talde

oh, talde, i really wanted to like you... but unfortunately, you didn't live up to my expectations.  perhaps it was my own fault for having lofted expectations.  i've never watched top chef, so i have no idea who dale talde even is.  but the reviews, including some from people whose opinions i respect...i was underwhelmed.

many know that i've been a bit narrow-minded when it comes to traveling outside of manhattan in the past; however, i've changed my tune.  how?  i went to fette sau in williamsburg about a month ago with my pork-loving friends, and i thought, "DAMN, i am missing out on really yummy food by not traveling to brooklyn!"  ummm, yes, it's that good.

back to talde... very easy to get to from manhattan - F train to 7th ave (in brooklyn), 2 blocks, and voila...you're there.  and the restaurant has a great corner location with a fantastic bar.  we went early, like 630PM early, and there was no wait for a table of 3 (FYI: when we left around 830PM, they told a 2-top that the wait was an hour). if i hadn't been super hungover after a soju-filled korean dinner + karaoke the night before, i would've been all over cocktails at the bar pre-dinner.

talde menu

after our server gave us our menus and confirmed that this was our first time at talde, she came back about four seconds later and was like, "are you ready to order???"  ummm, no...i've barely had time to say hello to my friends - do you really think we've had time to seriously discuss the menu?   at that point, we figured we should spend some time with the menu... it was a no-brainer that we'd order the pretzel pork & chive dumpling, but the rest of the apps took some deciding... we settled on shrimp toast, octopus a la plancha, and hawaiian bread buns (filipino sausage, crispy long island fluke, market vegetable - which was shiitake mushroom).   and then we waited.  and waited.  and the server didn't come back.  when she finally did return about 15 minutes later, i was so hungry that i decided it was time for a cocktail (hair of the dog, right?).  i asked her if the 'king of siam' was sweet (i hate sweet drinks) and her response was "no, it's really well-balanced."  

she lied.  i took one sip of that king of siam and couldnt take another.  and i am not one to leave a cocktail unfinished.

judy's cocktail: the navy grog - less sweet than mine

onto the food...they tell you up front that everything is sorta family-style, and that things will just come out when they're ready... and i'm fine with that.  i'm korean - i'm a firm believer in family-style.  and i was super happy that the dumplings came out almost instantly.  the appetizers were strong - dumplings, tasty (love the mustard sauce with it)... octopus, decent... shrimp toast, weird with the poached egg and gravy, but still good.. hawaiian bread buns, all good (i even liked the fried fluke, even though it reminded judy & viv of mcdonald's filet-o-fish...is that a bad thing? i think not.)  the guy who served the food was really chatty, describing each dish in detail - but it was as though i was the only one at the table... he spoke only to me. odd.

pretzel pork & chive dumplings

meaty innards of the dumpling

shrimp toast

shrimp toast smothered in the gravy

hawaiian bread buns (shiitake, fluke, sausage)

it took us a while to sort out entrees, but we went with the whole market fish (i can't remember what kind of fish), which i think we mostly chose because it's served with mu shu pancakes - yum, fish tacos!, singapore chili soft shell crab banh mi, char siu smoked pork spare ribs, tai pan butter bread (which our server described as white bread meets texas toast meets the most delicious garlic bread ever), and 369 (market vegetables).

and this is where the food went downhill.  the singapore chili crab banh mi didn't evoke any memories of delicious chili crab in singapore.  the boneless spare ribs reminded me of chinese-american takeout.  the whole fish was probably the best entree, but it was a touch bland...even with fried chilis stuffed inside. the 369 veggies were sugar snap peas coated in green sambal - the most flavorless rendition of sugar snap peas and sambal ever. and the butter bread... i've had better garlic bread at my local pizzeria.  such a disappointing carb intake.

char siu smoke spare ribs

whole fish

369 - sugar snap peas w green sambal

butter bread

at some point during the meal, i couldn't help myself, and i ordered the crispy oyster & bacon pad thai to go (uhhh...for the husband!).  we had thought about getting it, but it didn't make the cut.  the husband and i shared this at home, and it was pretty good - very smoky bacon, yet somehow the dish was light.  and the fried oysters were delish (i ate them separately).  

i might go back for apps & cocktails at the bar if i was in the neighborhood (but really, why would be i be in the neighborhood, unless i already had eating plans?), but this is definitely not a destination-worthy restaurant.  one other thing of note - dale talde's already opening another restaurant called 'pork slope'.  now that's clever.

talde

369 7th avenue corner of 11th street

brooklyn, ny 11215

347/916.0031

reservations for parties of 6+

say yes... to the NoMad!

a few weeks ago, julie & i attended this really wonderful talk at the 92nd st Y tribeca with eleven madison park (EMP) chef daniel humm & general manager will guidara that was guided by frank bruni.  EMP is my favorite non-asian restaurant in NYC, so this event was very insightful as to the history of the restaurant under the guidance of chef humm & will guidara, and of course, frank bruni led the discussion in his very poignant and charismatic way.  chef humm & will also divulged info about their new venture - The NoMad Hotel - a hotel/restaurant with the opulence and grandeur of old world Europe where the hotel is the go-to for staying, eating and hanging.  

