larrylee

...easy to see why they'd stop serving the tasting menu at the bar, or why they weren't serving a la carte at the bar that night, or both? Both decisions seem unfortunate and silly to me.

At first I really liked the cookies at Levain but after a while I started to wonder if there was a baking soda-ish undertone that was coming out. They're still good but make me wonder. The Best cookies (New York) thread looks woefully outdated.

Yeah, I suppose on a certain level that makes me cringe. When I recently walked past a butcher shop in a Saigon street market (80+ degrees F, sunny, humid) with large primal cuts of meat hanging down into bowls of tripe, my eyes did widen a bit. But now that I think about it, I'm willing to bet that the bowls of ground pork used for the grilling into bun cha sold in the sidewalk restaurants are not refrigerated, either. I do hope the bucket was at least covered with some plastic.

So, a "Table for One" would not be the best way to experience L'Atelier? (i.e. the menu is more suitable for sharing?) ← My previous statement makes it sound like the portion sizes at L'Atelier are large. They're not. What I meant is that the portion sizes allow you to both share the small plates -and- try a variety of dishes, limited only by your budget. Another tangent - at our request the kitchen provided a plate of pasta and tomato sauce for one of the members at our table. It was simple yet sublime. "It's just pasta and sauce, right?" ...Yes... and no.

Agreed with Nathan - I think you could have a very fine solo meal here, especially at the counter. One note, though. When you place your reservation you're asked about your preference for the counter or a table. The reservationist says that they'll try to accomodate your preference as best as they can but you might not get what you want.

$150 matches my meal there, though we ate much more than we drank. The langoustine was spectacular. There were four of us and we were ordering, it seemed, most of the appetizers. The kitchen sent out a complimentary second order to "even out" the table. We sat at one of the tables and it felt more formal than it would have at the bar and was, actually, quite comfortable. The service was effusive, but not intrusive. L'ateliers portion sizes lend themselves to easy sharing, which I think enhances the overall dining experience.

Agreed. A little fermentation, aging, controlled rot, makes the world go 'round.

Definitely worth going into Men Kui Tei. I find that Menchanko Tei's ramen broth falls a little flat in comparison. I really like Men Kui Tei's tonkotsu ramen a lot, paired with either an order of gyoza or as a set with fried rice. I could just make a meal out of a few onigiri ($1.50 apiece) and an order of the nira reba (chicken livers and leeks) and no ramen. Speaking of liver, and on a completely random note, Celeste on the Upper West Side (502 Amsterdam Ave) has a really fantastic chicken liver dish... Fegatini di Pollo. Digging up my notes here... "Sauteed Chicken Livers Deglazed with Balsamic Vinegar on Toasted Bread." The crostini looks burnt when you first see it and then you realize it's soaked up some of the pleasantly sweet vinegar that tempers the meaty bitterness of the liver. It must be lunchtime. Must... find... halal... cart...

Thumbs up to L'atelier.

Gotham Bar and Grill. I like the combination of service, ambiance, and food available in a bar setting. Particularly for getting a nice dessert. Ino never seems to get mentioned here but it's remarkably affordable, has great service, tasty food, and it's a no-brainer if there's a vegetarian in the dinner party. The same with Inoteca, for that matter. Prune.

Natto is great! I'd be especially interested if they make it themselves. (Or maybe they buy it from Sysco ) Granted, it took me a while to appreciate the stuff, but with rice a little shiso leaf, it's quite enjoyable.

Everybody's got an opinion about Chinatown. My wife and I like the tong-po pork (~$10, maybe more) at New Yeah Shanghai. It's a braised pork dish that has a wonderful flavor, served with clamshell-shaped white buns and will easily feed four. Here's a pic. FYI, David Chang serves a fancier (and more expensive, and smaller) version of this at Momofuku. We like starting off with an order (~$3, 8 pcs per order) of pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao). If you haven't had them before, be very careful when eating them because they're filled with very hot broth. We actually like the dumplings at Shanghai Moon House (a few storefronts away) better because the broth is lighter and less fatty, but... whatever. If you like, you could even hop around several restaurants and just do a xiao long bao tasting. That's always fun. I also recommend getting a vegetable dish, like the baby bok choy and black mushrooms. It's probably also less than $10. I can't always find the dish on the menu but if you just say "baby bok choy and mushrooms," they should know. If you're somehow still hungry afterward and craving something sweet, go to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory next door. Or you can go to the tea house just south of the nearby Haagen-Dazs for toast with condensed milk, etc. One other thing - since you'll be near Sixth Ave and 53rd, you should try the Best Halal food cart. They open around 8 PM, it's on the southwest corner opposite the Hilton. There are multiple carts that occupy that spot throughout the day, and you'll know you have the right cart when you see an inexplicably long line queued up. People have strong opinions about this cart. I really like it and I usually get the lamb and rice platter, about $5. Technically it could feed two. They serve basmati rice, not the bland yellow rice that the most carts serve. Some complain the salad is unimpressive... not enough "stuff" in it. Some people complain about the lamb being salty and others prefer the chicken. But when you mix it all up with the hot sauce and white sauce, you won't be disappointed. In this weather you're going to want to find an indoor spot where you can eat. The line will probably be about half an hour, so dress warmly. For dessert afterward, I like getting a brownie and a black and white milkshake from Burger Joint. And maybe an order of fries to boot. The thing about Burger Joint at lunch is that it gets really packed. Go early or late to avoid the rush. I went a few times at 2 PM and there was still a sizeable line.

