kathryn

They called us a few days before our reservation to confirm, and also to re-emphasize the dress code.

Here's a review I posted elsewhere. I stand by my disappointment at Lake Park Bistro, but fully recognize that it may have been a fluke. repoman's recommended dishes all sound fabulous. I wish I'd liked Lake Park Bistro more. I was really looking forward to eating here since it had won a James Beard Award this year. Was there as a party of 7 for my fiance's birthday. We were visiting from out of town. His mother had a reservation, but also wanted a table with a view of the lake. No problem, we were told, it would be 30-45 minutes. 60 minutes later, we were still at the bar. I was starving. Asked the bartender for some bread. She brought over two pieces and some butter, but forgot the butter knife. Meanwhile, the hostess said that the other party was "just finishing up." We finally sat down an hour and a half later. Ugh. This was a Wednesday night, too, and I didn't think they would have been that busy. Alas. We ordered a bottle of red wine. It was flat, and had a sour/metallic aftertaste at the end. At least three of us tasted it, unsure, as the sourness was very faint. The wine smelled fine but was not as strong or bright as it should have been. We asked the server if he could taste it to see if we were just imagining it, we didn't want to make a scene or be bothersome. He hesitated, didn't taste the wine, and said it wasn't an issue, they could replace the wine, and he would need to see his manager first. It struck us as a little odd that he didn't want to taste the wine to see if it was truly gone bad. He left, came back, and did offer to replace the bottle with another wine, about $10 pricier. We got a second bottle, and all was well. But at this point, I was starving since we hadn't even gotten bread service yet. Uck. No amuse (had seen an amuse mentioned on other reviews on Chowhound). Luckily the appetizers came quickly. My fiance's brother ordered the escargot, which came in a cast iron plate with indentations in it, covered with a big puff pastry circle. Smelled divine, and tasted pretty good too. My fiance ordered a special, foie gras with apples and some sort of basalmic/red wine reduction and black truffles. I had the "regular" seared foie along with the rest of the group. Frankly, his foie was MUCH better, more interesting and complex. Mine was good but was missing the umami punch that the other dishes had. For mains, my lamb loin was perfectly cooked, but a bit boring, both in concept and execution. It was a nice piece of meat, but underseasoned and not very flavorful. It got better when I added some salt, but I felt like I'd chosen a loser. My companions, though, did much better. The filet mignon was great and had wonderful sugar snap peas, nice and crispy. The special was a perfectly cooked sockeye salmon where the flavor of the salmon really shone though. Great piece of fish, great piece of beef, but my lamb was just there. Boring, and especially frustrating when everyone else's dishes seemed much better. Worse, too, because I was thinking of the duo of duck, also, but the server talked me into the lamb loin. Suddenly, they brought several desserts to the table, compliments of the house, since we'd waited so long to be seated. A nice touch. These were all quite good but not as good as some of the desserts I've had elsewhere. A great molten chocolate cake with the mintiest mint ice cream I've ever had. An excellent cherry tart that was not too sweet nor too sour. A hazelnut praline dome. Chocolate mousse with peanut butter (with a candle in it for the birthday boy). A really nice creme brulee. And a special of strawberry mille-feuille. Did I order badly? Lake Park Bistro just didn't seem impressive. A let-down of a meal. And I've eaten out a fair bit in Milwaukee (Bacchus, The Social, Trocadero, Nanakusa, etc.) and my favorite restaurants in NYC are Babbo, Momofuku Ssam Bar, Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Balthazar, Eleven Madison Park...so I was expecting something more, perhaps, more than I should have. Unfortunately, I just wasn't that impressed by Lake Park Bistro, at least with the dishes that I ordered, despite them being noted on the menu as the chef's signature dishes. A shame, since I LOVED Bacchus when I went. I was expecting to be impressed and came away merely satisfied.

Comparing the previous poussin to the current poussin is kind of like a comparison between "transcendent" (pea and ramps version) and "excellent". The morels are still there, though. The new lardo is really good. Comes with some toasted bread, and pickled white turnips. Really nice and flavorful. Also tried the new blondie pie -- nutty and very sweet. Delicious. I definitely like this dessert over the brownie pie, but the rhubarb shortcake is still my favorite. Patiently waiting the Tristar strawberry shortcake, though. Soon, soon.