meeting chef humm & will guidara at 92nd st Y tribeca

with major EMP craving (and no free samples...not even granola), i hurried home post-talk and made a reservation for my next free night.  the next week, while perusing my usual news outlets (facebook, twitter, grub street), i realized the NoMad was opening the same week as our EMP ressie!  despite my general opposition to gambling on brand-new restaurants (see Neta review, sigh), i figured NoMad wouldn't experience that typical awkward period with the EMP men at the helm.

luckily, i secured a reservation at NoMad during their opening week (and promptly cancelled my EMP res - save for another time!).  [aside: the night before our dinner, chef jose andres (minibar, jaleo, etc.) tweeted about NoMad with a photo; i was so excited, i forwarded the pic and his tweet to my girlfriends.  but then chef andres TWEETED ME BACK something related to my twitter profile... he looked me up!! it was a glorious moment that i will not soon forget.]

we love pre-game, so we organized pre-drinks at NoMad's bar; when i arrived, julie & lindsay were at the bar, midway through their 2nd cocktail, and i had just missed chef wylie dufresne (WD-50).  our bartender, Will, was quick to oblige me with a "Bartender's Choice" cocktail after discussing my likes (gin) & dislikes (sweet).  while we sipped, the delicious aroma of fried chicken would intermittently waft by, and we knew this would be a must-have as a starter.

julie with will, the bartender

we spent some extra time at the bar to enjoy Will's company & cocktails; this was perfect timing, not only because our 4th friend, sylvia, arrived just as we were being seated but because we were all ready for a(nother) round of cocktails.   the menu definitely had an EMP familiarity (but a la carte), but the big disappointment was that the fried chicken that we smelled while at the bar is a BAR-ONLY dish!!

dinner menu

we started with two bites - the radishes & sweetbreads.  i was more curious about the butter-dipped radishes than excited, but when they arrived, my excitement manifested.  it was like butter-flavored magic shell, coating crunchy radishes, served with a side of salt (fine, fancy salt - fleur de sel).  amazing.  

butter-dipped radishes with fleur de sel

our server, eve, described the croustillants as similar to "spring rolls" (she seemed mortified uttering those words aloud and even wanted to take them back).  they were very light, even though fried and stuffed with diced sweetbreads.  the only similarity to a spring roll was in appearance - i tasted not a single veggie inside, and to be frank, the sweetbread flavor was muted by the "croustillant".

sweetbreads croustillant with parsley

just before our appetizer course arrived, we were brought NoMad's own focaccia bread.  holy jeez... the bread.  focaccia topped with thinly sliced fingerling potatoes and spring onions served on this mini butcher block with a giant steak-knife-like serrated knife... NoMad's answer to EMP's gougeres... and a major success.  i stopped counting after loaf #3.

   

house focaccia

our next course - appetizers... the first was tagliatelle with crab which was stunning and screamed SPRING.  golden pasta was the perfect nest for the white & pink king crab sprinkled with chives.  i loved this dish.

tagliatelle with king crab, meyer lemon & black pepper

a lusciously smooth & creamy foie gras surrounded tete de cochon and was prepared torchon-style topped with some form of persillade and decorated with radishes and edible flowers.  very rich but well balanced with the clean crisp radish slices, greens and herb topping.

foie gras torchon with tete de cochon, radishes & nasturtium

our final appetizer, the bone marrow, had croutons that were drenched in bone marrow, sitting atop more bone marrow in the bone, then broiled.  the anchovy gave it an extra depth, but indetectable if you weren't looking for it.  although i prefer minetta tavern's flinstone-sized bone marrow that i can scoop out with a spoon, this was a creative riff on a typical bone marrow appetizer.

bone marrow gratinee with parsley, shallots & anchovy

at this point, cocktails emptied, we needed wine.  (re-)enter peter, the sommelier.  the wine list is pretty massive, so i told him to go crazy (with a little guidance in terms of price point, food pairing), and he beelined to nebbiolo grapes and chose the 2005 rocche dei brovia barolo. a fantastic choice with deep red color, a touch fruity and floral on the nose, but balanced earthiness, fruit and volume without heaviness on the tongue... it was really fantastic.  i recommend this wine (and peter) to everyone!!

while we were sniffing and sipping the wine, eve brought around our trussed roast chicken for two with very well-browned skin and garnished with rosemary, decoratively sitting in a cast-iron mini-roasting pan before they carved it up.

we had to get the suckling pig - chef humm does wonders with a pig - and this one did not disappoint.  similar to the suckling pig he's had on the many different incarnations of the EMP menu, the pork meat was confited in duck fat and pressed into a square with a crispy top and served with jus, veggies & dried fruit.

