bgut1
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Posts posted by bgut1
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To be honest, Robert's is actually a really good steak and fits your budget - but if mostly females - you'd probably want lighter fare - can you provide an idea of kind of cuisines for dinner? Also, if your staff liked Ava lounge, I can make a bunch of reccs along those lines. Although it seems like you need to out-do yourself every year. Have you considered Karaoke?
As noted above - we normally go ever year to Carmines. They like the idea of a nice crowd and family style meals. As far as drinks are concerned, they want a "happening" vibe with a "cool" room and prefereably a view. I've thought of doing either the Stone Rose or maybe Buddakan (albiet no view).
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If your staff does not include females, or those who enjoy flesh - Roberts/Penthouse
Budget for the meal is $50 p.p. (give or take) exclusive of drinks. Sorry raji - the group mostly consists of females
Otherwise a good idea. -
If you don't feel like trecking downtown after your mediocore meal at Carmines (really, why are you going here? You can get this food anywhere. Take them to Otto) you can try Ava Penthouse/Lounge on 55th and Broadway in the Dream Hotel. -About 15 flrs high, it provides pretty views of TSqr, a funky vibe and only 11 blocks away. You could walk off the spag meatballs and chicken parm.
I want to thank Eatmywords for the wonderful suggestion of Ava Lounge. It was fantastic and my staff truly enjoyed themselves. We arrived a little after 10 (following Damon Wayans at Carolines - hillarious). What struck me about the place was its size. Its much smaller than I had imagined. The view and the "vibe" were spectacular. We were lucky to get our own little area below the picture window looking out at Times Square. Drinks were decent (the Key Lime Martini was a standout however) but quite pricey - a little shocked with the final tab. All in all a perfect night. BTW, the food at Carmines while not great was pretty solid (especially the porterhouse).
My pleasure dude!
Its that time of year again and I need help planning this year's dinner. My staff is looking for me to top last year and is finally willing to try another restaurant. Any recommendations dinner and/or drinks? Thanks.
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Dee and I visited Lorena's over the summer and continue to be delighted. We've probably dined there ten times, and continue to be impressed. If you have a particular, special wine and something you'd like to have with it, chances are chef Campos could craft something for you
A look at the current menu suggests they're well into a Fall-early Winter menu, with venison. lamb sirloin, root vegetables, format etc
A fantastic choice. We went there for the first time a few months back and thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Clearly one of if not in fact the best restaurant in NJ. Enjoy your meal and your occasion.
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Some photos of our recent meal (not to mention pics of a birthday girl, her associate, and two tippling octopi.):
Thanks Al. The meal looks very good but I agree its not as visually appealing as the earlier gourmand menus. Would you still recommend it to friends? I'm not sure but I may switch to ala carte and put together my own tasting menu including the suckling pig and the muscovy duck. Your thoughts? I was really looking forward to an over the top gluttonous tasting menu with wine pairings.
If you've never been to EMP, I'd still recommend the gourmand as worthwhile. If you've been before, and (like me), you don't dine in these sort of restaurants all that often, I might suggest trying someplace new. I think the ala carte approach might be a good way to go.
Even if the food in the gourmand wasn't over-the-top gluttonous, the wine pairing (though not cheap) was pretty excessive and decadent. It's a lot of booze, and good booze at that.
My meal last night (4.5 hours worth) was bar none the best I've ever had. This is quite the accomplishment having dined at most of the "best" restaurants in the country including the French Laundry, Jean Georges, Daniel, and Le Bernadin. Noting a few of the mixed reviews regarding the new Gourmand menu, I decided to compose my own from the ala carte offerings with wine pairings. The kitchen as well as the sommelier were very accommodating. The three best dishes and probably the best I have ever eaten were the foie gras torchon with brioche and foie gras brulee, the suckling pig and the muscovy duck. In a word PERFECTION. The weakest dish of the night was the lobster lasagne. Service was impeccable and would not hesitate rrecommending to anyone seeking a once in a life meal.
