd Aves., 212-979-9674
Great for: skewers, kamameshi, atypical New York Japanese cuisine
My dear friend Dominique – she of the birthday that a shattered shoulder couldn’t make me miss – came along to help me use my Blackboard Eats discount. I like having grown-up girls’ dinners. It feels very chic and sophisticated. Whether two reformed club girls are as classy as we look now is another story, of course. (I like to think I improve myself every day.)
We started with the highly-recommended yuba gyoza, which were tofu sheet dumplings with minced chicken and shiso. They were bland, though salt and ponzu helped.
Since robatayaki is the restaurant’s raison d’être, we ordered mostly that. The special of corn was great, much better than you’d expect from what seems to be just a bit of corn on the cob with soy sauce. They did a great job with the filet mignon with wasabi and house dipping sauce, which tasted nutty and amazing. The tasty spiced lamb was also really good. The one misstep was the weird, kind of hard hotate (scallop) in umami sauce. Fortunately the last thing, young hamachi fillet with salt, was mainly tasty.
The waitress persuaded us to also get the kamameshi with salmon and salmon roe. Initially we thought rice with stuff on top would be nothing special. We were very happy to be proved wrong. It was so simple and yet so wonderful. I think I’ve seen this on other traditional menus and I will definitely be trying it again.
We rounded out our meal with some dessert. Two scoops of their green tea ice cream turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for. D tried the black sesame warabi mochi, made from bracken starch and covered with kinako soy bean flour and brown sugar syrup. It was quite nice, though not my cup of tea.
The waitresses were all very polite and helpful. The restaurant looks a little crazy in front but the back is quieter and it’s a fun atmosphere. This is good food in an area not known for its outstanding cuisine, so bravo to them.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $90 not including discount
Noise level: noisy
Chance of walking in: they are very busy, you should reserve.
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12.05.10
Posted in Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates, Spanish at 23:49 by Dominique
29 Clinton & Stanton Sts., 212-979-0002
Great for: sangria
I was technically not drinking for a while, in an ongoing attempt to slim down, but after two hours of very athletic tennis with the Pool Champion it was hard to resist the siren call of beautiful white sangria. Also we were sort of on a date and somehow I feel bad letting guys drink alone when they’re trying to impress me. It of course has nothing to do with how much I enjoy a nice drink.
We got some nibbles to replenish our energy too. The tapa of the day, scallops in pomegranate orange glaze on salad with mushrooms, was quite good. It was surprisingly not too sweet and the scallops had a lovely crunchy glaze. The croquetas de bacalao with aïoli were thick, not as fluffy as I expected and tasty. It was at least a very large amount of cod for the price. The dates stuffed with cheese wrapped in Serrano ham were only pretty good. Overall they were very sweet while the ham was basically a salt lick, so the flavors didn’t meld terribly well.
The white sangria is lovely. It’s refreshing, just the right strength and the embodiment of summer. I could use some of that right now in Manhattan winter.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $$60 (3 tapas, 3 sangrias)
Noise level: not too bad
Chance of walking in: decent.
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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 Asian, East Village, Japanese, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates at 03:28 by Dominique
119 2nd Ave. & 7th St., 212-982-4285
Great for: meat yakitori, gyoza, trying many small things
If you like to nosh on tons of little nibbles, as I do, this is the place for you. It even has decent ramen and happy hour deals.
Of the skewers, which are all $2, my favorites were the chicken breast and thigh with scallion. The shrimp was very tasty but overcooked, and the salmon was also good but the seasoning left something to be desired. The skirt steak was flavorful and slightly tough.
Beef ramen is quite good for only $7.99. The noodles are nice and chewy, and I very much enjoyed the ample amount of lovely shredded beef. I did have to add a lot of spices to the broth. And I really liked the six terrific gyoza for $2.99. They had properly thin skin, and though I could do with more meat I heartily recommend them.