  

suckling pig confit with dried apricots, onions & wild greens

the duck is another "must" - if you've ever had the whole duck at EMP, you know how extraordinary it is - and again, chef humm serves another winner with two thick slices of roasted duck, perfectly cooked to medium rare, skin glazed & crispy, garnished with dandelion greens, roasted apple and cipollini onions (we think), faintly spiced with an indian curry blend.

duck roasted with apples, dandelion & vadouvan

and finally, back to the chicken... this was a rare choice for me, as chicken is my least favorite meat, but since this was chef humm's chicken, we took the risk... which paid off.  stuffed with a brioche, foie gras & black truffle butter under the skin of the breast, these flavors melded with the breast, creating moist, bursting with flavor white meat under a crispy skin.  on the flip side, the dark meat was braised in a brown butter hollandaise served in a separate pot - almost like haute comfort food.  two completely different chicken dishes rendered from one bird... leave it to chef humm to surprise me even with chicken!

roasted chicken breast (served with white asparagus)

dark meat with brown butter hollandaise

let's just skim over the dessert & cheese portion of dinner.  eve seemed to be lost when asked what kind of cheese they had (her actual response: "i think they're swiss, but i'm drawing a blank.").  we had two desserts - the carrot cake and she surprised us with the "milk & honey" - but neither really brought any excitement to our table.  

what did get us excited was returning to the bar for more cocktails.  this time we sat in the "gin section" and met another bartender, jessica, who was awesome.  she made this wonderful cocktail, the martinez, for me, which she described as the "predecessor to the martini".  it was punchy but not overwhelmingly boozy for post-dinner.

the martinez!

we also had the good fortune of meeting Leo Robitschek, the bar manager, who was disconcerted after he heard the issues we had with eve.  and to make up for it, he brought us a double helping of the bar-only fried chicken, gratis!  this is what fried chicken should be like - super moist, well flavored with a little kick and crispy crunchy fried and a spiced yogurt dipper.  the best fried chicken i've ever had - it was leaps & bounds better than momofuku's fried chicken.  i was just sorry lindsay had to leave after dinner because she missed some damn good chicken!

chicken fried with chili, lime & yogurt (bar-only)

final note: the bar & lounge area are on a first-come, first-served basis, and while there are only a few barstools (10 or 12), there are some high tables in the bar area to imbibe.  there is also a large lounge area where they do bottle service.  pricing is typical NYC bottle service; however, the mixers served are typical of only this detail-oriented crew.  instead of orange and cranberry juice, you'll get mixers specially created that pair with the bottle you've chosen.  LOVE.

lounge

lounge wall lined with books - hi syl!

girls' nights out (GNO) are the best and enjoying it at the nomad made it that much more special.  i haven't been able to stop talking about the dinner since we went one week ago.  all i can say is GO. NOW.  and don't be surprised if you see us there!

love my girls - i should've photoshopped lindsay in

the NoMad hotel

1170 broadway between 27/28th sts

new york, ny 10001

347/472.5660 (dining reservations)

or on opentable

neta: now a little less excited to try masa

if you haven't noticed, i really like to eat.  therefore, it makes sense that i've surrounded myself with a group of like-minded friends.  last month, urbandaddy published a blip about neta, a new sushi restaurant in the village manned by former masa chefs, and my japanese feasting group (ironically, none of us are japanese) started throwing dates out.  our schedules are all a little bit crazy so i took matters into my own hands and just picked my next available date and made a reservation for four.  this date only worked for two of us (it should have been three, but one passed for a backgammon tournament...huh???), and i also included my friend julie (perfect, since her husband was out of town).

the space is cozy with a large extended sushi bar similar to soto down the street.  we were seated at a table (i had requested the sushi bar, but i guess there was a miscommunication) and had a chance to peruse both the menu and the wine list.  they have a concise cocktail and wine list and a bit more thorough sake selection (don't expect sakagura).  we started with the sparkling sake which was a fine aperitif, and maneuvered through the rest of the sake menu (with carafes, 300ml and 720ml size bottles, it gives an opportunity to taste a number).  

as for food, we went with the higher-priced omakase menu; we thought this would give us the most fitting representation of the best the chefs had to offer.  the meal began on an incredibly amazing note - toro tartare with a large dollop of caviar.  served with little toasts - this was KILLER. 

toro tartare & caviar

next up, cooked slices of scallop served in the scallop shell in a gingery, buttery, briney sauce with a big lobe of uni (sea urchin) on top.  this was visually impressive, and the buttery sauce was wonderful (i confess: i drank it from the shell), but the scallop was overcooked.  and the uni...my favorite uni... it just didn't measure up to the quality of sushi yasuda's uni.  

grilled whole scallop

our next course was the fried blowfish (aka fugu), which was another notch down.  first it was really greasy.  i'm generally not one to complain about greasiness, but i expected it to be light.  then there was that giant bone in the middle, off of which i had to gnaw the fish... it was a very... authentic asian experience.  and i'm alive to speak of it!

battered & fried blowfish

the next course went in an interesting direction: a small dish of fried rice with shaved black truffles.  since we'd be eating rice with the sushi, i was surprised that the omakase would include rice.  now, i heart black truffles AND fried rice, but perhaps it was the quality of the truffles, or just the combination of it all... it just didn't work.  the black truffles were too mellow... the fried rice, a little bland.  it just didn't work.

rice with black truffles

at this point, we were ready for the main event: the SUSHI.  full disclosure: ive never been to masa (the meal is $450 before drinks, tax & tip... we live comfortably but close to $750pp for dinner is more than i can stomach, literally).  with former masa chefs at the helm, you better believe i am expecting some amazing quality fish.

we received a number of nigiri: toro (this was really quite good... and it was o-toro, if you're wondering).  kanpachi, scottish salmon, sea bream, uni, grilled toro... other than the toro, they just werent that flavorful.  were they fresh?  sure.... but did they have the same briney bite that the fish at my favorite sushi yasuda does?  no.  also, the omakase was odd - there didn't seem to be an order to it in any way.

