tupac17616

What can I say? Life is good. Due to a crazy turn of events in the past few days, the night before last I was fortunate enough to return to Manresa to the grand tasting menu. I'd had been for the first time in late August, and enjoyed what was no doubt the best meal I'd ever had, period. Well, the kitchen staff outdid themselves once again. Twenty-five courses. Absolutely sublime. My first visit made me feel like I'd uncovered a somewhat hidden treasure. This second visit absolutely confirmed it. This place is special. At this point, I'm running out of adjectives to describe just how well it meshes with my notions of what a restaurant experience can and should be. Suffice it to say, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to find myself within 1,000 miles of Los Gatos, CA without coming back here again.

I'd do Alto myself

Others have pointed out some good options nearby to grab a bite beforehand, if it were me, I'd just grab a small snack to tide yourself over, and hit Momofuku Ssam afterwards. Definitely worth waiting until post-show.

Definitely a good suggestion. And while you're at it, ask to meet him. Exceptionally nice guy.

Agreed. I wish I knew of a place whose cheesecake I would go out of my way for. Daniel is a nice suggestion. I'm pretty certain Le Bernadin would let you do just desserts as well. Chef Michael Laiskonis maintains a nice little dessert menu, and is quite a talented guy (not to mention an eGullet member). Some friends and I have gone through his entire repertoire during to cap off a given meal, so I don't see any reason why they couldn't do just desserts. Re: L'Atelier....abso-friggin-lutely. Le Sucre (the sugar sphere) is a must. Le Marron is also outstanding. Hell, even the pre-dessert, and the canneles and macarons that follow are good. The macarons are impeccably fresh, and much better than anything you might encounter at Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, Payard, Financier, et al. Best in the city, I think. So yeah, L'Atelier is definitely a good plan. I confess. It wasn't completely off the top of my head.....I thought the cilantro syrup in that Gramercy Tavern dessert was actually basil syrup. We all make mistakes, I suppose.

I've only been to Two Little Red Hens once, and that day I was on a mission for some red velvet cake. I'd gladly return if there were some quality cheesecake waiting for me to sample, though. Thanks for the heads up. I find Junior's to be nice and consistent. Not mind-boggling deliciousness, but it hits the spot when I'm in the mood for cheesecake. I think I remember reading on Chowhound about the place in the Bronx you allude to, but I've not been. The only other place I've been to that specializes specifically in cheesecake was Eileen's Cheesecake on Cleveland Place. FWIW, I thought it was borderline terrible. I liked the cheesecake at both Carnegie Deli and Artie's Deli, but they aren't places I'd return to in all likelihood. I'm trying to think of other places whose cheesecake I've enjoyed, but none spring to mind. I'm not sure I've ever really been blown away by any classic NY cheesecake, so I suppose the search continues. Oh, darn.

Some thoughts: pumpkin scone at Alice's Tea Cup meyer lemon poppy seed bread pudding at Annisa pistachio semi-freddo at Babbo kaiserschmarren at Blaue Gans banana-walnut or chocolate chip bread pudding at Blue Ribbon Bakery apfelstrudel at Cafe Sabarsky butternut squash cheesecake w/ ceylon cinnamon soup at Compass pumpkin doughnut at Doughnut Plant passion fruit souffle at Falai apricot souffle at Gordon Ramsay coconut tapioca w/ passion fruit & coconut sorbets, passion fruit caramel & cilantro syrup at Gramercy Tavern black mission fig gelato at Il Laboratorio del Gelato pear & chocolate praline mousse cake, poire william gelee, butternut squash souffle, prune-armagnac ice cream at Jean Georges plain cheesecake at Junior's creme brulee truffle at Kee's Chocolates dessert kaiseki at Kyotofu chocolate-almond croissant at La Bergamote mille crepes at Lady M le sucre and the best macarons in the city at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon milk chocolate pot de creme, caramel foam, maple syrup, maldon sea salt at Le Bernadin chocolate chip walnut cookie from Levain sour cream apple walnut pie at Little Pie Company red velvet cake at Make My Cake japanese pastries at Minamoto Kitchoan lemon cheesecake w/ lemon chantilly cream, lemon candy & mint syrup at Ouest olive oil gelato at Otto cream puff at Patisserie Claude canneles from Petrossian 'laissez pear' at Room4Dessert concrete at Shake Shack wolfberry at Varietal salzburger nockerl at Wallse dessert tasting at wd~50 i could go on, but i'll spare you. i have a bit of a sweet tooth...

grimaldi's. nice.