Note to alwang - Chef Humm seems to have jettisoned the Foie Gras Lollipops and replaced them with the torchon. A good move as far as I'm concerned.
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Some photos of our recent meal (not to mention pics of a birthday girl, her associate, and two tippling octopi.):
Thanks Al. The meal looks very good but I agree its not as visually appealing as the earlier gourmand menus. Would you still recommend it to friends? I'm not sure but I may switch to ala carte and put together my own tasting menu including the suckling pig and the muscovy duck. Your thoughts? I was really looking forward to an over the top gluttonous tasting menu with wine pairings.
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We had loved the spring & summer Gourmand/tasting menu
at EMP, the same one described above.
However, last evening we tried the fall Gourmand and found it
disappointing. It's not that anything was awful...there just wasn't
anything exciting or terribly interesting or delicious. I had loved the foie gras -
cherry dish described above. Last night the foie gras was presented
as three very thin cold slices, each on a lollipop stick [embedded in
lucite ] and covered w. a beet glaze. The desserts seemed particularly
shallow....a cassis sorbet under meringue and the traditional chocolate-
caramel-salt disk. The beignets were cold whereas formerly they were warm.
I agree w. the above poster that the presentations also seemed
less interesting or special than those of our previous experiences.
The 'ladies' at the podium are excellent and the waitstaff very
good EXCEPT that our waiter kept clearing our courses while
we were still chewing!...and on more than one occasion we
had to shoo him away as we still had our forks in hand. They were
not turning tables ...nor were we the last table there.........so this was
rather alienating.
Based on last night's experience, I will be more reserved about
sending people there. Perhaps Michelin had an experience similar to ours!
OK - I'm getting a little worried about this new gourmand menu. I have a reservation for this Friday and was very excited about it before reading these comments. Should I cancel and go someplace else? Or maybe we can sub a few courses for proven winners (i.e. the duck)? I would appreciate the advice as I don't want to drop $600 for 2 with the wine pairings for a mediocre meal. Thanks all.
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I'm going in November to L'Atelier and thought to put together my own tasting menu as a number of the items on the Discovery Menu will not appeal to my DW (i.e foie gras, quail and veal). Of interest are: the langostine, the egg, the oysters, the aparagus capuccino, the potato confit with truffles, the tuna belly, the hanger steak or rib eye, the steak tartare, the chocolate and the tartes. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Has anyone heard of/been to Guy Savoy's down-scaled restaurant, Bites & Bubbles?
The menu - http://media.caesars.com/GetAttachment.asp...tachmentid=2302
We intend to try it before L'Atelier during our trip in November. I will report back.
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I completely forgot about Rockleigh Country Club. I've had a couple of events/parties there and they've all been excellent. Is Irwin Lepselter still there?
Since their renovation, new building, etc., the facility is magnificent.
Eric
Wow that's right ... Irwin. He made the place. I hope he's still there.
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the best i've ever had was at the rockleigh country club. the gigantic shrimp on the dinner salad was the tenderest, best shrimp i've ever had. (hmmm, maybe i don't get out much). the cocktail hour spread was mind-boggling in breadth and scope and really fresh and delicious. not just good food for a wedding. gooooooooood food period.
I was waiting for someone to talk about the Rockleigh as I didn't want to come across as being too biased. I had my wedding there back in 2000 and it was fantastic. To this date my friends and coworkers remark that it was the best wedding food they have ever had period. In second place I would have to agree with many poster that Crystal Plaza is top notch. Good luck.
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they're calling them "vegetables" on the online menu:
especially recommend the: cauliflower, radishes and english peas with proscuitto.
get some cheeses as well.