o-toro nigiri

kanpachi, scottish salmon, sea bream nigiri

uni and seared toro nigiri

after the nigiri, we moved onto maki... they brought us unagi & cucumber and toro scallion.  the seaweed wrapping these rolls didn't have the deep aroma that you find at other high end sushi spots.  i hate to keep comparing this to yasuda, but you can smell that distinct almost smoky seaweed aroma from when they open the box that holds the seaweed all the way until the roll touches your tongue.  the other problem with these maki were how loosely they were rolled.  very noticeable in the photo.  it felt like they were going to fall apart as you lifted them.

unagi-cucumber maki

close-up of unagi-cucumber

close-up of toro-scallion maki

we finished the savory portion with a vegetarian nigiri - ume, jicama wrapped in shiso.  we actually received this twice because the service was haphazard and confused.  i wish we had received the toro tartare with caviar twice!!  our final course, which was actually quite a palate cleanser, was a grapefruit granita, and it was very tasty (sorry no photo - we'd had a lot of sake at this point!).

ume shiso "nigiri"

our real problem with neta was the service.  the food didn't measure up to my expectations, but the service really ruined the experience.  it is very important for anyone who deals with sushi to know the source of the fish being served, e.g.,  uni is usually santa barbara, sometimes maine and then even more rarely, hokkaido - and i'd like to know which.  when i asked, the server told me SAN DIEGO... never in my life have i heard san diego until my evening at neta.  salmon is also a concern for me... i did some research on chilean salmon farms for work and learned that salmon are nicknamed the "hogs of the sea", and therefore, it's vital that you know salmon's source (whether raw or cooked), so when i asked, yet again, it took some effort to find out the source of the salmon.  on top of the lack of knowledge, there were lulls between courses to the point where we asked a few times if there were any courses remaining because we'd just be sitting around for a while.  since we went during their first two weeks, i hope they'll work the kinks out with time.

the bill was pretty stiff - about $275 after drinks, tax & tip, and considering the price, for my next sushi dinner, i will be returning to my friend mitsu at sushi yasuda and have the omakase dinner with wonderful classically prepared sushi served in a timely, well thought out order.

neta

61 w. 8th street btwn 5/6th aves (closer to 6th)

new york, ny 10011

212/505.2610

reservations available on opentable

date night: colicchio & sons

my girlfriend julie & i decided it was high time for a double date... our list of restaurants to try keeps getting longer (so easy in NYC), so colicchio & sons, which has been on our list for a while, had been forgotten.  we remedied that.

after meeting at del posto for a drink or three, we arrived on time (we like to be prompt) and were seated in their spacious dining room.  tables are well-spaced so that you hear little to none of adjacent tables' conversations.  it has a definite gramercy tavern feel but with loftier ceilings - which isn't really surprising.

we started our meal with champagne - the NV Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Blanc d'Argile Extra Brut - which was recommended by the sommelier.  when im out, i like to try champagnes that ive never had/heard of (still in love with the multi-vintage gaston chiquet that we had at eleven madison park).  i was very pleased with this bottle - it was dry with depth and toasty notes.

we chose the a la carte route for a few reasons - the primary being that the tasting menus require participation by the entire table, and both husbands are picky eaters.

i won't go into details of our entire menu but here's what you need to know about the food:
- pastrami-cured duck from tom's classics menu: we asked if we could do it as a starter, but the waiter returned that it could only be done entree size. no problem - and it was definitely one of the best dishes we had so it was worth it.
- butter-poached oysters: served with celery root tagliatelle and a big dollop of caviar, it was a very rich dish (but too few oysters), and i went home and bought celery root the next day because i loved it so.
- roasted octopus: perfectly tender and the chorizo vinaigrette was an unbelievable pairing with it.
- pork entree: get this. pork two ways, one loin, one belly.  i love pork belly.

i had the pancetta-wrapped monkfish which was meaty and good, but not memorable.  julie had the sirloin which was also well-prepared, but not very exciting.  the worst dish, however, was the potato gnocchi with suckling pig ragout - not only was it boring to the eye, it was bland on the tongue.  sigh.

after our champagne, we ordered a red wine suggested by one of our lovely servers, daniel: the chateau la vieille cure fronsac 2001 - a MAGNUM.  we love to go big, so this was so fitting.  it was the perfect bottle, a medium-bodied red with high drinkability, low tannic structure, dry, not too fruity.  it worked so well, we could even drink it with our cheese course at the end.

the label from the MAGNUM at dinner - dan & chase saved us the label and attached it to a note for us - adorable!

i would like to note that the service at colicchio & sons was really quite extraordinary - daniel & chase really did their best to make us feel comfortable with everything without ever being intrusive or annoying.  we look forward to returning to try out the tap room, where they have a more casual menu - another nod to the gramercy tavern mold.

colicchio & sons
85 10th avenue btwn 15/16th sts
new york, ny 10011
212/400.6699

numero 28: the best lasagna in nyc?

after back-to-back flywheel rides yesterday (presidents day monday - no work!!), i was famished... then i remembered that i had a scoop st (nka buy with me/gilt city) certificate for numero 28... WIN.

we headed over around 330PM for a late lunch/early dinner, and the restaurant was relatively empty. we chose a seat close to the bar so i could take in the warm rustic decor (and the warmth from the pizza oven & kitchen).

let's just get to business & talk food...