I actually didn't like the sweetness of the current rice cakes dish that much -- didn't dislike it, it was just kind of "there" for me. But I heartily second spaetzle's recommendations of the arctic char, the fluke, the smoked duck breast, the tongue, and fried sweetbreads. If you've never had the steamed buns, they are also a must, but note that they come 2 to an order, and more filling than many of the other dishes. The steak is also great, and I loved the kimchi butter and creamed greens. Last time I was there, I believe my group of 3 only ordered one item from the right column of the menu (the mains), and no ramen whatsoever. No ramen! If your friends want ramen, let them get ramen, but I would try to dissuade them. For the octopus dish, it's good but I prefer the squid salad at Ssam Bar more. Same for the Noodle Bar's asparagus vs. Ssam Bar's asparagus. Love the miso butter in Ssam Bar's version. The fried chicken is good (it's not battered and fried like normal American style fried chicken) but not as great as the steak.

The place is indeed tiny. More like a handful of people inside means there's a line out the door. I liked Artichoke but thought there's been a plethora of coverage by Chowhound, SliceNY, the NYT, Gothamist, and a few other daily newspapers in NYC. The hours are unpredictable. You'd think they'd be open for weekend lunch every Saturday and Sunday. You'd be wrong.

Slipped in last night for a few drinks. The hostess was turning away several large groups when we arrived - Crif Dogs is not big enough to hold all the people who are interested in drinking at PDT. Anyway, Bee's Sip was very nice and smooth. I liked the Mariner (even though I usually don't like scotch but the pineapple was a nice foil) and the French Maid more. The French Maid was perfectly refreshing and the first thing I had after I arrived. Really nice after being out in the warm night. Benton's was right on as usual, and on the smoky side. Liked the Coda but I wasn't in the mood for a spiced, creamy drink. My PDT-neophyte friend was suitably impressed with the drinks as well as the Wylie dog. The Dewey D and the Wylie dog were a fun pairing. I also turned my friend and my fiance onto the charms of the John John Deragon 'bagel' dog. Mmmmm. Thanks to Don and John (the other John) for being such a great hosts. Can't wait for Don and Johnder's class at Astor on Sunday.

The servers usually remember to recite them, but I always ask to make sure. Last few times, though, the specials have run out quite early in the evening. That is probably why you might not hear about them.

Yeah, sometimes I hear it as Central Village (and this was from someone who lived around there and is a born and bred NYer), but usually I hear it as "around NYU" or "Washington Square Park," sometimes as "The Village." I think the central village thing is odd myself, but it makes it more clear what to call the zone between the East and West villages.

West Village (sometimes referred to as "The Village") = Hudson river to 6th Avenue, between 14th and Houston Central Village = 6th Ave to Broadway, between 14th and Houston Greenwich Village (often ALSO referred to as "The Village") = West Village + Central Village = Hudson River to Broadway, between 14th St. and Houston Soho = 6th Avenue to Lafayette, between Houston and Canal Yes? Arturo's being at 106 W Houston St, the just north side of Houston St., would be north of Soho, and located in Greenwich Village or Central Village. But not the West Village. NB: I am in my late 20s and these are the boundaries as my last apartment broker drew them.

On Saturday, they were frying hush puppies to order and couldn't keep up with demand. On Sunday, they appeared to be batching them, or at least making enough in advance to anticipate demand.

Finished uploading my shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathryn/sets/72157605486182960/ Still...so...full....

