BryanZ
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Posts posted by BryanZ
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Somewhat off-topic, but Mitsuwa's wagyu tri-tip steaks are pretty out of control. Not as good as what you get in Japan obviously but very tasty.
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Wegmans bills that their truffles are from Burgundy. Nevertheless, I would not recommend buying from them. As Chris Hennes points out, the turn over simply isn't fast enough. Between the olfactory assault that is commercial truffle oil and substandard offerings from the likes of Wegmans, WF and most Dean and Deluca,it's difficult for home cooks to get their hands on good truffles. Save your money and spring the $40 for shaved truffles at a good restaurant.
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Some friends of mine went to Insieme this weekend and remarked, "It was fine, but $125 for four or five courses..." I didn't believe that the price was so high.
So I looked at the online menu, and, indeed, the five-course tasting menu is $125. This seems quite steep for so few courses. The main course is Australian wagyu with black truffles so in some respects I can see the $40 premium over the $85 they usually charge. Anywho, the price was striking when I heard it. Of course, I've read reports that the restaurant is best experienced a la carte, but in the end $125 seems nearly insulting for five, tasting-sized portions.
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The trifecta on Dovetail today was interesting. I was definitely taking the Eater and NY Journal bets on two. This place just doesn't sound impressive, and the review reads more like an enthusiastic two star.
UWS curve? Probably, but you generally see the geographic curve in effect for one-star restaurants that are bumped up to two. One could very easily argue that Bruni has a cuisine-specific curve, namely Italian, where two star restaurants are bumped to three (A Voce, Del Posto, I'm sure there are others).
Finally, another usage of the word "fussy" in not exactly the best light. We'll add that to the record.
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That's fair. It's a very rich dish. My minor complaint with it was that there wasn't enough of the razor clam condiment to foil the richness of the meat. The lettuce can only go so far. I sampled it with 3 other friends, so only had it in small doses. To eat the full portion would be enjoyable for me, but daunting. The beauty of Ssam bar, however, is that so few of the dishes taste alike so if you order a couple things, especially in a group, palate fatigue is limited.
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Am surprised you didn't like it. Why? I thought the texture of the belly meat was actually pretty cool.
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Schwa was the bane of my existence this past summer. Had my reso canceled on me twice, had to reschedule once myself, then it closed. I hope I can get to the new version.
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Eat at Ssam. Without a doubt.
Everyone seems to think that Santouka just creams Setagaya. I really like the latter; the broth is more interesting than at Santouka. Santouka is "good" to me, Setagaya is "really good."
Gyukaku is kind of lame. It's good quality but the prices are higher and the portions smaller than what you'll get at most proper Korean restaurants.
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The restaurant is not particularly expensive and even seems to be a bargain of sorts to me. $64 for 4 courses, right?
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What jackal10 said.
So the 450F cook seemed wayy high for me.
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No, not that hard.
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I agree with that to a large extent. A big part of why Bruni was so willing to run with the luxury and pomp of Le Cirque is because of its history. It belongs in another time to an extent. The here and now is not Le Cirque, and I think that's generally in line with Bruni's overall preferences.
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For my twelfth birthday or so I went out (to lunch) to Union Square Cafe. It was probably the first Big City meal I can remember and most likely a definitive moment in my life. It's a good spot for that kind of thing.
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I'm not even sure that City Harvest option is even available. I'd definitely call to confirm.
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It includes 2 savory courses and dessert. Not a particularly great deal, since, if we hold portion size relatively constant, they're just scaling back the dinner menu by one course.
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The brunch and lunch menus are the exact same, if I recall.
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PM me if you have specific questions. I've eaten at Bite Club and Cache and, obviously, Z Kitchen.
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I don't think I've ever ordered from the prix fixe menu at EMP since Chef Humm took over. In the past there were reports of people feeling that the portions off the prix fixe menu were rather small. I can't recall if those reports were from anyone I know and trust, but it's something to consider. As a result of some of that feedback, they instituted the four-course option now seen on the menu.