First and foremost, I must apologize to Nathan. Otto was nothing like I had expected. In short, the food and the experience were excellent. What a place. It was packed, vibrant and "hip". We had a reservation for 6:45 PM and were quickly seated in a nice table toward the back of the restaurant. While I consider myself an educated wine drinker, I know very little about Italian wines and was somewhat overwhelmed by their extensive selection. The waitress sensing my hesitation called over the sommelier who helped choose a wine flight for our table, which in turn led to a more wine being ordered. I enjoyed the wines tremendously and appreciated the spot on recommendations of the steward. Having read the Otto posts on this board we ordered the following items: a plate of Carni, a plate of Fromaggi, figs Agrodolce (recommended by our waitress to go with the cheeses), and two pizzas (the guanciale and the quattro stagioni). The meats and the cheeses stole the show. While I enjoyed the pizzas, they just didn't blow me away. In fact, I enjoyed the quattro stagioni much more than the guanciale (none of which that I could find on the pizza). As other people have previously posted, the accompaniments to the cheeses were fabulous. I just couldn't get enough of the truffled honey. I know I'm going to crave some more of it very soon. One thing to note is the omission of a bread basket. I have to have a lot of bread to truly enjoy the cheeses and the meats. Here you’re presented with several packets of bread steaks and a few slices of nice and crusty country bread wrapped in paper. I had to request more bread and again was presented with more sticks and another package of bread. I would have appreciated a nice basket full instead. The figs were okay but to me seemed liked an acquired taste. They didn't add to the cheeses and were the only item not finished on the table. We next moved to dessert and ordered a dish of olive oil gelato, a black and white and the butterscotch and banana coppetta. All were amazing!!! I have to admit being a skeptic about the olive oil gelato but it was the best gelato I've ever had. All the above being said, I will definitely return when I'm looking for a place to nosh and drink with friends. Is Otto a place to go for a full and complete meal? To me I would answer no however I don't think that's the concept the owners were looking for. Again much thanks to Nathan and the rest of you for the recommendation. BTW, we did follow Otto with a nice walk to Pegu and enjoyed several drinks there as well.
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get a plate of carne...I think they'll do a sampler for you guys.
maybe some pesce as well.
order a bunch of contorini.
try the lardo pizza and whatever's the daily special.
olive oil gelato, ricotta gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato, olive oil gelato!
obviously, Italian wines from one of the best lists in the city are the way to go. maybe split a flight of house-infused grappa to finish....and then on to Pegu (unless it's a weekend...then don't go to Pegu!)
Nathan - Thanks for the recommendations. BTW, what are contorini? I don't see it on their menu online nor can I find anything about it through a Google search. Thanks.
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How much is the wait coming into play here? Because at Spotted Pig, Landmarc or Momofuku Ssam, you could definitely be waiting an hour or far more (as Nathan points out). Chinatown Brasserie, Hearth or Blue Hill take reservations. CB has great dim sum. Hearth and Blue hill speak for themselves. If you can stretch the budget a bit, you might consider Strip House.
You may well prefer french bistro over Italian, but I don't really think simplicity comes into play in that discussion. I know you corrected your statement about the food being simple, but I just wanted to address it from a menu perspective. To call the pizza and pasta at Otto simplistic is simply absurd. I'm not sure if you took a close look at the menu, but I'd be shocked if your corner pizza shop is selling pizza with lardo or even clams. However, where Otto really shines is with the antipasti and the ingredient quality. It's not my favorite pizza in the city, but as a restaurant the food is a lot more exciting and innovative than Landmarc (which is not to say that it's hugely innovative but it is not readily available elsewhere in NY). There's nothing being served at Landmarc (aside from the blood sausage) that I can't make myself for dinner with basic ingredients. Of course, if you like Pastis as an option then Landmarc is definitely a step up.
Momofuku ssam is definitely the most innovative restaurant that's been mentioned in this thread.
