adamru
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Posts posted by adamru
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is there a notable chef at rao's? I'd read about six months ago their longtime chef left for destino on 58th street but I've read nothing on egullet about destino and only negative reviews elsewhere on the web.
alas gaf, I'm jealous. at the taste of the lower east side a few months ago, a dinner for two at rao's was a silent auction item and when I left at the end of the night it was up to $2000 with another two hours of bidding to go.
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Small plates prevail with my friends: Thor, Otto, Bar Masa, the Bar Room at The Modern or drinks and dessert at Cafe5 in MoMA, and Shake Shack.
Dates: Cafe Gray (having read that forum I'm sure I'm the only one,) the lounge at Cafe des Artistes (same menu, almost faster and certainly friendlier service, very intimate and if your date smokes she doesn't have to leave the table,) Employees Only, and Mas is just a stumble away from Little Branch late at night.
Both purposes: Upstairs at Bouley - when you can walk right in and get a table and when he's cooking, it's special and intimate, at the same time with friends you can be loud and casual and it's cheap. And as for bookending a night out with friends or a date, Pegu Club and Room4Dessert.
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I thoroughly enjoyed my five nights in Vegas and was surprised I never wanted to leave Wynn where I was staying. For service and value I thought Daniel was a great experience far preferable to DB here at home. We ate there most often and since the rooms have fridges I can say the root vegetable confit that comes with their porterhouse is even better the next day partially I think because the spices from the meat transfered to the vegetables overnight. Anyway, everything there was outstanding.
And trying gelato all around town, Sugar & Ice in the Wynn also won me over not only in terms of portion size but because they mixed fresh ingredients into their gelato instead of just putting some topping over the whole tray of gelato. The coconut crunch had chunks of macaroons in it and the tirami su was half cake in every scoop.
Aureole was a huge disappointment compared to New York. Small portions, slow service with long stretches between some courses mid-meal were the biggest problem. And the last course on the tasting menu is chocolates and petits fours. In New York they come around with trays and present a selection of chocolates from which to choose then bring petits fours then give a little something to take away. Here they never brought any chocolate or petits fours even though it's listed as a course on the menu. It wasn't just us, they didn't offer it to any table offering a tasting menu. We were ready to go so we said nothing but has anyone else encountered that there?
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the home meal replacements in my neighborhood are actually my guilty pleasures so I'm all too happy to frequent them bi-weekly : daisy mae's bbq for chicken though the sides are all bright solid colors of goo, starwich for grilled cheese, carve (although the three sandwiches that make up the indecision have fallen off - steak has become cold roast beef and everything is topped by onion straws,) john's pizzeria in times square and hard rock cafe as I've never outgrown their appetizers and I can get take-out from the bar til 1am and free refills while I wait.
elsewhere:
hedeh for cheap satisfying sashimi and rolls and the amuse you only get sitting at the bar which grows in size the more often you frequent it.
pegu club for duck buns and those mushroom ravioli / dumplings though I wish their food would change as often as their drinks.
blaue gans for the fried chicken or schnitzel and potato salad.
upstairs at bouley for the burger and toro usually in the same sitting.
shake shack when there's no line, for anything but their fries.
room4dessert, once a month sure, but that hardly seems frequent.
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in two weeks I'll be in vegas for five nights and I've already booked at guy savoy and unless I win big I wondered if it's best to use the rest of my money at mansion joel robuchon or to use that money for maybe three dinners spread out at alex, picasso, and maybe aureole. and is that realistic that one dinner for two at the mansion with wine pairing is equal in price to three other high end restaurants without wine pairings? also, does okada have an omikase? the menu on the wynn website is very limited and doesn't even mention sushi. and has anyone had the bar menu at bradley ogden?
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in response to dryden, graeter's is not carried in nyc but like everything else edward's has on its cincinnati nights, larossa, skyline and montgomery inn all offer their food mail order online. and having graeter's shipped to your house is cheaper per pint than buying some of the ice creams for sale at whole foods.
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"SKYLINE CHILI, MONTGOMERY INN RIBS & PULLED PORK SANDWICHES, LAROSA'S PIZZA and, of course, GRAETERS ICE CREAM!."
That's a quote from the Cincinnati Chili forum. My girlfriend's gone with friends a few times because they grew up in Ohio but more for nostalgia's sake than the quality of the food. Although it is great ice cream.
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I made a reservation for June 14th today so the reservation lines are now open. A credit card is required and there is a $150 fee if you cancel.
