a very new york tasting menu

i eat a lot. but sometimes, i eat more than even i usually eat. it's usually a combination of worn-out, sleep-depraven and hungover.

before i leave for china, i like to eat an array of the foods i might not have access to while i'm there. i usually do it over a week. instead, i did this over a day. and i really got a taste of new york.

lunch... i thought i'd check out the new outpost of sandwich shop, defonte's of brooklyn. it has a great location on the corner of 21st and 3rd avenue. the doors open up to the sidewalk, which is good, because the space is narrow once you add the tables, people, etc. since it was my first time, i went classic with the nicky special (#1) - ham, provolone cheese, fried eggplant, marinated mushrooms, hot salad, zucchini, O&V, seeded italian bread. i thought it was great - a little spicy, i absolutely loved the fried eggplant. i think it's large enough for 1.5 normal eaters. when i ordered the same thing as the guy in line in front of me, he turned to me and asked me if i wanted to split the sandwich. i laughed at him.

dinner... the boyfriend of one of my besties was moving back to sydney (australia!), and he totally enjoys fine dining. what could be finer than eleven madison park? but this was an odd meal... the last 2x i had been, eleven madison park was wowing, completely spot-on, and just phenomenal. this time... i was less impressed. here's why:

1) service - previously i've been blown away by the almost overly attentive service; however, this night (a friday), it felt like amateur night. i asked twice for the purse hook, an amenity i totally appreciate at EMP and is generally offered, not asked for, and i was only remembered after one was brought for my girlfriend. we waited a painstakingly long time between 1st and 2nd courses. at one point, they'd brought our meal out, but had forgotten to replace the silverware they'd taken. our waiter suggested more bread to my S.O. but then never brought it out. we ordered cocktails, and we had to ask two different people about them after we didn't receive them for a noticeable period. and they'd obviously been sitting around because the ice had melted.

2) food - we did 2 spring tasting menus and 2 pork tasting menus with 1wine pairing for each.
spring menu
amuse bouche - cucumber smoked salmon; tart; foie gras terrine; fried sweetbread pouch
sabayon - creamy soup with sturgeon
asparagus - white asparagus and green pencil asparagus with asparagus ice cream, parmagiano reggiano and jamon iberico - outstanding, loved the ice cream
atlantic turbot - slow-cooked with spring peas, lemon thyme and olive oil - salty, overly fragrant
nova scotia lobster - poached with spring carrots and citrus sabayon - perfectly tender but unremarkable, very rich
milk fed veal - glazed with ris de veau, morel panna cotta and fava beans - unbelievable, super tender tenderloin, delicious flavor
"strawberry cheesecake" - two bubbles one with liquid cheesecake, one with strawberry, amazing - burst with flavor in your mouth
mint chocolate chip - ice cream sandwich with araguani chocolate - gross, ice cream wasnt good, the chocolate wafers had little flavor, the fresh mint was overwhelming for the subtle chocolate
mignardises - meringue cookies in 8 flavors, black sesame, black olive & white chocolate, chocolate, PB&J, lavender & chocolate, brown butter & banana - i don't remember all of them, but the olive/white chocolate combo and brown butter/banana and PB&J were my faves.

four-story hill suckling pig seasonal 5-course tasting menu
same amuse bouche
sabayon - creamy soup with ham
tete de cochon - terrine made with different parts of pig head - very yummy
pork a la francaise - braised pork belly - amazing
crispy suckling pig - same prep as their menu item in winter
rack of pork - good
same desserts, same mignardises

next time i would do the pork menu. it was really quite good, but very rich and heavy. or else i would just do the 3-course. although i'm dying to do the gourmand (chef's selection of 11 courses $175).

3) other - it was disappointing that the chef, daniel humm, didn't do the meet & greet in the dining room this time. maybe that's only a weeknight thing?
one of my favorite indulgences that eleven madison provides are the two types of butter: salted goat's milk and unsalted sheep's milk offered with fleur de sel on the side.

4) bevvies - the wine pairings were good, and i loved that they served a not-sweet sherry at the beginning of the meal. we also LOVED the riedel glass they used to pair with the veal. it really helped capture the nose of the wine.
i generally enjoy the cocktails here (fine, everywhere). i started with the rosita before dinner. then a sloe & steady. and finally, stuck with the silhouette (which my S.O. also loved, so we shared most of the time). my girlfriend drank the cumulunimbus pretty much the entire time.

