Felonius
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Posts posted by Felonius
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Have any eGulleteers been to Cesca? I'd love to hear about it, as I live nearby. The UWS culinary scene needs all the help it can get!
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The steak was served with a potato-based gratin, which was sort of long and round in shape. This had good flavor but was a bit greasy in texture to my taste.
The steak was served with a salad sprinkled with bleu cheese crumbles, but the dressing was different (less spicy) than I had on a similar salad previously. A simple salad, but it works perfectly as a cool, light and crisp contrast to the heaviness/gaminess of the steak.
I didn't order dessert because I was too full after two app courses and a big steak! My Dad had the apple dessert, of which I'm not a big fan. He liked it well enough. I did scarf his vanilla ice cream scoop though, and that was excellent.
I would like to try a few more of the desserts. My favorite was the raspberry one with rose ice cream, but it is no longer on the menu. I've tried the apple tart and the savarin as well, which are fine but didn't register too high on the excitement scale for me.
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I hate to sound like a broken record but....
Went back to Mix for the steak today. I had the dinner portion instead of just a few tasting morsels I tried on my last visit.
I can now say definitively that the steak at Mix NY has the best flavor of any I've ever eaten. The sirloin is dry-aged for 28 days I believe, and cooked/served on the bone. I ordered it rare and it was cooked to perfection, with a beautiful browned and caramelized exterior and rare throughout the inside. The meat is a bit firmer than the competition (Sparks, Lugers, etc.), but I suspect this is because the steak is dry aged longer. The payoff is the most rich and complex dry aged flavor (minerals, nuts, earthiness - how can I describe it?) I've ever experienced. It amazing the heights something as simple as a grilled sirloin can reach with the proper quality control and dry aging.
Doug Psaltis and Alain Ducasse have changed my steak reference point. Sparks and Smith & Wollensky's will never be the same for me again.
The rest of the food at Mix was fantastic as well. Tuna tartare with vegetables and the clam chowder were exquisite. My Dad has dietary restrictions (due to a heart condition) and asked if a low fat lunch was possible. He was brought several healthy fish and vegetable dishes that were every bit as delicious and creative as my more sinful selections. If Doug Psaltis continues to turn out food like this, Mix may end up at the top of my personal favorite list in NYC.
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Thanks to all in the BC for giving me such a warm welcome last night. I hope no one was offended that I was the first to leave, but I had to join my Dad for dinner (he' s in town for the hotel/restaurant show). Next time I'll be sure to stay and get my share of the spicy candy
. That was my first visit to "Burger Place"
at Parker Meridien, and I will definitely return. The burger was juicy with high quality meat, and mine was cooked just as ordered (rare). Even better, the place is an absolute bargain by NYC standards. $4.50 for a decent sized high-quality cheeseburger, and and additional $2.50 gets you either a big homemade milkshake or a large cup of Sam Adam's on draft. I can't remember the last time I found a decent draft beer for that kind of price outside of the East Village. -
I dined again at Mix last week in the company of another eGulleteer. I may write a more comprehensive post later, but my first response to the meal is this....
ATTENTION ALL MANHATTAN STEAK CONNOISSEURS - GO TO MIX IMMEDIATELY AND ORDER THE STEAK!
The steak would have ordinarily been my last choice on the mix menu. I regularly scarf down steaks at Smith & Wollensky and Sparks, and had come to the hard won conclusion that outside of Peter Lugers there was no reason to venture anywhere else in Manhattan. Well, Doug Psaltis sent the table a tasting portion of his steak (dry aged sirloin cooked bone-in) and made me eat my words. The preparation was simple - steak with some reduction/jus and a side of rather unremarkable hash-browned potatoes. I was prepared to be underwhelmed until I took the first bite of steak. Probably the most flavorful and beautifully textured piece of steak I've ever eaten. Just an incredible nutty/mineral dry-aged flavor beyond anything from Sparks or S&W. I haven't eaten at Luger's in some time, so I'm not going to opine on that comparison.
I'm going back soon for another steak, and not the tasting portion...
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Right, because at this point, in your world, Daniel isn't a restaurant. It's a private club to which you belong, and that's the only way to fly.
So true. The admission price is high, but man is it a good ride at any of Daniel's restaurants for the regulars. I'd bet that's why his dining rooms are packed 7 days a week, even in a down economy. He and his staff are masters at taking care of the locals who can afford to dine at Daniel and/or Cafe Boulud on a regular basis.
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You must be from the midwest.
That's a joke from the Babbo thread for you newcomers.
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I should be able to join for my first BC experience on Saturday.
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I am a big fan of Bouley's cooking, and agree with Fat Guy that when he hits his stride it is as good as it gets in NYC (and maybe the USA). However, I finally gave up dining at Bouley after several truly awful service experiences. These included being seated an hour and a half late for a 9PM reservation, waiting nearly an hour for a first course to arrive, having the wrong bottle of wine brought to the table already opened and then a refusal to take it back (it was MY fault for ordering the wrong bottle, according to the waiter!), ordering a degustation menu to compliment a bottle of 1982 Bordeaux and being brought primarily fish courses
, etc., etc. After repeated blunders such as these, I just couldn't take it any more. The fact that some of the staff took on a haughty "you're lucky to be here so go away if you don't like it" attitude when questioned about the service was the final nail in the Bouley coffin.The notable exception was lunchtime dining. The place is much less rushed and the service usually fine. I suppose I ought to go back some time soon for a lunch.
I find it interesting that I've never encountered anything but flawless service next door at Danube. Same owner, similar level of dining, so why can't Bouley get it's service act together? Has anyone posting here dined at Bouley regularly enough in the past year to know if the service has improved? If so, I'd love to hear about it.