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if you're eating solo craftsteak has two bars - the main bar and the raw bar where you could dine - and it has the built-in entertainment of watching the action in the wine vault. and right now it probably makes for better people watching. plus if you want to split your meal up you can start at the lounge at morimoto across the street and then end with the chocolate and rum tasting at the bar at del posto next door while getting an education in contemporary restaurant design while you're at it. otherwise, I'm not a craft fan but the atmosphere is intimate and the quality excellent at hearth.
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Finally I'm going to Alinea tomorrow night for my one year anniversary and I wondered, is it worth it to arrive there early? Is there a bar? Do they make any interesting house cocktaills or bar snacks? I know the cocktails at WD-50 both complement and rival the quality and uniqueness of the food. (Not so successful at Moto.)
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all I knew about european union was the history of its lack of a liquor license and how they've been so downtrodden about it the hostess stops you from entering until you fully understand you can't drink there and that despite the restaurant being always empty the staff is slow and unhelpful. still I wanted to see if the food stood a chance and ate there last night - we were one of four tables occupied - and it was good.
there was no hostess but a waiter did stop us and explain we could not be served nor bring our own bottle which we explained is why we drank before our arrival. we were allowed to sit wherever we wanted, the placemat was the menu - so I don't know how some people wrote in to eater noting they received no menu - and the staff was fast to make recommendations. when I think gastropub I think of the spotted pig but the look of the room (dark wood and an open front wall of windows) and the menu (split into snacks, appetizers and entrees) are both reminiscent of cookshop.
we ordered a small snack of fried fish and potato balls - starts with a B but I can't think of it - which came with a spicy cream sauce and citrus slices. our two appetizers were the gravlax plate, a cucumber salad cut in long narrow sticks and in a light spicy dressing and topped with salmon not too wet or pungent and with no lemon slice, and two toast points. we also had the tarte flambee with bacon and onions which is actually better than similar dishes at cookshop and 24 prince as it maintained a crispness as the other restaurants make it too soggy. our entrees were the lamb chops of which you get three, four to five bites each, served with a lamb's tongue salad which taste like dry leg of lamb and english peas and fingerling potatoes. the peas were great and it was nice to see the potatoes included as the dish needed a heartier accompaniment and they were not mentioned in the description of the dish. there are no side dishes available to order. we also had the fish and chips, a large very flat fried skate taking up 2/3 of the plate and topped inches high with crisp fries.
I heard they made non-alcoholic drinks but none were available. the dessert menu is limited to lemon curd crepes, panna cotta with an almond cookie and treacle with creme fraiche ice cream I think. it wasn't enough to keep us around. they could have made something chocolate. and there are about six snacks, and about eight appetizers and eight entrees to choose from. I'd think they could do more to get people to stop in for coffee and dessert. many people did leave once they walked in and were told there was no liquor license up front and I think if they were hungry, sat down to eat then learned that,they'd stick around. also two bathroom doors slide open and one opens in. they should put a sign on the sliding doors as all night long people thought they were occupied when they weren't.
overall, it was enjoyable but not worth trekking to 4th and B all the time to spend $86 with tax and tip for the five plates. it deserves a better location and deserves to give their customers a little more credit when they step in the door.
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I don't think anyone has ever mentioned it, and I never saw it listed on the menu, but did anyone try or even receive the pepper vinegar meant to accompany the chicken that is mentioned in the new york magazine review?
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I'm going to call the hotel to check on the value of the dinner for two as it only seems worth it if it includes everything but alcohol, tax and gratuity. I'm not greedy but I hope it includes two appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. the room is cheap and the hotel is new and with the meal it seems like a good deal but if the certificate is very limiting I'd just as easily stay at the park hyatt - their rooms come with free breakfast and $100 food credit - and have dinner somewhere else. it seemed worth trying come monday night mostly because many great chicago restaurants close on monday for some reason.
UPDATE: and I checked. it's $100 food credit or the choice of a prix-fixe menu. might not be worth it after all.
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Has anyone been here yet? I'm staying at the hotel this weekend and my stay comes with a dinner for two but I can't find any review of the restaurant or hotel other than their official websites.
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I spent all friday night paying for $12 cocktails at pegu club, hedeh and room 4 dessert, no problem. I don't mind if I'm paying for atmosphere. but it's the environment. no one walks into a no reservations clam shack where they play billabong surf dvds expecting a more expensive cocktail than at little branch or mas across the street.