Jessika - As I noted before, it is a matter of preference. While I enjoy Italian food, I don't usually go out of my way to eat it out. For me, I would rather eat french bistro fare than Italian. Again this is a matter of personal preference. Don't get me wrong, while a meal at Babbo and Del Posto might definitely do it for me, pizza or pasta no matter how good is not what I'm interested in (topping or no toppings). In fact if I had my drothers I would rather go to Una Pizza Neopolitana or Di Fara's for a pizza fix. But again its not my idea of a night out especially for a trip into the city. I didn't mean to offend the fans of Otto or Mr. Batali by my comments. BTW, I did take a closer look at the menu and did note the ingredients used on the pies. That being said it is STILL pizza. To some a nice plate of choucroute is just hot dogs with sauerkraut. It's all a matter of perspective as well as likes and dislikes.
good luck and report back!
with that said, I think you're misunderstanding Otto still.
A. its very possible to have a good meal without ordering either pizza or pasta there.
B. if you don't want to eat pasta when out...there's no point whatsoever in going to Babbo or Del Posto.
C. if you don't wait too long..Ssam Bar is definitely the way to go...
Nathan - I thought you might want to know that after putting it up for a vote the choice of my friends was Otto with a stop at Pegu (or PDT) afterwards. So I guess after all, I will get to see what you and the others are talking about. Any recommendations?
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All the above being said I'm going to recommend Momofuku Ssam first and Spotted Pig second. Thanks all for your help.
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How much is the wait coming into play here? Because at Spotted Pig, Landmarc or Momofuku Ssam, you could definitely be waiting an hour or far more (as Nathan points out). Chinatown Brasserie, Hearth or Blue Hill take reservations. CB has great dim sum. Hearth and Blue hill speak for themselves. If you can stretch the budget a bit, you might consider Strip House.
You may well prefer french bistro over Italian, but I don't really think simplicity comes into play in that discussion. I know you corrected your statement about the food being simple, but I just wanted to address it from a menu perspective. To call the pizza and pasta at Otto simplistic is simply absurd. I'm not sure if you took a close look at the menu, but I'd be shocked if your corner pizza shop is selling pizza with lardo or even clams. However, where Otto really shines is with the antipasti and the ingredient quality. It's not my favorite pizza in the city, but as a restaurant the food is a lot more exciting and innovative than Landmarc (which is not to say that it's hugely innovative but it is not readily available elsewhere in NY). There's nothing being served at Landmarc (aside from the blood sausage) that I can't make myself for dinner with basic ingredients. Of course, if you like Pastis as an option then Landmarc is definitely a step up.
Momofuku ssam is definitely the most innovative restaurant that's been mentioned in this thread.
Jessika - As I noted before, it is a matter of preference. While I enjoy Italian food, I don't usually go out of my way to eat it out. For me, I would rather eat french bistro fare than Italian. Again this is a matter of personal preference. Don't get me wrong, while a meal at Babbo and Del Posto might definitely do it for me, pizza or pasta no matter how good is not what I'm interested in (topping or no toppings). In fact if I had my drothers I would rather go to Una Pizza Neopolitana or Di Fara's for a pizza fix. But again its not my idea of a night out especially for a trip into the city. I didn't mean to offend the fans of Otto or Mr. Batali by my comments. BTW, I did take a closer look at the menu and did note the ingredients used on the pies. That being said it is STILL pizza. To some a nice plate of choucroute is just hot dogs with sauerkraut. It's all a matter of perspective as well as likes and dislikes.
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I'd advise a look at the Otto thread here on egullet.
edit: to be precise the 2004-6 thread is the one you want:
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ed&pid=1424341#
Will do Nathan - thanks for the link.
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Otto's not simplistic at all.
You're going to be waiting a long time for a table at the Spotted Pig...I doubt you want that.
if you think Otto looks boring you'll really be bored by Landmarc. haven't been to Prune for dinner.
Nathan - I guess I'm speaking out of ignorance, however a review of Otto's menu shows primarily pizzas and pastas while Landmarc looks to have more french bistro oriented food. I guess its a matter of preference. To me I'm more interested in the latter. I didn't mean to imply that one was better than the other. I shouldn't have used the word simplistic as both can be seen as being so. Sometimes simply prepared food can be fantastic ala Craft.