....so jealous

My comparison between the pork belly at fatty crab and the lamb belly at degustation was simply to illustrate the difference in what can be done with essentially the same cuts of meat. The pork belly at fatty crab is delicious: crispy, chewy, and unctuous at the same time. I wish that pork and watermelon salad was "easy and boring" enough for me to whip up at home, but unfortunately, it's not. And I'm sorry, but the lamb belly we were served at degustation was garbage. Believe me, while I thought the langostine was not worth it, I found Degustation to be quite reasonably priced. One-fourth the price of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, for example? Maybe so. That, I like. One-fourth the food quality, though? That, I can't deal with. Sorry. All that said, I'm glad you enjoyed Degustation so much. Chef Genovart and his crew are a great bunch of guys. Their food just didn't happen to strike such a chord with me. Different people, different tastes. I agree they should have a better grasp on the reservation system by now, but with such a small place, I'd imagine such problems might inevitably remain. We had literally the entire menu. There was suckling pig (which was pretty good) on the current menu, but no pork belly. So we had that as well as the lamb belly. My question for degustation is: how is one unimpressive dessert better than no dessert at all? The answer, I'm almost certain, is $$$. Chef Genovart himself told me he hates dessert. He should stick to his guns and just leave them off completely. Agreed on all counts.

Indeed. Your point of view is, of course, neither right or wrong. It is simply and opinion like any other. While I'll agree with you that there is a lot going on with each dessert, I found most of the combinations enjoyable. Different strokes...

Your avatar tells me that, yes, you should squeeze it in on your own. Or perhaps just say the word here on eG and I'm sure some of us could easily be talked into joining you!

I went to Annisa for the first time just this past Sunday, actually. Very, very solid, I thought. I had the foie gras soup dumplings with jicama, followed by the skate with avocado and radishes with Korean flavors. Both were delicious. The description upthread describes my entree nicely. I also tried my friends' miso sable (quite good; always on the menu, from what I gather) and pan roasted monkfish with monkfish liver, lobster and cabbage (buttery and wonderful). Wanted to try their mushroom soup they each had as an appetizer as well, but neither would share! So it must've been pretty good too. We split two desserts among the two of us, the mochi (dipping sauces are seriously tasty) and the lemon (poppy?) bread pudding, which had absolutely the best texture of any bread pudding I've ever eaten. Great service. Very good food. No complaints whatsoever. I'll be back. As for the wine list, sorry but I have not a clue. Two of us didn't drink the other night, and the other had a nice cabernet he seemed to enjoy.

Absolutely

I stand corrected regarding the price. I agree with FG, though, that the cigalas were just not worth it. Now the $4-a-pop head-on grilled shrimp, on the other hand, were plump, juicy, and quite tasty. Those, I think, were worth it.