APPETIZERS
-meatballs - first, the tomato sauce with the meatballs was fantastic. very fresh, clean, not too stewed. as for the meatballs, they were just ok. they tasted fine, but the texture was a bit on the rubbery side. texture is such a vital component of the meatball. (we took 1/2 home and i ate them for breakfast this morning, and one literally BOUNCED off my plate.)
-buffalo mozzarella & prosciutto di parma - a simple appetizer with very good tangy mozzarella and fresh prosciutto drizzled lightly with olive oil.

PIZZA
-18" bianca del diavolo - note, this is the pizza we ordered, but we received what basically amounted to a margherita with pepperoni. there was no ricotta. we didn't say anything bc we were hungry, but i was disappointed. that said, this pizza was a solid pizza - very thin crust, quality ingredients, nice meaty pepperoni and blotches of that delicious tomato sauce (same as the sauce with the meatballs).

PASTA
-lasagna - this might just be the best lasagna ive had in nyc. creamy meat sauce layered between thin sheets of fresh pasta. WOW. again WOW. i hate to write about this last for the savory courses, but it came out a good 5-10 minutes after our pizza even though we asked that they be served together.  on the bright side, we brought most of it home, so i got to eat it for breakfast this morning!

DESSERT
-tiramisu - this was just good. nothing special. there were some bites of ladyfinger that hadnt soaked in enough espresso and the cream was a tad thin, but it tasted fine.

numero 28 has a comfortable vibe, with wood tables a bit off balance, sunlight streaming in from the glass doors in front. a good place to go for brunch, and i could see it being annoyingly crowded for dinner, especially on weekends.  despite being "on the wagon" (sober february *sigh*), we noticed that they served lambrusco (a fave) and another table had a bottle of veuve (my least favorite every day champagne, but at least they have champers!). 

before using the scoop st certificate, the bill was $77 (including tax but not tip - remember, no booze, but we brought a lot of food home). oh, and they only take cash. that was a bummer. there's an ATM on-site but still... cash only is annoying.

my last word - and this is a good one: our waiter... the service was fine, he was friendly, a bit absent-minded (note service-related comments in pizza/pasta sections above). but he was HOT... in that euro-y hot way. i'd go back just to stare at him. yummy.

numero 28 pizzeria napoletana

176 2nd ave btwn 10/11th sts

new york, ny 10003

212/777.1555

(they also have west village & soho locations - i don't know if the menus are the same.)

review: the beagle - 1/16/2012

as a cocktail enthusiast, the beagle has been on my "must-try" list for a bit so it was the perfect go-to for an unplanned chilly saturday evening. the restaurant is small, but when we arrived at 8P (MLK wknd saturday), it was almost empty... however, by 830PM, all of the tables were full and the restaurant was loud but not annoyingly so. the tables are well-spaced/positioned, but close enough that you can see what's being served. there's a bar with about 7-8 seats and little standing room if the restaurant is full.

we started with cocktails (east side fix, heresy highball and liberal cocktail), each was well made, very balanced and most importantly, tasty!

onto the food - we decided to go family-style with the following:
pairing boards
-burrata & gin: i actually thought this was magical...burrata was delicious, and i adored the braised celery AND the perfect mini martini - which i continued to order (in full-size) for the rest of the evening.
-mackerel & aquavit: i am not a giant fan of aquavit, but it is the perfect match for the flavor combo of pickled mackerel with the creamy pickled onions on the cracker.

appetizers/salads
-frito pie: the chili on this is rather good, and altho it's small (for sharing), it's a tasty little first bite.
-golden beet salad: great mix of flavors with the greek yogurt, shaved fennel and marcona almonds.
-peekytoe crab salad: served abed leaves of radicchio w hazelnuts & a lemon cream vinaigrette, i liked this salad, but there was an overpowering taste/nose of tarragon, which i wish had been mentioned in the description as it is my least favorite herb
-housemade: a vague plate of what's "housemade" that night - we had cured scallops, a cured shrimp, cured sable, gravlax, pork rillettes, cured lamb belly, housemade sauerkraut and apple butter. some parts were REALLY salty, but the rillettes & lamb belly were awesome.

entrees
-salt-roasted pork belly: this had a whiff of korean bo ssam (boiled pork belly, kimchi, raw oysters) which made me very happy. the sauce was yummy - we asked for some bread to soak it up.
-half chicken: i mean, it's chicken (my least favorite meat), well made (flattened, under-the-brick style with crispy skin), but that chorizo bread pudding topped with a disc of foie butter - WOW, smooth creamy foie mousse and chunks of chorizo - happy day. the liver sauce was good, livery but yummy with the bread pudding and roasted chicken.

dessert
-bonito cheesecake: obviously we were intrigued by this, i mean fish flakes in cheesecake?  by process of elimination (the cranachan had a peety scotch flavor - i dislike, and we're not chocolate fans), we went with the cheesecake because we obviously needed dessert. plus the weird factor...we were in. and i'm glad we did. not too sweet, with a hint of fishiness here & there, but not in a bad way...love the ginger powder sprinkled all over and the nilla wafer crust. it was a good finish.