Day two with the FastPass: City Grocery - smoked crawfish-okra hush puppies. These were great! Spicy and warm, crispy exteriors, and a nice spicy and tangy dipping sauce. The folks manning the station were super nice too and working quickly. Line was basically nonexistent at 12:15pm. Ran into weinoo, johnder, and donbert, briefly, yay! Passed by Salt Lick, huge line, skipped it. The 17th St. line was okay but got longer the more you watched. Decided to spend some time in the shade of 26th Street. Ubon's - I still think I like the assertive nature of Big Bob's pulled pork better. Ubon's has more melt in your mouth quality but the flavor wasn't as good as The Pit. There was also something missing from the mouth feel - felt like it got a bit mushy by the end. Very good but not my favorite. I always wonder why the line isn't as long here. Very few people around 12:30pm. Big Bob's - this time with the habanero sauce. Delicious, smoky, porky, and a delicious sweet BBQ sauce. They sold out of their bottles of sauce yesterday, the nice lady told me. Line was pretty short around 1pm. Don walked by and offered us some rib scraps from The Pit that they'd asked Ed Mitchell for. (It's the leftover parts, I guess, that they don't use in chopping up the hog). Basically very fatty, big pieces of skin. Thanks, Don! Thought about brisket from Wilson's (CT) but multiple people told us (including weinoo) it was terrible yesterday, so we skipped it. Hill Country - the guy chopping beef ribs in the back was giving away the less pretty ones. Giant caveman style beef rib. Salty, spicy, and dry. Nice jalapeno sausage from Kreuz Market. My mouth was on fire towards the end, and I really wanted a drink. This was around 1:30pm. Passed by the Wildwood Barbecue stand - they had cold banana pudding in pre-packed cups on ice. Looked refreshing. Smores looked good too but I was craving something cold. Blue Smoke - they ran out of root beer floats ONE PERSON ahead of me. Damn. It was "temporary" they said -- probably ran out of the ice cream part or something, but I didn't feel like waiting. Yesterday the line was HUGE here but the line was much shorter, and a big faster today. They broke out the registers into two sections: FastPass vs. Cash only. The PB&J cupcakes were excellent though. Soft fluffy cupcake, intensely creamy and nutty frosting, and a delicious jelly injection in the center. Awesome. Eleven Madison Park Bourbon Bar - Met up with johnder, don, and mitch again. Some nice bourbons (my fiance partook of some rare, hard to buy bourbons but I did not) and very sweet lemonade. Ginger lemonade, I think, even though it looked like iced tea's color. It was overly sweet but nice and cold. Got better after the ice melted a bit. The bourbon bar was packed and standing room only. Johnder, mitch, and their ladies went home but myself and don and my fiance hung out until about 2pm when we couldn't stand the crowds and the heat any more. Seemed like there were MUCH fewer people in the park today even though it was just as hot. I actually think it was nicer today due to the breeze. Weinoo thought maybe everybody was at the Porto Rican day parade? Anyway, we were almost done but for one last stop... The Pit - one last taste of Ed Mitchell's BBQ. Great with a splash of sauce, and extra skin. Grabbed some fatty pieces of crackling from a tray by the sauce. So good, tender, great mouthfeel! I felt like pork fat was coming out of my pores by this part. Excellent. Left the park around 2:30pm. DONE and FULL.

The heat was brutal, lines were long for non-Fast Pass holders, but luckily the heat seemed to break a bit around 3pm. It was still crowded, loud, and humid. The Pit - Great as usual. Ed looked very relaxed and happy. Make sure you get some of their vinegary, spicy sauce on the pork. It's really tender, melt-in-your-mouth good, but more on the subtle side in comparison to others. The slaw went well with the sauced pork, too. Really great pork flavor. Note that the register here is very close to the FastPass entrance, so it creates a little bit of a bottleneck in that corner of the park. I'll probably have another sandwich from here tomorrow. Line was about 10 minutes around 1pm. Big Bob Gibson - Also delicious but a very different style. I love their Championship red sauce. Meaty, nice as finely chopped as The Pit, but the flavor is more assertive, in order to stand up to the sauce. A great pulled pork sandwich. Nice big chunks, and it is a treat to see the Lilly brothers chopping up pork in front of your eyes. I could eat at least two more of these before the weekend is up. Line was about 10 minutes around 1:30pm but got longer as the day went on. Dinosaur BBQ - they ran out of beans for about ten minutes but we didn't care and they took $2 off. The pulled pork was nice but not as good as the others. Probably some of the best in NYC though. Line was very short around 2pm. Went here because the fiance wanted more pulled pork. 17th Street Baby Back Ribs - great, well sauced, delicious, tender, meaty, juicy. I got BBQ sauce all over my face eating these! Super messy but worth the effort. Fatty and delicious. Some of my favorite BBQ ever. The baked beans were good but I was saving room so only had a little bit. The line was pretty long around 2pm but died down around 3pm. Grab some wet naps. Checkered Pig - similar to Ed Mitchell's but not as good. A newcomer to BABBQ, and a friend told us it was the best thing he'd eaten that day. It was very tender, soft, silky pork, with a bit of sweetness to it. Nearly melt in your mouth but not as much as the whole hog from The Pit. I did like it, though, it just had a hard time standing up to The Pit and Big Bob. It was worth trying just because they were new, though. Walked past Salt Lick, skipped eating there since I've been to the Dripping Springs TX location already, but the line was long. Tried to get into the hush puppies line but the line was just as long! They looked really good and smelled amazing, though. I'll try again tomorrow. Eleven Madison Park beverage stand - I wanted some lemonade but they closed up shop early! They were also selling sweet tea. This is the stand outside the Bourbon Bar. They closed up around 4:30pm even though the Bourbon Bar was still going strong. Lame. Tabla beverage / food stand - really nice limeade with seltzer water and pomegranate syrup in it, $5, non-Fast Pass unfortunately. A friend tried their tea infused with a bunch of stuff, wasn't too impressed. Blue Smoke - good brownie but they were out of PB&J cupcakes! Boo. The root beer floats looked nice too. Shake Shack - FAILURE, both the B-line and the regular line were down just past the sand a bit, I thought I'd stop by the B-line to grab some custard (flavor of the day was Chocolate Bourbon Butterscotch), we waited about 20 minutes, the line moved about 2 people. Very, very slow. A friend thought they might be training new employees -- why, on one of the busiest days of the year?! I don't think some of the people around me even understood the B line's purpose as they were talking about ordering burgers and shakes. After sweating it out for 4 hours, I headed home. Tomorrow: hush puppies, the new brisket vendor from CT, maybe Big Bob and The Pit again, PB&J cupcakes. It was nice to meet docsconz and his son, as well! http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathryn/sets/72157605486182960/