The Gourmand is a lot of (delicious) food. When I was last at the restaurant in December and had the Gourmand menu, I too was with a 4' 11" dining companion (not my usual 5' companion who packs it away) and she was overwhelmed. I think the best bet for you might be ordering the three-course option for your wife and perhaps ordering the four-course option for yourself.
The lame thing about EMP's prix fixe menu is that there are only three appetizers--and one is a salad so that hardly counts--that don't carry a supplement, which obviously isn't very many. I'm not sure if you can order from the "Fish and Crustaceans" section for your first course. It's worth asking about in advance.
The five-course option at Bouley should be fine for you. It's more or less his classic dishes, but if you've never been before some are really, really good. The phyllo-crusted scallop in ocean broth, the Return from Chiang Mai, etc. It will be a good amount of food, but if you're celebrating a special occasion just take your time and enjoy the room.
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So it seems that you've veered from your original goal of enjoying a more affordable, more casual meal. That's fine, but just go in knowing that EMP has shed any bit of rusticity--down the iron chandeliers--since your last visit. It is undoubtedly a fine dining restaurant now and certainly one of the city's best. I actually feel like Mayur is in the minority here in preferring to order a la carte. If you read the reports here, the majority of the most glowing seem to focus on the Menu Gourmand. It is quite expensive now, however, at $145ish. Still, I think it's worth it and more enjoyable than the offerings from more storied NYC restaurants, including Bouley.
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If you want a very good, celebratory meal that won't break the bank--say, under $100/person with minimal to moderate drinking--definitely consider the Bar Room and Maze. Neither EMP nor the Modern are cheap by any means.
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Yes, that is true. I always ask for bar seats at PDT and D&Co. if they're available. In a group of 4 or more, however, this is effectively impossible.
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Not that taking reservations makes it much easier to get in. I routinely have friends calling up PDT at exactly 3 pm and get offered nothing but 2:30 am. This is no fault of the restaurant, but I'm quickly finding PDT one of the hardest tables to book in the city.
I've actually found getting into D&Co. perhaps easier overall since it's less crowded generally. And imagine if D&Co. doesn't get its liquor license woes worked out and goes away. The overflow would at least partially come to PDT, making it even more difficult to get in.
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Probably either is better than the the other choices. The former, obviously more casual and sexier, the latter more elegant and suited to a celebratory meal.
Midtown/Uptown you have Modern, GR@London/Maze, Picholine, but I have a hard time believing you can celebrate anything there but being younger than the average diner, even if you're well past "middle-aged". Or if you really, really like purple.
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So, if I'm reading this correctly, I need to go to NJ for a good Indian buffet, hamburgers, hot dogs and a very large Asian food mall/court?
The food court issue is an interesting one. This is something Bourdain has mentioned on several occasions, but the US, and especially Manhattan, lacks the type of sprawling, high-quality food court that's so commonplace in Asia and, to a lesser extent Europe. Obviously Manhattan has its space constraints, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we're a supermarket rather than farmer's market culture. One-stop, destination food shopping and dining. You look at the train stations in Tokyo, much less the department stores, and it's unlike anything in the city. Perhaps Mitsuwa comes closest but even that is a pale, pathetic comparison.
So, to get back on topic, if people are willing to travel thousands of miles to eat in a large Asian food court/market, traversing the bridges and tunnels or hopping on a ferry isn't too much to ask. With that said, please don't take this post for anything more than it is. I'm certainly not endorsing the credo that city dwellers must get to NJ for the food alone.
Fine Dining Alone in NYC: Your Best Picks
in New York: Dining
Posted · Edited by BryanZ (log)
My roommate is planning a solo spring break trip to NYC right now. Just today I've overheard him make reservations for one at Tailor, Tabla, EMP, Balthazar, Jean-Georges, and Maze. In no way was he discouraged by the reservationists. Better to eat a nicer restaurant alone and perhaps be a bit more conspicuous than go somewhere not as good where you'll just blend in.