service was great... very attentive, but not annoying. cocktails were a little slow, which was understandable considering the great attention they take to making them. wines were priced in a good affordable range with a nice selection. overall, i think a worthwhile place to eat and definitely for cocktails, and while i would return for drinks and perhaps nibbles, i probably wouldn't go back until they updated their menu with new items.

one thing of note: reservations are taken on their website, but i had technical difficulties with the site. and when i called, it was a message that reservations by phone were only allowed for groups of 6 or more.

the beagle

162 avenue a btwn 10th/11th sts

new york, ny 10009

212/228.6900

review: ciano - 8/7/2011

i really wanted to like ciano and its warm rustic feel. i loved our table right under the skylight. our server was very friendly (but not the most helpful/knowledgeable... maybe because it was a summer sat night?)

the bread basket is delicious (two kinds of bread, both tasty), but i was more excited when it was served with (pause for effect) WHIPPED TRUFFLE BUTTER! *gasp* i adore butter, and i imagine truffles are the only thing that can make butter more delicious... but then you taste it, and it doesn't taste like butter, it almost tastes oily, and the truffle flavor is so muted... such a waste of a good idea.

we were on a double date with one of my favorite eating couples - they eat family style (i'm korean, family style is normal), so we ordered a number of things to share.

first out:
-veal meatballs with polenta, which was as good as they say...and paired with the polenta, yum!
-rock shrimp polpette... in theory, a good idea with great flavor, but an unfortunate rubbery texture.

next up, the crostini:
-one with whipped chicken liver, which weren't as good as ABC kitchen's, but ok, very smooth
-one with spicy burrata & pesto... this was just a bad dish where the pesto got lost under the spicy burrata which doesnt taste like burrata (more like polly-o mozzarella)

we also ordered the arancini bc i love rice balls, and i appreciated the creamy interior while the rice kept a bite, but it was the lack of crispy outside that made this dish mediocre.

then the pastas... i love pasta!
-spaghetti alla chitarra... this was good, and the texture of this spaghetti was amazing, but i had higher expectations since frank bruni tweeted that this pasta was on par with scarpetta's famous spaghetti... my table mates who went to scarpetta recently (and even made the scarpetta spaghetti at home) disagreed.
-pappardelle with duck bolognese... this was my husband's favorite dish, with its chunky sauce... it was good, but it didn't blow me away.
-cortecce pasta with baby octopus and bread crumbs... on their summer menu, mmm baby octopus... i liked the spicy kick, but the seafood flavor was very mellow, and the pasta just didn't have enough texture... and i wish there had been more octopus!

we went with just one entree... winner - crisp duck breast (also on their summer menu). this was perfectly cooked, served with wonderful jus and wild mushrooms... i think this was the best dish of the night. it was the perfect size to share with four ppl (after all the dishes we'd already shared) and a great way to end the savory portion of the meal.

desserts... the girls went cheese, the boys went sweets. the most exciting cheese was the tete de moine (a strong swiss cheese) and of course, our fave, epoisses. lots of fruity accompaniments as well. we also had two dessert specials: a farmer cheese cheesecake with blueberry compote and a sweet cookie dough crust served with peach gelato - i liked the lightness and seasonality of this cheesecake - well done! and the apple strudel (we were debating btwn the peach napoleon and the strudel, but when our server told us the pastry chef is german, obviously the strudel won)... i only had a bite, so i can tell you the crust was flaky, and it tasted fine... not special.

wines... the sommelier was pretty helpful... since we were celebrating the other couple's recent engagement, we started with a bottle of the gaston chiquet brut 2002... YUM (note: we had a multi-vintage version of the chiquet at eleven madison in the spring which was even better). we moved onto a very light red (i don't know which since my S.O. ordered it) and finished with a wonderful fruity/spicy red - the valpolicella d'ora 2008 - i asked our sommelier to surprise us... not expensive and a really nice finish to our meal.

here's the thing about ciano... despite some "hits", there are some phenomenal italian restaurants in nyc right now (marea, ai fiori, locanda verde)... i feel like you have to be extraordinary in order to standout, and unfortunately, ciano wasn't extraordinary by any means.

ciano
45 e 22nd st btwn park ave south/bway
new york, ny 10010
212/982.8422

review: abc kitchen - 8/3/2011

i will probably be vilified for saying this, but i was turned off by abc kitchen bc of the whole "organic", "healthy", "vegetarian-friendly" reputation it garnered by my friends.

and i fully admit it: I WAS WRONG.

abc kitchen is really very tasty.  i went twice within one week so that i could try as many things on the current menu (which has already changed) as possible.  i also love small plates to share, which are plentiful here.

more often than not, it was the simplicity of the high-quality, fresh ingredients (locally sourced!) that really made the dishes shine.

my faves:
-chicken liver toast - smooth, flavorful, wow
-crab toast - my S.O., who doesn't like crab, ate every bit of these
-warm mozzarella - this got mixed reviews at our table, but i loved the soft, warm cloud of cheese
-carrot salad - it doesnt sound that exciting, but it actually is
-roasted squash - so simple, so good
-spinach, goat cheese pizza - wasn't that excited for it but was REALLY WOWED
-corn (side dish) - the sweetness popped in your mouth
-the market strawberry dessert - we were stuffed but wanted something sweet - this was perfect!