Having wanted to try Degustation for quite some time now, I wasn't sure what I'd been missing. After going this past Saturday, and trying literally every single item on the menu, I'm still somewhat unsure what I've been missing. Frankly, I was just not that impressed. Being forced to wait 45 minutes past a reservation is, on a Saturday night in a restaurant this small, forgivable. Once seated, I really liked our seats. The first two tucked into the left corner once you step in. So we only had people on one side of us, and we were right in front of the pass, so to speak, so we saw most of the food going out, and were able to engage the chef in conversation now and again. As I mentioned, we ordered the entire menu among the two of us. Not actually as crazy as it sounds. It was actually a nice amount of food, leaving us full but not dying at the end. Thoughts on the food: The tortilla was, to me, instantly forgettable. One of those one-bite dishes you pop into your mouth expecting a bit more flavor-wise. The croqueta was tasty; warm, crispy exterior, luxuriously creamy interior. Would never have guess that apple was part of the filling, but it worked quite well. The plancha items were delicious, if a bit overpriced. $10 for a langostine? This is not L'Atelier, people. The poached egg with jamon serrano, chorizo, rice cracker crusted asparagus and smoked cheese foam was quite tasty, with the yolk turning the dish into almost a soup. The grilled mackerel with trio of apples was also nice. The seared scallops? Eh, not so much. My friend hated this dish, actually. I didn't think it was that bad. But honestly, I didn't think it was that good either. Mediocre flavor and a bit boring. The squid stuffed with short ribs and the sweetbreads have each received some praise here on eGullet, and rightfully so. Both delicious, and among the standouts of the evening. I'm not sure the squid is quite as revelatory as some on this thread and elsewhere may have suggested, but it is pretty tasty. The sweetbreads, essentially chicken-fried, should absolutely replace popcorn as the movie snack of choice. The quail and the rabbit were passable, if a bit lacking. The kind of dish you eat expecting to have a new flavor, or a new texture surprise the palate at any moment, yet that moment never comes. The suckling pig was quite flavorful, but I wish they'd crisped the skin a bit better to create some textural contrast. The lamb belly was, for both of us, terrible. Quite easily the weakest dish of the night. I've had ____ belly countless time before: pork (mmm Fatty Crab pork-and-watermelon salad), lamb, tuna, salmon, you name it. I recognize it's about the wonderful interplay between flesh and fat, meatiness and unctuous fattiness. This block of lamb belly was, unfortunately, all fat. Essentially inedible. To make things worse, the hash brown alongside it had long ago passed the stage of being crispy and was now simply black. Overcooked? I'd say so. Overall, the flavors in this dish could have and should have worked together well, but both the raw ingredient (the lamb belly) and the cooking (or more precisely, overcooking) were its downfall. As I said, absolutely the weakest dish of the night. Luckily, the kitchen soon redeemed themselves with a very flavorful ribeye, which, at $15, I consider a pretty damn good deal for the price. We finished with a nice cheese plate of four different cheeses, two Spanish and two Italian. I really enjoyed the marcona almond butter they provided as an accompaniement. And just to round things out properly, we ordered the lone dessert on the menu, an apple "tarte tatin" with greek yogurt. Decent, but its inclusion on the menu was clearly an afterthought. If you're not going to do dessert, fine. But don't do a half-assed dessert for no reason at all. Finally, we closed things out with a class of highly unremarkable sherry, and that was that. Overall, there were some hits and some misses. Nothing was terrible (well, the lamb..), but nothing really sticks out in my mind as having been outstanding either. Nothing I'm craving to return and have again. As I mentioned in another thread, with Momofuku Ssam Bar just a short walk away, I'm not sure I'll ever be back to Degustation, actually. To me, the cooking at Ssam is clearly several steps above what they're putting out at Degustation, and, at the end of the day, the quality of the food is what it all comes down to.

Could not agree more, FG. A friend and I went to Degustation for the first time Saturday night. We ordered the entire menu. Literally. Frankly, it just wasn't that strong. Nothing terrible (save, maybe, the lamb belly), but nothing really stood out as being great. With Momofuku Ssam just a short walk away, I'm not sure I'll ever go back to Degustation, actually. The difference in quality is, to me, that striking.

I like Dinosaur BBQ, too, but then again, it's literally a 10 minute walk for me. If they're staying in Chelsea, why not someplace like RUB? Much more convenient location, and I'd guess the BBQ is just as good. That being said, would I come to NYC to eat BBQ? In a word, no. A few ideas, some of which came from my search for a birthday meal for myself and 11 friends a while back: Momofuku Ssam Bar (bo ssam), Daisy May BBQ (whole pig), Craft (very conducive to family-style dining, though I'm not sure they do groups that big), Public (fixed menu), Compass (no fixed menu), Stanton Social (I've never been, so I have no opinion on the place), Picholine (OpenTable says they can do a party that large), Chinatown Brasserie. These are all over the map, of course, both location-wise and price-wise, but I'll continue to give it some thought. I'm pretty sure the fixed menu only applies to groups of 12 or larger, though I'm not certain.

Which flavor combinations did you find so disappointing?

I was just there about three weeks ago. Polanco (right in town) is pretty decent (and has free internet access). The chivo (goat) was quite good. Ponderosa del Mar (also right in town) has good lobster and other seafood dishes and is a little bit fancier. Out in Cofresi (right next to the rather bizarre Ocean World theme park), the Cofresi Bar & Grill, which just opened about 4 months go, has by far the best food I had in the area. I wouldn't say it's worth a drive just to eat, but if you find yourself nearby, have a look. As for bars, you really should go witness the merengue spectacle at La Canita -- very beautiful people who can really dance. It was borderline crowded at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday. A classic "Rancho Tipico" right in town. Hope that helps. Have fun. ← definitely helps! gracias!