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I had brunch here today and the food lived up to the long wait for a table. the only downside was the price in two instances.
in drinks - everyone at the bar waiting for a table was enjoying what were admittedly amazing bloody marys so we figured why not? well, the answer why not is because they're $12 each. and the burgers - it's an excellent hamburger. perfect moist absorbant potato roll, juicy thick burger right off the grill, it's the size of a double shack burger. in the basket comes a slice of tomato and some pickles for it. there's nothing on it and no lettuce in the basket. and cheese and bacon are extra. we didn't realize until other people ordered it with bacon that that was an option, but we don't regret forgoing it. why? cheese is an extra $3. and we're talking one piece of gruyere. assuming bacon is the same cost, the $12 hamburger becomes an $18 bacon cheeseburger the size of a double shack burger. the fries, crispy and so-so.
but our two other dishes were great. the salmon tartare was $11 I think. a decent portion not piled but filling the plate around was dressed with a couple thin onion slices but the best part was the blend of lemon juice, olive oil and a spicy mustard beneath the salmon. the other dish was the spicy fried calimari salad which was incredibly spicy and mixed with a few different varieties of lettuce. the portion size made it great for sharing if not enough for an entree on its own.
the waitresses seemed overwhelmed but the food arrived very fast despite the huge crowd so no complaints about service. there were plenty of whole sunday times this morning on the counter by the bar to read while you wait or to bring to your table. the check comes in a glass filled with wrapped salt water taffy, all nice touches and it's a great neighborhood spot. the only problem is it's so small. they need more two-tops but have no room for them and the booths sit four but not six. lots of the booths were filled with twos and it caused large parties to back up and wait. I'd definitely go back, I'd just lay off the booze and stick to the fish.
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I had dinner here sunday night and while the dinner menu hasn't changed - though they had great special appetizers and entrees with white asparagus and ramps - the dessert menu is now different. I miss the quark dumplings but they added coffee-milkshake-sundae sorts of desserts made with iced espresso and chocolate and coffee ice creams and sabayons topped with a cookie, chocolate square and chocolate straw. you can either drink the iced coffee out the bottom with the straw and eat the rest like a glass of ice cream or whip it all together into a shake. it reminded me of room 4 dessert in that they have half the desserts plated and half in a glass. also they no longer come around with the tray of butter cookies at the end of the meal.
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They did serve wagyu last night. As we learned the policy last night was to order one first dish and one steak dish both to share and then one side each. So we opted for the larger dishes versus the most expensive, but we could have shared the $98 wagyu 14 oz ribeye, I just didn't think it was enough food for the two of us at that point in the evening.
Also, I was looking at that NYTimes article from last fall about all the new restaurants opening and there was supposed to be a another steakhouse in the neighborhood, STK on Little West 12th but I never heard of it anywhere else ever again. Anyone know what happened to it?
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I've never been a fan of craftbar or wichcraft and those experiences plus the prices in all the craft world kept me from going to craft when I could find a similar meal in a more intimate environment at a place like hearth. so I don't know what prompted me to have dinner tonight at craftsteak. but on a whim I made a reservation on opentable, went to a tribeca film festival screening on 34th street and walked down the west side into their 'closed for private event - friends and family dinner.'
I walked in, explained how what the sign read seemed to be in contrast with my reservation, which they understood as me having a reservation for the friends and family dinner, told my date and I to wait at the bar, and after a few glasses of wine a manager came over to explain the mix-up and how we'd be seated regardless and just as for everyone else, tonight was gratis. we had thought something was up when there was no check for the wine and the invitation to stay was much appreciated.
but even if it wasn't free (we figure our check would have come to $230 before tax and tip with four glasses of wine and two sodas,) it would still be the best steak either of us have ever eaten. we had the porterhouse for two, rare, roasted with an onion, a sprig of rosemary and accompanied by a neverending bone of marrow - incredible mixed with the potato puree, a tip from our waiter we learned after we thought we were too full to go on. the meat cut so smoothly and was by far better than any filet either of us have ever had. flavorwise it was a great contender to those perfectly seasoned strip house ribeyes
while any sauce would have been unneccesary for the steak, we found it interesting they don't offer any 1.) because there was an endless number of accompaniments for the seafood platter and 2.) because when we think of the steakhouses that sell bottle of theirs, of dylan prime's dozen different toppings and the show they make at quality meats of sauce produced tableside it almost seems sacrilege not to offer one. but there are no gimmicks here and it's impressive to see they stand beside the quality of their meat and the flavor created through preparation.