5) cost - the bill was pretty expensive, but we were there to indulge. between their engagement (they're getting married in december!), the farewell dinner and my departure for china, there were a lot of finals.

after-dinner snack... halal truck:
on the way home from eleven madison park, i couldn't help myself... i love the halal truck on madison btwn 27th/28th. the aroma tempts you from far, far away. there are always cabbies stopped there (good sign!). plus the guys who work there at night are so friendly. i always get a platter of lamb, chicken and/or kofta (i usually do a combo - when i'm hammered, i call it the "whole shebang") which comes with fries, rice and salad. be sure you ask for the white sauce AND hot sauce. last night i asked for it less spicy, and it's not as good.

defonte's of brooklyn
261 3rd ave at 21st street
new york, ny 10010
212/614.1500

eleven madison park
11 madison ave at 24th street
new york, ny 10010
212/889.0905

i could eat here every day

sushi yasuda is an ethereal experience that all sushi lovers should experience at least once (and i hope not only once) in their lives.

last night i indulged at sushi yasuda with two friends who, like me, enjoy their food, especially sushi. as always, we sat at the sushi counter and put our fate in the hands of the talented chef yasuda. i can't go through everything we ate; it would be impossible to remember.

when you sit down with chef yasuda, he is welcoming and friendly. if he recognizes you, he is even more warm, and since he knows your tastes, he just confirms your plan. before he knows you, he'll talk to you. he'll teach you, if you're interested in learning. he'll joke with you (he's very funny). he's a character, and he understands and reads people.

then the meal begins. first let's talk rice. his rice is perfect. he doesn't use too much. if he knows you'll be eating a lot (which i always do), he'll try to balance the amount of rice so you don't fill up too quickly. it's perfectly seasoned (not too sweet or vinegary) and perfectly sticky.

as for fish, he'll begin with what's freshest. last night happened to be a good evening for the yellowtail family. warasa, shimaaji... spectacular. and the kanpachi, which he told us came from a 7+lb fish, rather than approximately 4.5lbs (the usual weight) - it was divine.

his eel is fantastic. he'll use different preparations for various cuts of the same and different eels, and then you'll do an eel flight going from most delicate to most strong. your tastebuds sing.

the uni - oh the uni - yasuda only gets the best uni. last night we had two different unis - the usual from santa barbara and another, less common, from maine. the maine uni was lighter, more delicate, but clean. the santa barbara was sweeter, stronger, but delicious.

the mirugai and its himo - two parts of the giant clam, both so tasty, but such contrasting flavors and textures - it's amazing how one clam can produce both pieces.

yasuda only uses one type of oyster: peace passage oysters. from washington state, they have a slight briny flavor like east coast oysters, but are rounded out by a creaminess that's known with west coast oysters. and they're big. yum.

we only had one piece of toro last night, which was disappointing, but this was because it wasn't the best fish of the night.

we had other fish (coho salmon, white king salmon, sumi squid legs, octopus - love his octopus, a clam from korea - toregai, i think, hotate, hotate himo - mmmm, jack mackerel, sayori, kinmedai... i'm sure there was more), and every bite was delightful.

we finished with two hand rolls - uni and ikura. the seaweed, two different kinds, were both unbelievable. yasuda uses the best grade seaweed available, and as he prepares them, the aroma of the toasted seaweed wafts to your nostrils and excites your palate for what's to come. next time i need to remember to ask how yasuda prepares his ikura. it was the perfect end to the perfect meal.



the most astonishing part is that yasuda remembers everything you've had that night. and when you've finished your meal, he ticks it off on a piece of paper and gives it to the waitress.

the service is, as expected, perfect. the meal is mouth-watering, even when you're full.

now here are the yasuda rules: 1) do not be late for your reservation. if you're more than 10 minutes late, you lose it. no exceptions. 2) your seating is 1.5 hours. you can linger if the next party has not arrived, but if they have, they will kick you out. 3) do not dip his perfectly seasoned rice in soy sauce. yasuda seasons each piece with sauce so that you don't require any additional wasabi or soy sauce. but if you do, do not disrespect his rice with soy sauce.

and that's it... the most amazing meal in new york. if i ever win the mega million lottery (note this meal is NOT recession friendly), i'll eat here every day that i'm in new york and yasuda's working. that's a promise.


sushi yasuda
204 east 43rd street btwn 2nd/3rd aves
new york, ny 10017
212/972.1001

an average burger

after 2+ weeks in china for work, i come home with hankerings. i always want artisanal for a cheese-filled meal (no one eats cheese in china), amazing new york-style pizza and a delicious juicy burger.

so when a friend returned from his three-week jaunt through tokyo, hong kong, beijing and shanghai, i asked him what he craved while he was gone. maybe he's not as food-driven as i am because he didn't seem to crave anything, but when i mentioned my usual cravings, he seemed quite keen for a burger.

