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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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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12.05.10
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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11.26.10
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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08.26.09
Posted in New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates, Spanish, West Village at 01:03 by Dominique
64 W.10th St. & 6th/5th Ave., 212-505-7777
Great for: tapas, sangria, getting crazy with a large group of friends, hanging out at the bar, impressing out-of-towners, dates
Motorcycle Guy and I agreed on this place for our date, which turned out to be a really good decision because although I’d been here a while back, I hadn’t reviewed it, and it turned out to still be yummy enough that I actually want to write about it. (Sometimes I just can’t be bothered if a place is mediocre and obscure. And my palate has developed to the point where often what was once good is now disappointingly eh.)
The warm salad of artichokes and haricots verts with crème fraîche truffle dressing was a nice start. The lamb meatballs in spiced butternut squash foam, toasted sesame seeds and lebne (a dense yogurt cheese) were also lovely. The foam could have been better, but then I don’t like any form of squash.
The two best dishes – I really couldn’t pick between them – were the Brussels sprouts and scallops. The sprouts come with Granny Smith apples, crème fraîche and pistachios, which sounds strange, but that bit of sweetness sets off the rest of the flavors. I LOVED it. I also loved the three big butterflied, roasted scallops in artichoke purée and yuzu mayonnaise with salmon caviar. Tender, juicy and terrific, I only wished there were more (and an even number).
The yogurt-marinated lamb skewers with okra and eggplant in green leek sauce were a setback in an overall pleasant meal. I hated the vegetables, which were an unpleasant surprise, and the lamb was fine but a bit too sweet. Fortunately, the whole rack of Danish ribs roasted with kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) and coriander made up for that. Though they could have been moister, they were very satisfying.
We rounded out the meal with an absolutely scrumptious warm chocolate cake topped with coconut sorbet, passionfruit emulsion and chocolate rum sauce. It literally melted in our mouths. I found myself actually eating more than a few bites of it, despite not usually being a huge dessert fan.
It was fun sitting in the semi-secret back room that you can only reach through the kitchen. A bit sexier than the rest of the place, which is nice but loud and packed. The décor is a little cluttered, though still good for dates. Our waitress was attentive and helpful. I’m so glad the food hasn’t stopped being great. And if you’re there with a bunch of people, get the “whole shebang” – everything on the menu for $400. Did that once, it’s so worth it. Plus the sangria is killer.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $110 (1 drink)
Noise level: music at a good level, loud people, quiet back room
Chance of walking in: they’re very popular, so definitely call ahead.
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05.10.09
Posted in Meatpacking District, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5, small plates, Spanish at 00:32 by Dominique
405 W.14th St. & 9th/10th Aves., 212-366-1640
Great for: tapas, red snapper chicharrón, cocktails, people watching
Software Guy thoughtfully picked a restaurant I haven’t reviewed for our date. He also proved himself to be really thoughtful later when some jackass stole my phone and he helped me get it back even though it took 15 hours. (No, I’m not kidding.) Happily, the night started out well.
The almejas villa clara, littleneck clams in Hoegaarden beer and saffron broth with cilantro and garlic, were pretty good. I preferred the giant papitas rellenas filled with ground sirloin. Their accompanying tomato sauce was sour in a good way. The generous amount of chorizo in hot oil was also satisfying. The empanadillas with sautéed spinach and Manchego cheese are small and heavy, a good dish in small doses.
The lovely calamari were on a different level. Large but tender, they were also easy to bite through. The best was definitely the chicharrón de pargo, lightly breaded red snapper with tartar sauce. It came in nice big flaky chunks and I had a hard time not scooping up every last piece.
We tried several of the cocktails, all of which I can recommend. I think the guava jalapeño martini and bellito were the best. Our waiters were pretty attentive and it’s a fun place. It’s quite large, but I’ve never see it less than packed all the years it’s been open. Side note: we saw Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman filming their new movie outside on our way out!
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $195
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: you should probably reserve.