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why not Otto? perfect for a few guys that might get a little racuous...and there's something for everyone on the menu. then head over to Pegu Club or Little Branch (both are just a few blocks away).
and that'd be in the $50-60 range apiece with plenty of wine...leaving some wallet room for cocktails after.
or maybe E.U. or Ssam Bar followed by PDT or Death & Co.?
Okay - I took a look at the menus at Otto, EU and Spotted Pig. Of the three Spotted Pig looks the best. The pizza and pasta at Otto sound a little too simplistic to me ... I guess its just not my thing. I also looked at the Little Owl but I doubt I can get a reservation. Any thoughts on Prune or Landmarc? I'd also consider Balthazar but a number of us have already been and want to try something new. Sorry for being all over the place but I guess what I'm looking for may not exist.
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what's the actual price range?
Daisy17 - thanks for the great suggestions. Nathan - as for price, although none was discussed, I would think $50-60/p.p. without drinks or gratuity.
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I'm embarrassed to admit that I am truly at a loss. A bunch of college buddies (about 4 guys in their 40's) are looking to get together after work on a Thursday night for dinner and drinks in the village/so ho (really anyplace downtown). They are looking for it all: fun and happening, comfortable, very good food (a few are foodies) and not too expensive. I'm also thinking about a bar after dinner (say maybe Pegu). Any ideas? Thanks for the help.
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Hi all...I like Nicholas a lot..just a weird warning...we have eaten there twice and both times someone in the group ate their beef entree...both times it was horrible and I am not sure who...so if you skip the beef, you can have a wonderful meal...well priced...3 courses for $55. Sadly, I cannot come up with other really good places...I like Lulu's in Livingston a lot for lunch...and so sadly, I go to New York City most of the time....
JoanIts funny you would say that. Back in October I had the pan roasted rib eye and it was wonderful. A few months later I had it again and the steak was barely warm (although the potatoes were very hot). I had thought it was a one time coincidence so I said nothing. Your post makes me think. All that being said, I still think Nicholas is the best restaurant in the state. I've dined there since it opened and have no intention of stopping.
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bgut1, I agree with you on DeLorenzo's but Vic's cannot be so-so....... 60 years means something! Keep in mind, I've never been there so I cannot justify anything.
Vic's has been in business since 1947. A statistic like that is rare. Any other "Vic's People?"
Thanks
Dave
steakas - I'm not disputing that I'm in the "extreme" minority about Vics. All I'm saying is that the Pizza didn't do anything for me and I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. As far as your hypothesis that there is a direct correlation between the age of a restaurant and quality; I'm sorry but I can't agree. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I would appreciate your impressions AFTER you have had a chance to dine there.
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Somewhere I read a mention of Vic's Italian Restaurant in Bradley Beach, and recall something like "best pizza in NJ." I think I read it in NJ Mag, but I could be wrong. Has anyone been there? If so, how is it? The place is apparently running since 1947, so they must be doing something right.
Thanks,
:Dave
I'm in the extreme minority about Vics and the other local "standout" Pete and Eldas. I don't like their pizzas. To me we are not talking thin crust but dried out brittle crust - think pizza matzoh. For true thin crust my faves are DeLorenzos and Una Pizza Napoletana (formelry Pt. Pleasant and now in the village).
Jersey Shore = Jersey Food Bore
in New Jersey: Dining
Posted · Edited by bgut1 (log)
Frank - As you have realized, ocean county is pretty much a culinary wasteland. However, if you look hard enough you may find some diamonds in the rough. Some of my favorites include the following: Atlantic Bar and Grill in Seaside Park; Bistro 44 in downtown Toms River; and El Familiar also in Toms River in the Stella Plaza. Good Luck to you and don't lose hope.