Good call on the pickled crosnes in the amuse bouche. I'd forgotten about that. And it sounds like your assessment of the souffle was much the same as mine. Phenomenal, indeed.

Couldn't agree more with the recs for La Bergamote (chocolate-almond croissant. mmm) for the Chelsea breakfast, or Momofuku Ssam for the dinner. Both spot on.

Degustation and Pegu should be nice. I'll be trying Degustation this Sunday for the first time, which I'm quite excited about. Pegu, I've still yet to try, but have heard great things. I'll have to go sometime soon. Re: food store. Chelsea Market has some nice places. I especially enjoy Buon Italia, the Italian grocery, but that's not surprising, given my love for all things Italian! Citarella is nice. I'd also suggest Dean and Deluca in SoHo, a very nice upscale (read: pricy) grocery with very nice stuff (and right around the corner from Balthazar, if you go there). If food shopping in Little Italy, be sure to check out DiPalo's. Ooh, and I'd also add Murray's Cheese to your food shopping list as well. Pommes Frites, is, to me, highly overrated. The fries are much too thick for my taste, and the interesting selection of sauces is not enough to save them, in my book. My friends and I jokingly refer to the place as the Baskin Robbins of french fries -- lots of different flavors, but the quality just isn't that great! Broadway Panhandler is fun to browse in, and as others have already pointed out, they have recently changed locations. I've not found the chocolates at La Maison du Chocolat to be anything spectacular. Those found at Kee's will be infinitely fresher, and in my opinion, more delicious. I would definitely recommend a stop at Kee's. Personally, I prefer breakfast at Balthazar to lunch, but it's a solid place regardless, and worth a stop for sure. Don't know anything about Teresa's, but my favorite breakfast in the city is probably at Clinton Street Baking Co. Mmm pancakes. Re: pizza...Arturo's and Sal and Carmine's are both nice. The former's location is convenient to SoHo shopping, etc. Sal and Carmine's is good for the UWS, but definitely not enough to warrant a special trip. Besides, if you're presented with only one opportunity to eat pizza in the city, there are much better options. Patsy's east harlem (1st ave/117th), Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, or even Naples 45 (a short walk from your hotel) are all better, I think. Re: Chinese...I'm not the one to ask about Dim Sum. While it's not in Chinatown and certainly not cheap, Chinatown Brasserie is the dim sum place highest on my go-to list right now. For dumplings, I prefer Dumpling House to Fried Dumpling, but they are both filling and cheap. The scallion pancake at Dumpling House is also quite nice. Re: bakeries/pastries... Jacques Torres I'm kind of ambivalent about. Not bad. But not great. Just kind of....eh. Please, oh please, do not go to Cupcake Cafe. Their cupcakes are nice to look at, but taste absolutely horrid. Bouley Bakery is nice. The 110th street location of Make My Cake is no longer open, but the one further uptown is really good, if more than a little bit out of the way. Their red velvet cake is really nice. Sugar Sweet Sunshine's cupcakes are nice, and to me, better than Magnolia (ick!), Billy's, et al. Financier is solid. Payard I've found to be hit-or-miss, but they do have a beautiful looking selection of pastries that makes choosing difficult. Lady M Cake Boutique is tasty, if a bit stuffy. Perhaps combined with La Maison du Chocolat, as they are merely a block apart. Or even better yet, make it a trifecta with a cappuccino or gelato from Sant Ambroeus also on Madison. Patisserie Claude is great, but get there early! Two Little Red Hens is also a nice little bakery, with more traditional American items. Other suggestions: As others above have suggested La Bergamote is outstanding. I am a sucker for the chocolate-almond croissants. The regular almond or pain au chocolat versions aren't shabby either. Definitely recommended. Larry also mentioned Bouchon, which is a nice idea. Could make a nice light lunch one day as well. Given your hotel's location, I'd also add Fauchon (56th/Madison) to the bakery/patisserie list you've got going. Sounds to me like you've got a nice trip in store! Hope you enjoy it! P.S. Sorry for making you read so much! I didn't realize how much I'd typed until I stopped!

financier patisserie?

Funny. That makes three of us. Aside from the whole "subsequent visits" thing. There definitely won't be any of those for me.