we were allowed two side dishes, and as the wagyu potato confit was not an option, we chose the yukon potato puree which portionwise is enough for three filling a large pot and the sauteed spinach which unfortunately will be no match for any restaurant's spinach, was a meager portion for one. this is the only dish I saw that didn't seem like it could sustain the nine or ten dollar price but it was late, they were running out of food and that certainly could be the explanation.
to start our meal we had the traditional seafood tasting, there are three on the normal menu but only this was offered last night. six oysters, three of two different types, a half lobster with meat cut and piled on the top of the shell as well as within it. the meat atop was well seasoned. the crabmeat was more abundant and more flavorful even unseasoned than the lobster meat. it was some of the freshest seafood I've ever had. it was accompanied by lemon wedges, a tomato aioli, a roasted tomato cocktail sauce with a smoky flavor, a miniature bottle of tobasco sauce, fresh horseradish, and two other accompaniments - one some kind of greens, one a clear liquid with a sweet potent flavor. they were all great, the aioli very mild and the cocktail sauce best but the seafood needed none of them.
for dessert, there were a lot of chocolate souffles and baked alaskas coming out of the kitchen but we opted for the make-your-own sundae. we chose pistachio ice cream of which we received five small scoops in a just ideal sundae bowl. with it came a long dish with five bowls, one of brownie squares, one of cherries - very rich sweet and moist but I can't recall how they were prepared, a bowl of crushed pistachios, a pitcher of cherry syrup, and a bowl of almond cream. other than providing more almond cream this is an excellent subtle dessert and non-traditional sundae better than the only other non-traditional sundae I can recall, at casa mono. they also offer monkey bread of which they ran out and a rhubarb based dessert.
petit fours came afterward and other than the little sugar-coated jellies, the stand-out was what may have been two oh so tiny devil dogs.
having now been to morimoto, buddakan, del posto and here, I can tell you this is the least pretentious room yet the one I'd feel most inclined to dress up for an intimate night out - as grand or clsustrophobic as those other three restaurants seem none create intimacy like craftsteak does, yet it's a bright open room. the wine cellar which is clear-walled and set above the bar is an awesome site. the dark wood slats in the walls around the front room repeat the aesthetic of the stacked bottles very well. also this is the only of these restaurants that makes any use of the street view it could have. I guess there's no harm for a steakhouse to remind you you're in the meatpacking district whereas del posto, morimoto and buddakan feel escapism is key.
no worry about us escaping, I can't wait to go back and with the money I saved I can go back for the prime rib. (and while I don't know what was the difference between the first second and third cuts of prime rib is - they weren't on the menu tonight and our waiter had yet to see one - I did ask and learn they feed four.)
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I regret never getting around to posting all the meals I had between Christmas and New Year's in Chicago and Minnesota (Moto, Tru, Solly's, Kohler, Biro, Harlequin Bakery, RL, and NYE at Schwa,) but by far the best value and experience was walking into a completely empty Sweets and Savories for lunch on December 30th - which I booked on Opentable so I even got a dollar back - and being convinced to try the lunch tasting menu instead of just the burger. The kitchen split the hamburger as our fourth course and we were surprised to learn there were four courses to follow as well. Plus we got chocolate truffles to take home, they refilled our wine for free and we even liked the touch of the cucumber water. I can't remember the details of every course but there was a lobster risotto and opah and I believe a soup before the burger and a salad, a sorbet, a lemon tart and a shared molten chocolate cake for dessert after the burger. For this we paid $40 each. The greatest value ever for such an indulgent meal. I'm going back to Chicago to experience Alinea in two weeks but really I can't wait to repeat Sweets and Savories.
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they both seem to take a clean simplified approach to brunch basics - sandwiches, seafood salad, quiche and baked goods. I only go to the sarabeth's on cps so I can't speak to the other locations, but the only disappointment I ever faced there was an overpriced lobster roll. I think their crabcake sandwich on an english muffin is a standout and their pumpkin muffins are a favorite. the only dish at bouchon, not counting the cookies, that I truly enjoy and that's good enough to continually bring me back is the seafood salad.
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I've been going back and forth between the cafe at bouchon and brunch at sarabeth's on central park south depending on who has a longer wait - it's scary now that people line up on weekends at 11am to get a table at bouchon - and while sarabeth's has an expanded menu they both seem on par with price, quality and the crowd they attract.