Great idea on the Chinatown dinner, hshiau. A take-out breakfast from Bouchon Bakery (something light, like a croissant, almond brioche, etc) is a great way to start breakfast for $2-$5, as well. At some point I'm sure someone will suggest "Lunch at Jean Georges." I think it's $36 for a 3 course meal?

If nothing else I've learned not to go on weekends because of the modified menu. No fried chicken on weekends? Sacre bleu!

I strongly recommend against taking a trip to Southeast Asia. Especially to the places where the food is outrageously cheap and really tasty. (current debacle aside)

Related: David Chang's comments from this New York Mag story, pointed out in this post from the Ssam Bar thread: What a revolutionary idea. After having travelled abroad a bit in 2006, I think that the "concept" of "good, tasty, well prepared food without breaking the bank" is a great idea for New York and for America in general. I'm glad New York can generate buzz around smaller places like Little Owl, Momofuku and not just the elite or big-box venues.

I think it depends on how much effort and responsibility you want to spend on maintaining your knives. If you're really into your knives (I'm thinking, the way a soldier thinks of his rifle) then sharpen them yourself. Otherwise, use a professional sharpener and a steel in between. It's only a few bucks and one less corded device to store.

Chicken butt is great. Very tender. It's more or less where the tail feathers would be.

Sneakeater: You were saying that you objected to "concepts" more than "branches." For me the real issue lies behind the intent of a restaurant, regardless of its concept or pre-existing branches. Ninja New York, for example... I can't think of a reason to visit. Hawaiian Tropic Zone and Buddakan can go into the same bucket. L'Atelier? I'm glad it's here and I was more than pleased with the meal I had. Too bad it doesn't have the more informal feel of the Tokyo branch (complete with take-out bakery). Morimoto - I haven't eaten at the vaunted omakase bar but the freshness of the sashimi alone justifies its existence. I'm not trying to deny any chef or restauranteur success, these are just my preferences. Also, I might be reading you wrong in another post, but I'm not sure I agree (corrected) that Brooklyn is the restaurant incubator for Manhattan. Having said that, I don't have a profound knowledge of Brooklyn-born restaurants that "hit it big" and moved into Manhattan. However, consider Blue Ribbon, which started in Manhattan and moved into Brooklyn. Also, until recently, I think Brooklyn was generally considered a culinary void in terms of high caliber restaurants. Generally speaking, to a certain degree I'm not that excited about the spread of restaurants/brands. Theoretically, I like the idea that there are unique restaurants that are only available in one place, or locale. Peter Luger's on the Strip? Shudder. I prefer to play up the differences across the country to make it a greater whole. Give people a reason to go somewhere else to try something new. Not only that, but consider Tom Colicchio's retrenchment. There's only so many clones you can make before something suffers.

I came to know of Varietal because of the Jordan Kahn thread. With all the talk about the dessert side of the menu, I was thinking of stopping by just to try the desserts at the bar. It's something I like to do at Gotham Bar & Grill, for example. Any idea from those who've already if that'd be ... "frowned" upon in some fashion?

Unless it's fed to them.

I have read that "free range" can be something of a misnomer. However, there's a difference between having hens being indoors, in the dark, and in proximity to each other AND their droppings versus being forcefully cramped into steel cages, having their beaks and toes seared, cut off, or what have you. I'm sure it's quite different than the hobby farm you lived on.

Interesting to read, and something to keep in mind. However, "battery" chickens probably sounds a lot like commercial chicken farming in the US. As one commenter on the article wrote, I'll take my omega-3 acids from another source than rely on commercially raised chickens. And if cholesterol is a problem then I'll eat fewer chickens. The chickens may be raised solely for our consumption but that doesn't mean they need to be grown in deplorable conditions. Then again, to some this is an irrelevant.

For meat and fish, my wife and I usually buy from specialty markets such as the aforementioned Wild Edibles, Ottomanelli's, The Lobster Place, etc. And as Luckylies says, you have to be pushy or you have to settle for what you get. I admit I usually don't get pushy, but I haven't really been steered wrong by the smaller places, either. I've been meaning to try some of the meat and poultry options at the farmer's markets but I've only tried the free range eggs and Flying Pigs bacon (really tasty, IMO). I haven't gotten around to trying the fish or meat cuts yet. But as a matter of principle I would generall avoid buying poultry and meat from most markets. If you lurk around the butcher's counter at Whole Foods frequently enough in the course of a week you'll get an idea for when they restock, which can help.

Someone could... ask Bruni what he meant.