we headed to black iron burger shop, a new-ish (august 2008) bare-bones burger spot that he frequents. they griddle-fry their burgers rather than flame-grill, and although it doesn't look green, they minimize waste, only serve keg beer and even their griddle is energy-efficient. decor is minimal - wooden tables/floor, many ketchup bottles surrounding you and a mirrored board with beer specials. acoustics might be less than stellar; it was loud for a wednesday night, but it wasn't busy.

the burgers are thin patties, not like my favorite shake shack juicy hockey puck, and it didn't ooze with flavor. i had mine with horseradish cheddar, and it was fine, but it didn't burst with horseradish, cheddary, meaty goodness.

the onion rings were a little sad as well, limp and less than crispy. there was more fried batter on the dish than on the onions. and i don't really drink beer, so mine, the house brew, tasted like miller lite, which was fine by me. my friend's smelled yummy and tasted nice, but i couldn't drink an entire glass... it was a board special, i wish i could remember the name.

really their biggest problem was the service: the waitress just couldn't get it right. first she forgot the lettuce, tomato and onion. then she completely ordered the wrong burger for my friend. she cleared his dish but not mine. she was just off. i still tipped her 20% ($41 total including tip); it is a recession.


black iron burger shop
540 east 5th street btwn aves a/b
new york, ny 10009
212/677.6067

now i know why it's called death & co.

i planned to share my first experience at death & co. yesterday, but i spent the better part of my day recovering from the delicious concoctions that i imbibed tuesday evening.

since i'm still celebrating the return of brown booze, i began my tuesday night cocktail evening with the manhattan transfer. this alcohol-forward cocktail is made with rittenhouse rye, dry vermouth, rarnazzotti and orange bitters. it's normally served up, but i had it on the rocks (generally my preference)... and in this case, on the rock would be more appropriate - this one was served over one giant ice cube. it might compete for best manhattan ever.

joaquim was our barman for the night, and he was really in tune with what we needed. my tequila cocktails - the oaxaca old fashioned and the spicy yet-to-be-named one - were both complex and delicious. the spicy one had fresh pepper puree, and every time he opened the bottle of puree, the aroma of pepper oil struck me and had me craving food with peppers.

my gin cocktail - the joy division - was good, but it left the strong unmistakable flavor of absinthe in my mouth... even the next day.

i'm sure i had others, but the reason why i woke up wednesday morning feeling like death & co. is that i overconsumed. which i can imagine is quite simple when you have a talented barman making creative and tasty delights full of booze.

i tried to buffer the booze with some nibbles - the maple pork belly (tasty, but a little stringy) and the oysters rock a fella (delish, but the creamed spinach was too rich, even for me) - but they were no match for my love of cocktails.

death & co. has a great vibe, speakeasy-like... dark, comfortable yet sexy. it would be great for a date, but there are no reservations. there's no standing at the bar. it's built on the milk & honey model, but less strict. and with food.

yes, we should return soon.


death & co.
433 east 6th street btwn Ave A/1st
new york, ny 10009
212/388.0882

i deserve a perfect week

my family has been in town for the easter long weekend. let me specify when i say family: my older sister, her husband and their two children (5-year old nephew and 3-year old niece). and it's been a nightmare since they walked in the door. i've been some combination of host, babysitter, slave, concierge and personal chef... maybe throw in a little bit of an aunt. birth control: these children are the best form. my niece cracked the screen on my laptop. she peed in her pants in my hallway/guest bedroom. my nephew threw multiple evil-fueled tantrums per day, running around threatening to kill his wrongdoers (i was the subject of one at some point). they're gone now. i still have a lingering headache.

but at least easter has passed. which means i can drink brown booze again. when the clock struck midnight on saturday night, i did a shot of jameson. and then another. i wanted delicious brown booze cocktails, but milk & honey closed shop a bit earlier than usual on easter eve. but sam, their ultra-skilled bartender, opened its doors to me. all the fresh juices had been put away, but he offered me a shot of rye whiskey to celebrate the end of my sacrifice.

i leave for china in a week. i may not look forward to the 12 travel days, but i do look forward to the week before. this week in particular. i'm unwinding tonight, but tomorrow starts the perfect week.

tuesday - cocktails at death & co.
wednesday - TBD
thursday - dinner at sushi yasuda.
friday - dinner at eleven madison park.
saturday - dinner at falai then bend show at arlene's grocery then cocktails at milk & honey.
sunday - cocktails in the park (weather-permitting)

i deserve it. screw the recession.