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Daniel, I thought the sweetness was from the dip and the absence of seasoning as someone else suggested. It was the absence of saltiness or spiciness that left a natural sweetness of the batter. And taking a look at the healthy sides and small portions I wonder if this is what they're aiming for... maybe not healthy fried chicken, but subtle fried chicken. It's good and a noble effort and the phone orders seem to come in non-stop but I'm interested in how this will fare with walk-in orders. There's a huge difference in the clientele one would draw in on 14th Street closer to 7th Ave where they are, a crowd that would normally go to KFC or Popeye's, versus 8th or 9th Ave where they could be the Pop Burger of fried chicken, drawing in a foodie crowd, trendy crowd, late night crowd who doesn't mind waiting a while to overpay for fried chicken they read about in New York magazine. It's good chicken they just have to sell it better inside the store. Explain to customers who ask what's taking so long - the process behind making it, the freshness, quality, ingredients, etc. Put up a sign or something. You have this captive audience waiting for their food, let them know what it is they're bringing home.
Last night one guy who had called up for two pieces eventually showed up and still waited ten minutes. He asked what takes so long - they weren't busy - and they said it's because they make it fresh. He finally got his food, opened it up right there and took a bite, asked about the ingredients and some guy from the back not a cashier said he didn't know, he'd have to ask someone but he didn't. Everyone behind the counter and in the kitchen - there must be ten people involved - seem to be doing everything to make the business and the food succeed which is great, they just have to focus on the personal aspect of customer satisfaction more.
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Judicke's Bakery in Bayonne, NJ makes great large black & white cookie cakes and they make wedding cakes but I've never seen a wedding sized version. They're about fifteen minutes out of Manhattan.
Perry Street
in New York: Dining
Posted
I ate at Perry St. for lunch last Friday and it was a vast improvement over a still enjoyable meal I wrote about eight months ago. I was wondering why it had taken me so long to get back there and I think it's because I don't know what to expect in terms of food or price. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this before but Jean-Georges, Nougatine, Perry St., Spice Market and 66 do not post their menus outside their restaurants, on their websites or on Menupages. Any reason? I can't think of another restauranteur who does this.
The food was excellent. One thing that has not changed is the rare tuna crusted in broken rice crackers served with a tangy cream sauce. It tasted like tuna crusted in Rice Krispies which seems like something David Burke would do. Six pieces were $17. There was a complaint in the early reviews of the restaurant that the menu doesn't reveal the quality of tuna and meats making it hard to justify the prices but I think the dishes served here are prepared in such a simple stripped down fashion that it's possible to taste the quality. With this course and my entree, the beef tenderloin that was certainly the case. For $28, the beef tenderloin seemed like a bargain. A giant cube split in two, it's served in a deep dish atop a mound of plain spinach which all has liquid gruyere poured atop it as it's served. This was not melted cheese or a cream sauce, it was basically a gruyere broth which instantly gave the spinach the flavor of creamed spinach without the consistency. The meat was served medium rare as recommended and hardly needed a knife to be cut. For dessert, a mint souffle with what may have been a mango sorbet. Once served the server poked a hole into the souffle and poured half his pitcher of chocolate sauce. That was fine but the sorbet didn't work and just the souffle on its own was perfection. It was fluffy and custardy if it's possible to be both and a perfect end to the meal. (A fromage blanc souffle Monday night at Blue Hill also with a too overpowering lemon basil sorbet has made them such a treat after far too many too heavy chocolate ones about town.)
I can't remember what I drank but I had two cocktails which were generous portions. The restaurant was empty except for a table of three japanese tourists around 1230pm and about 1/3 full by the time I left. Even though it peaked at 1/3 full, parties began to be seated close together when they could have been spread throughout. The amuse was a great fruit gazpacho (though not as great as a spicy watermelon gazpacho wich cucumber lime sorbet at Rosa Mexicano last week) that should have been on the menu instead of chicken soup. (I'd say no one eats chicken soup in the middle of the summer but the table next to me did.) The check didn't come with any chocolate this time. Lunch for two was $170 (2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 3 cocktails, 1 coffee) with tax and tip. Worth the value and I'd do it more often if I could although now I'm excited for the $24 Jean-Georges lunch I read about yesterday. And service was satisfactory which at a casual lunch is just fine.