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04.15.09
Posted in Midtown East, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates, Spanish at 02:54 by Dominique
247 E.50th St. & 3rd/2nd Aves., 212-752-1414
Great for: sharing, live music, fun inexpensive dinner, dates
This was a very busy day for me. I was out the night before, and slept about an hour before taking off at 6am to snowboard. Around noon I caught an edge and flipped several times before landing on my shoulder and (fortunately helmeted) head. We had to go back to Manhattan so I could see a doctor without paying a fortune. Turned out my clavicle was broken in three totally displaced pieces. The doctor actually said as he showed me the x ray, “So this is pretty bad…”
- I think he was understating it, actually.
But I’d had enough hydrocodone, Percocet and Vicodin that I wasn’t crying any more and I made it to my dear friend Dominique’s birthday dinner in acceptable time.
We started with a bunch of small plates. The trio of croquettas was great. I couldn’t decide which was my favorite among the pork, crab and cauliflower. They were all interesting combinations, though tiny. The empanadas with veal, roasted red pepper, currant and salsa verde were all right, not special. I liked the crisp thin outsides – unfortunately the insides didn’t quite measure up. Everyone except me loved the sweet and salty plantains with sea salt caramel, cilantro and crème fraîche. But then I hate plantains. I found them a little sweet though nice otherwise. The roasted fingerling potatoes with chipotle aioli were more my speed. We liked the tiny beef and pork meatballs, though they were a tad dry. Also, the tamarind-chipotle barbecue sauce was too sweet and abundant.
I think the best thing we ate was the crisp, small and tender calamari in five spice corn flour. The chipotle mayo sauce was great, the squid so well-executed it could have been fish! We definitely wanted more despite the generous size of the dish. Though the grilled shrimp and asparagus over rice with chorizo and creamy shallot vinaigrette was smaller than we thought it’d be, it was also very good, especially the sour note of the sauce contrasting with the cream.
P, our lone vegetarian, found the ensalada tropical with fruits, nuts and cheese sweet but refreshing. His special vegetarian plate was ok, but they pretty much brought the exact things we asked them not to. The flight of three ceviches is a good bet. The mango snapper was tiny and all right; I liked the decent amount of tuna better, and the salmon, though a bit sour, the best.
We loved the rich Grand Marnier chocolate cake with vanilla anglaise and raspberry sauce. They even put a candle in it for Dominique, and the two members of the Gipsy Kings performing in the front sang her happy birthday! Apparently they have live music here often. We enjoyed the El Besito cocktail with cava, strawberry and rose syrup so much we mainly just ordered that. The espumosos are good too.
Our waitress wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier but she tried at least. The restaurant is quite big with two long rooms. I liked the lovely granite tabletops, minimalist décor and nice candlelit ambience. It would be great for a date and it was certainly fun for Dominique’s party.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $350 for 6 people (5 small plates, 3 apps, ceviche flight, veg plate, 11 cocktails)
Noise level: the live music was loud but it rocked
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
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09.11.08
Posted in New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates, Spanish, West Village at 17:11 by Dominique
823 Greenwich & Horatio Sts., 212-929-8210
Great for: alliophiles (garlic lovers), sangria
My friend Matthew and I kind of randomly picked this spot for its location. Poor Matt got lost along the way because I forgot to tell him Greenwich Street, not Avenue. As I waited for him, a weird guy at the bar tried very persistently to get me to try one of his meatballs. He said they were really good, but I wasn’t about to eat some disturbing stranger’s food.
After Matt rescued me and we ordered, they brought us complimentary salad with a nice dressing. My shrimp à la diablo with tomato sauce, onion and green pepper was decent, not peppery as the adjective would suggest. His shrimp cocktail turned out to be baby shrimp in a very garlicky, somewhat spicy sauce. It was great. Probably my favorite thing we had.
In an effort not to over-order we shared an entrée of Valenciana paella with chicken, sausage, clams, mussels, scallops and shrimp. It was pretty good. It would have been very good but the chorizo was a bit dry, the shrimp unflavored and the shellfish just ok. The scallops were juicy and great though, and I liked the flavor of the rice. The dish was so huge, we only finished half.