Everyone was nice even if the service was a bit slow, and we were there around 4:30 pm, which I know is a weird time for the kitchen. I doubt it’s normally a problem. The food was good enough to jolly me out of a bad mood.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $40 (including green tea and a small bottle of Coke)
Noise level: probably loud when the NYU kids are there
Chance of walking in: probably not too bad.
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Posted in Chelsea, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 02:29 by Dominique
205 10th Ave. #1 & 22/23 Sts., 212-675-8805
Great for: croquettes, calamari, deviled eggs, potatoes
Since I’ve only lived on the east side of Manhattan, I have neglected Chelsea restaurants shamefully over the years. (Well, that’s mostly my dates’ faults.) Fellow eater Hagan of Wandering Foodie suggested lunch and it seemed as good an opportunity as any to pay a visit to the justly-famed Tía Pol.
We started with some very robust roasted chickpeas, which may have been cooked in bacon fat. Whatever my waistline has to say about that, my taste buds heartily approve. The crisp croquettes are also great here. The ham ones came with a béchamel or cheesy filling, it was hard to tell, and I didn’t really care because I was too busy devouring mine. The ham was of the quality you’d expect from a good Spanish restaurant. The special croquettes with creamed asparagus were also lovely and quite big, too.
I wasn’t sure about Hagan’s insistence on a calamari po’boy but it was terrific. The combination of aïoli, tomatoes and bitter greens was a great contrast to the delicious squid, which was only mildly rubbery. What a unique and well-done idea for a sandwich.
I loved the fantastic, creamy deviled egg al pimentón de la vera (paprika). It was exactly what I hoped for. There’s just something about deviled eggs – it’s a good thing they’re too much trouble to make at home, or I’d have really high cholesterol. The spicy lamb skewers, while decent, were the one misstep in the meal. They needed more flavor. They do have salt flakes on top but that’s not the same. We were happy to finish with the excellent patatas bravas with their spicy aïoli, crisp exteriors and soft insides.
We ate at the bar, which was pleasant, and I didn’t notice any lapses in service. The atmosphere is typical blond wood and sleek without being too hip. I can see myself making more of an effort to be in the neighborhood.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $50
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: it’s not that big, so you will probably have to wait. Parties of 6-8 can reserve.
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09.30.10
Posted in Lower East Side, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates, Spanish at 19:48 by Dominique
173 Orchard & Stanton Sts., 212.253-1900
Great for: empanadas, spicy picante sauce, non-foodie dates
I’d heard amazing things about the empanadas here. Thanks to a Blackboard Eats coupon, I see why I didn’t hear about anything else. The restaurant is decent, not a standout.
The discount gave us a mini-carafe of sangria and six mini-empanadas (roughly a $20 value) with the order of two entrées. We were completely delighted with the tiny empanadas. Other than the portabello, which I didn’t try because I hate mushrooms, the queso blanco, chicken, beef, pork and chorizo were all juicy and terrific. On the other hand, the similarly miniscule red pepper crab cakes with chipotle mayo were not amazing; just crisp outside and all crab inside. Not what a crab cake should be.
The clay pot dinners with Spanish fried rice and black beans are much bigger. My carne chorizada, ground sirloin in onion, garlic, tomato and vegetable stew, was somewhat flavorful. I found the copious addition of house picante sauce helped. It’s a little sour and has a Beckham-level kick to it. The best part of the camarones a la brazas – shrimp in mustard, sherry and dill, wrapped in bacon and grilled – was the bacon. The shrimp could have been cooked less.
The sangria is lovely. It’s a bit sweet and not too strong, and gives the feeling of an outdoor café in Spain. The service is efficient, though they weren’t packed. The décor kind of looks like a roomy grandma’s house with nooks and books and interesting mirrors inside lamps. It’s cute and actually quite large, as well as very dark. The music is quiet Spanish. As long as your date isn’t much of a foodie, the sangria, empanadas and romantic darkness should get you pretty far.
Rating: 6.5 / 10 (6 if not for empanadas)
Our cost: $90 without deal (tapas are $8, small plates $14, clay pots $14-24 – it’s not cheap)
Noise level: quiet enough for a date
Chance of walking in: not bad.
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