the spaghettini w shrimp and the pretzel calamari were also good, but i dont know if i would order them again.

there were a few dishes that i thought were less memorable (so much so that i can't even remember the details) - the ricotta toasts, a pizza special w bacon & arugula (i LOVE bacon, but this wasnt well-balanced) and a sashimi dish...

i must note that both times, we didnt order entrees. i'll get there at some point!

in terms of service, both times they were attentive, but nothing special.  the restaurant is pretty loud.  difficult to get reservations, but if you go early, it's a free-for-all in the bar area, where there is also table seating.  that said, if you don't go early, you could end up waiting a LOOOOONG time.

since they use seasonal ingredients, i suggest going back...ALL. THE. TIME.

 

abc kitchen

35 e 18th st btwn park ave south/bway

new york, ny 10003

212/475.5829

review: the dutch - 6/23/2011

what a treat! we went for drinks & nibbles in the bar at the dutch last night (2nd time), and it was fantastic. it was crowded (good bar scene) when we arrived, but we found some space and settled in.


the cocktails:
their cocktail menu was designed by their bartender naren, and the combinations are interesting and work so well together. the boys behind the bar put so much care into making the drinks - it's fun to watch.
- dutch courage - a touch sweet for my taste but i appreciated the tart/sweet flavors with the salted rim!
- sullivan street fix up - LOVE! especially the thyme garnish... leave it in the drink and as you sip, take in the yummy thyme smell - it really works.

the food: everything we ordered was delicious, and added bonus, andrew carmellini was in the house!
- seafood ceviche - fantastic... it has a slight spicy kick, so good.
- melon arugula salad - dressed perfectly, so yummy
- shrimp & fried green tomatoes - the shrimp was so perfectly cooked and the pepper sauce... mmm
- hiramasa - very simple, raw slices of yellowtail, clean...

(on my previous visit we also had the fried oyster sandwiches, they're bite size and amazing; i could probably eat 20 of them. we also had the asian white boy ribs, but the boys devoured them so quickly, i didnt even have a taste.)

some boys at a table in the bar room were eating the fried chicken, and it looked & smelled so good, i almost sat down with them to take a bite. it was late... i dont think they wouldve minded... next time!

the dutch
131 sullivan street btwn prince/houston
new york, ny 10012
212/677.6200

review: beef 7 ways at ma peche - 6/16/2011

we went with a group of 8 on a tues night for the $450 beef 7 ways dinner. our server dominick (so cute, my friends say he looks like adam levine from maroon 5) advised we supplement since it's meant for 4-6. i'm a good eater, and i think two sides or apps would be a fine supplement - not too much more.


we started with 2 small SEAFOOD PLATEAUS (mostly bc i adore the squid salad), crispy pig's head, 2 orders of asparagus and the bread & cow's butter (you have to pay for this).

the squid salad was as usual delish, the raw fluke was good (it's not the same fluke as the menu item) but some ppl didn't enjoy the sauce on the bottom (i cant remember offhand). the oysters (mix of east/west) were quite good, very cleanly shucked too.

the CRISPY PIGS HEAD on a lentil salad was AMAZING. so good i can say it again, amazing! my picky-eating S.O. licked it clean. oh wait, that was me.

the ASPARAGUS has a poached egg that bursts and you stir it together... it really blends well w the king crab, but i think it's too saucy. tastes good, looks not so much.

on to dinner:
the courses came two at a time -
WAGYU (imperial beef, ne) - ginger, scallion, radish: this is a delicious carpaccio. reminded me a bit of korean yook hwe. this was my fave.
TENDON (creekstone farm, ks) - basil, tatsoi, plum vinaigrette: this is a salad. i love tendon, and usually the tendon i have isnt so tender. a couple ppl said this was the best dish of the bunch.

MEAT PIE (creekstone farm, ks) - tongue, potato, caramelized onions: my S.O. loved the crust. i thought it was very dense/heavy. it was tasty, but...
RIBS (niman ranch, ia) - fried garlic, kunz ketchup: this came with ssam (butter lettuce, crudite-type veggies, fish sauce, etc.), and i liked them, but they werent amazing. i also am not a fan of the ribs on the ma peche a la carte menu.

RIBEYE (4 story hills farm, pa): this is their cote de boeuf, which was very good, but i've had better at a steakhouse. also i was expecting this to be flintstones size... it wasnt.
BRISKET (niman ranch, ia) - marrow, shallot, chili jam: this was really good, but by this point, we were all getting really full. maybe i shouldnt have gnawed all of the meat off the ribeye bone. i wrapped this to-go, and i think this make delish tacos tmrw night.