We had a pitcher of just-right sangria, not too strong or sweet. I can’t say the same for the service. They barely paid attention to us, and I had a saucer for a bread plate. It was fine, since I don’t eat bread; I just think the difference between a regular plate and a saucer with a circle in it is pretty noticeable. The place wasn’t that busy, either, so I’m not sure why they were so lackadaisical. It’s a cozy space with a lot of filigree metalwork, which I preferred to the faded amateur frescos decorating the walls. I’d only come for the shrimp cocktail plus sangria.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $80 (1 pitcher of sangria)
Noise level: room is small, so you’re out of luck if there’s a table full of loud drunks.
Chance of walking in: pretty good, we didn’t wait at 8pm.
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08.22.08
Posted in East Village, French, New York City, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5, small plates, Spanish at 00:17 by Dominique
[I finished acting school but had to start a corporate project immediately thereafter. They're not so keen on the blogging during work hours, so posts will probably still be slow.]
239 E.5th St. & 2nd Ave., 212-979-1012
Great for: adventurous palates, oenophiles, people with quiet taste in interiors
Tuesday was the first day Commodities Broker and I could get a reservation here – they book up quickly, and there are only eighteen seats. I was pretty excited. It’s a sister restaurant to Jewel Bako, one of my favorite sushi places in New York. In fact, they share a door.
We opted for the $50 five-course tasting and $45 wine pairing, as most of the things we would have ordered were in the tasting. I’d had a really stressful day so we got a head start on the vino with a lovely large flute each of 2004 Llopart Leopardi brut rosé. Our first course was crudo of seasonal bonito with almonds, strawberries, asparagus, shiso flowers and marcona almonds in a red wine reduction. The lightness of the other ingredients, especially the almonds, offset the heavy-tasting fish well. I enjoyed the pairing with a 2006 Chardonnay.
Next, we had a crazy concoction of slowly poached egg, jamón Serrano, chorizo, smoked cheese foam and rice cracker-crusted asparagus. Somehow it all worked. The egg almost melted in my mouth, while the ham was balanced perfectly between chewy and soft. The slight blandness of the broth was a great contrast. It was a bit salty; you’ll need chapstick afterward. The 2007 rioja blanca was another lovely pairing.
I enjoyed our last appetizer of grilled octopus confit over potatos, caramelized cipollini onions, celery and piquillo pepper salad covered in micro cilantro emulsion. The octopus was a bit chewier than I’d like but nicely charred. I generally don’t even like octopus (everything in the eight-legged family is too rubbery for me) so this was quite good – enough that I managed to finish the disturbingly large tentacle, with the help of generous swallows of 2005 Ribeiro blanco.
For the main course we had suckling pig garnished with tomatillo, velvet pioppini mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, lemon zest and Fresno peppers. I really enjoyed the sauce - not so much the inch of fat on one side. But overall it was satisfyingly spicy and salty, with tender yet firm meat. The red Pago Fiorentino pairing nicely soothed the excitement caused by the spices.
Last, we had a terrific twice-caramelized torija (brioche) and raspberries and citrus. The fruit cut the sweet softness of the bread, which was crunchy outside and soft like custard inside. I could have had a bit more of it. Definitely more of the delicious Château Lafon Sauternes as well.
The service and decor matched the food in excellence. Our waitress was lovely, and the chefs were quiet and focused, just like at Ko, but emanating much more good humor. It’s amazing how many completely different beautiful wineglasses they have. Every time we had a new wine, it was a pleasant surprise to see what kind of glass it would come in. The whole place shows attention to detail without looking fussy. The stone tiles make it feel homey, while the quality of the materials keep it refined. After the sodium-fest that was Mercat and the fiasco politely called Fiamma, it was delightful to just have a great meal. I’d come back here any day.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $285 ($50 5-course tastings + $45 wine pairings + 2 $14 flutes of champagne)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: very low. Reserve at least 3 days ahead, even for an early weekday.
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