I think Southside's sausage is significantly more tasty than the Salt Lick's sausage. The brisket was only marginally better, if I remember last year's sampling. It was $8 a plate in 2007, $7 a plate in 2006.

Yeah, I put Salt Lick on there if only for a brisket alternative. Agreed that Southside is much better and their awesome sausage definitely puts them over the top. There's a whole lotta pork and beef ribs on this year's menu, and not much else. I'm a little skeptical of these CA and CT newbies, but who knows? You know, I've never really seen a long line for Mitchell's BBQ. I think the longest lines are always for Salt Lick (they do have a brand name) and Mike Mills (baby back ribs are always crowd-friendly).

1. Ed Mitchell The Pit Raleigh, NC Whole Hog & Coleslaw 2. Mike Mills 17th Street Bar & Grill Memphis Championship Barbecue Murphysboro, IL and Las Vegas, NV Baby Back Ribs & Beans 3. (if you still have room) Chris Lilly Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Decatur, AL Pulled Pork Shoulder & Beans OR altneratively Michael Rodriguez The Salt Lick BBQ Driftwood, TX Beef Brisket, Sausage & Coleslaw (if you need a break from all that pork, if getting brisket, ask for some from the deckle)

Excellent, a map! http://www.bigapplebbq.org/2008/index.php?s=directions The site is super helpful this year in planning. Obsessives like me should note that THE PIT is Ed Mitchell's new restaurant. And he's essentially on the opposite corner that he's been in previous years, all the way over on 26th and Broadway.

http://www.barmilano.com/ I find that you cannot Google for the restaurant's official site easily, OpenTable or MenuPages will often have the right link.

You're comparing pre-New Yorker/pre-Bruni/pre-Wall Street Journal/etc days with now, correct? I have friends who live on the West Coast who aren't really foodies who are now interested in the restaurant thanks to the New Yorker piece.

At Vinny Vincenz, the thing to do is get the square/Grandma slice. Same for Artichoke, but the spinach/artichoke namesake might be a little better, if odd. For Luzzo's, get something with cheese or meat as a topping, I think those are better than the plains. For Una Pizza, the marg. is consistently good, although I've been into the white pizza lately, given the "special" available last time: arugula/spring onions/etc.

Veniero's is on 11th between 1st and 2nd, not Avenue A and B. Why would you send someone to Cafe Viva Pizza when you can go to Una Pizza Napoletana, Luzzo's, Vinny Vincenz, or Artichoke?

Pork shoulder steak now comes with the pickled sunchokes, radicchio, (I think?) red onions, buttermilk dressing, zucchini. Not especially tender, but so flavorful. The rouge poussin with morels, pea puree, and ramps? Please please please let it be spring forever. How long are ramps in reason? Another week or so? What about poussin? Run, don't walk for the poussin. Also: rhubarb shortcake continues to be jaw-dropping.

I thought ankimo (monkfish liver) was the foie of the sea?

No, you could buy $100 value Fast Passes for $100 as an AMEX member during the first sale, and you could buy reduced Fast Passes ($84 value for $100) as a non-AMEX member during the second sale. And you could also buy them on-site.

Uh-oh. This just in from Newyorkology.com There are only 2,000 Fast Passes and you can only get them with American Express. That's right. ONLY AMEX holders can buy Fast Passes.