OXTAIL SOUP (pineland farm, me) - tamarind, mint, cilantro: i was expecting a pho type of finish. the soup was poured from a teapot into teacups/saucers. there was some oxtail meat on the bottom (which i ate), but the soup was SWEET (from the tamarind). BIG NO.

we also had the CARROTS (couldnt resist that they were cooked in bone marrow) and the SUGAR SNAP PEAS (bc i love xo sauce). the carrots were mushy. the snap peas were awesome.

some of the boys started with cocktails, which were well-made. for wine, we started w the less expensive gruner on the menu, which was fantastic with the seafood. we moved on to the domaine de la butte cab franc, which also was great. i dont recall her name, but the sommelier who helped us was awesome.

we ended with EPOISSES, which is my fave cheese, and i ordered the only glass of champagne by the glass w it. epoisses & champagne is fun.

my S.O. ran upstairs as soon as dinner was over to get some cereal milk soft serve from milk bar on the ground floor. i refrained from cookies/truffles bc i stocked up on them when i was at ma peche for lunch a couple weeks ago. they keep in the freezer!

overall it was good meal, but i don't know if i'd go back for the beef 7 ways again. i think the a la carte items are MUCH BETTER.

on a non-food related note, we saw jj abrams dining there (my gf recognized him, no idea how...), and i introduced myself and told him that 'felicity' is my all-time favorite show. i even watch 'fringe'! that was a super highlight!

ma peche
15 w. 56th st btwn 5/6th aves
new york, ny 10019
212/757.5878

review: gravy - 6/15/2011

i really wanted to like gravy... but i didn't.

i went on a monday night with 6 friends. we ordered most of the appetizers and sides, plus a few entrees. i searched high & low for the biscuits mentioned on yelp (no sign of them). i also looked for gravy - only found on the mashed potatoes.

FOOD
appetizers:
-chopped salad - good size, but overly dressed in a runny dressing
-king crab legs - 4 small pieces, overcooked
-peel & eat shrimp - the tastiest of the bunch even though the FOUR pieces of shrimp were dry and overcooked (the comments from the table were "i like chewy overcooked shrimp")
-hummus - interesting but the focaccia served with it was stale (they brought us some grilled whole-wheat sourdough bread once we told them, but sorry, too late)
-crawfish fritters - these tasted good, but they were more like rice balls w crawfish in them. and there were only 4 small-ish fritters (seems like 4 is a theme)

entrees:
-sullivan bog - SMALL. overcooked seafood. in theory it was good.
-scallops & honey grits - i didn't try this, but my friend who ordered this said it was inedible
-corn flake crusted chicken - terrible... all white meat, completely DRY, i didnt see any cheese stuffed inside

sides (the best part of the meal - not saying much):
gravy fries - this was overly old bay'd fries w ranch dressing on the side. the name was VERY MISLEADING.
mashed potatoes & gravy - standard, nothing special
braised collards/kale - standard
roasted mushrooms - nothing special but tasty
crackling creamed corn - i liked this but no one else did. it tasted a lot like roasted peppers, which i like.
grits 3 ways: the pork & cheese were quite tasty. the honey was very sweet.

we did not have dessert bc this dinner took FOREVER as it was.

DRINKS
decent wine options although no one really knew much about the wine to help make a choice. i had the garden of good &evil cocktail - it was quite good and well-balanced.

SERVICE
the restaurant was pretty empty, so i understand there being only one waitress, but there were a few other people who worked there around, and NO ONE was helpful. the service was flat-out bad. the food took forever. we ordered peel & eat shrimp while having drinks at the bar BEFORE, and we never received them, yet they tried to charge us for 2 orders of the shrimp (we obviously caught and had them correct). the slooooowness of the South in new york does not work.

add to that, the bill ended up being $82pp even tho 4 of us shared 2 entrees.

overall, every aspect of this restaurant (and we tried a lot of things) was a major disappointment.

gravy
32 east 21st st btwn broadway/park ave s
new york, ny 10010
212/600.2105

review: old town hot pot - 6/14/2011

i love hot pot so i was super excited when this place opened by the owners of grand sichuan close by (yummy). they have individual pots (like quickly in chinatown) which some ppl prefer (not me).

pros:
1) the soup (i got medium spicy) is good and not that spicy.  not MSG tasting.  the chicken soup sounded very soothing, would love to have next time i'm sick.
2) the appetizers are AWESOME.  especially the spinach with hot mustard sauce.  but we tried them all and they're all good, even the hawthorn with the jelly stuff.
3) the fish balls were excellent.  this is an easy dish to do badly.
4) the service is pleasant.
5) it's super inexpensive ($22 per person w tax/tip, and some ppl had beer).

cons:
1) no sauce bar!  this really takes away from the hot pot experience.  making your own custom dipping sauce is awesome.  here, they give you 3 options - none of them are soy sauce with raw garlic, red chili powder, ginger and cilantro.  (that said, you can get the hot mustard sauce on the side and the bean paste and spicy sauce are tasty).
2) NO NOODLES (besides rice stick type noodles). at the end of hot pot, it's awesome to get noodles (ideally hand-pulled, or even handmade) to end the meal.  next time i'm going to bring my own.
3) they need more boilable items.  in china, you can order all different plates of meats, seafood, fish.  you get a bowl of veggies w tofu and tofu skin, but... they should have specials - live shrimp! scallops!

i prefer shared hotpot (next stop: QUEENS!), but this was pretty tasty and easily accessible.  i miss china!

old town hot pot
70 7th ave south btwn commerce/bleecker street
new york, ny 10014
212/929.2188