Despite my gripes, I hope Bouley is thriving these days. IMHOP, his work is a valuable part of the high end culinary scene in NYC.
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I suspect the results are due simply to good and conscientious winemaking, and not to orienting the barrels in accordance with the Zodiac and related nonsense, but go ahead and start a thread on this, someone, please. And let's also not forget the proclivity of many top French chefs for mysticism, tarot, astrology, tea-leaf reading, and the like.
I just started a thread in the wine section. How do I post a link to another thread here?
Look here for the discussion on biodynamic wine.
Thanks! Could you email me or tell me where I can learn how to post links to other eGullet threads?
(Sorry for going OT)
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Felonius,
How was your experience with the service at Rare? The two times I have gone it was horrid. My burger was ok both times, good quality meat, smallish in portion though. I'd put PJ Clarks on your list too, I recently went there and the meat was fabulous.
Msk
I've never been to Rare, or PJ Clarke's.
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I suspect the results are due simply to good and conscientious winemaking, and not to orienting the barrels in accordance with the Zodiac and related nonsense, but go ahead and start a thread on this, someone, please. And let's also not forget the proclivity of many top French chefs for mysticism, tarot, astrology, tea-leaf reading, and the like.
I just started a thread in the wine section. How do I post a link to another thread here?
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The topic of biodynamic ("biodyamique" in France) winemaking came up in a another thread, so I thought I'd use that as a starting point for a more focused discussion here....
I don't read my horoscope or chat with Dionne Warwick on the Psychic Friends Network. However, I believe that the "Biodynamique" thing, as crazy as it sounds, is yielding some incredible results. I thought it was all bullshit until I blind tasted some of these wines. Try the latest offerings from Leroy and Meo-Camuzet in Burgundy. The former is one of the first proponents of Biodynamie, the latter is a recent convert. Randall Grahm (who hosted an interesting forum here about a month ago) is now experimenting with these techniques. Chicken bones or not, they seem to be on to something.
For a basic description of Biodynamie, try this link....
http://www.wineanorak.com/biodynamic2.htm
My skepticism has been eroded further by a number of highly respected winemakers who have begun to employ some form of biodynamie or other in their vineyards. In addition to Domaine Leroy and Meo-Camuzet, there are top Burgundian estates such as Comtes Lafon, Leflaive, and Romanee Conti. I'm not as familiar with who's using it outside of Burgundy, but Radall Grahm (Bonny Doon Winery) is heading down this path and I know Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace is as well.
Fat Guy mentions on another thread:
"I suspect the results are due simply to good and conscientious winemaking, and not to orienting the barrels in accordance with the Zodiac and related nonsense...."
What do you think?
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Pan -- "Biodynamic," often referred to as just "bio," is nothing more than the French word for what we call "organic." A "bio" food shop will be one that compares to a "health food" store here in NY. Obviously the word gets bandied around as much as "organic" does here. A loaf of bread in a shop may be referred to as bio because it's whole grain or because it's actually from organic flour. On the other hand, the French government, or the EU, may have actually passed some laws restriciting its use, but you get the picture. "Bio," like "organic" is an umbrella term covering a lot of serious scientific work and a bunch of cranks." We're still left separating the organic wheat from the organic chaff.
This may be true for food/produce in France, but "biodynamique" has a different and much more specific meaning when describing winemaking. For a basic description of biodynamie, try this link....
http://www.wineanorak.com/biodynamic2.htm
This goes well beyond basic organic farming, and gets into some pretty groovy stuff. I thought it was all hocus pocus until I started tasting the results.
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the $40 charged at Fairway for the combo special (was it originally $35?)
Is it really up to $40? I was there just a few weeks ago and it was $35. Not a huge difference, but between that and the change in BYO status the value is seriously eroded.
So is it a $10 corkage or absolutely no BYO now? If it's the former I'm in, if it's the latter I'm headed back to S&W.My $35 information seems to be out of date so I'm not making any promises, but when I was there a few weeks ago it was $10 corkage.
I'm going to go next week for the steak dinner a will try to bring a bottle of wine. I am certain the price is now $40, and I will verify the no BYO/corkage policy and report back.
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I have no idea what "biodynamic" wines are. Would you please start a thread on the Wine board about them?
Two things.
Pan, why are you up so late?
I will try to start a thread, but I'm no expert on Biodynamie. It's very complicated voodo type stuff.
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By the way, I tried to get a table or even a seat at the bar tonight at Mix. Not a chance in hell.
Grimes or no Grimes, they are doing just fine.
I ate at Cafe Boulud instead. Sweet shrimp with a Thai spice glaze, homemade angel hair pasta with cepes and white truffles, venison tenderloin with spatzle, roasted chestnuts, pickled cabbage, squash puree, and a grilled walu (sp?) in a tangerine demiglace (the best dish of the night). The shrimp and Walu were flown in from Hawaii this morning. Washed down with a glass of Jean Michel Gerin Cote-Rotie "Les Grandes Places" 2000.
Can't say I was sorry that Mix was booked.
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The only thing that made me whince was the wine list: anybody see this manifesto? The first three (out of four) sections (after wines by the glass) are devoted solely to France and subcategorized by organic, biodynamic (read: voodoo) and Ch.-du-Pape wines. What's he doing to himself?
So what did you think about the wines? Or did you leave the restaurant saying "Ah! Finally -- a restaurant that understands the rewards of planting cow horns under full moons!"
I don't read my horoscope or chat with Dionne Warwick on the Psychic Friends Network. However, I believe that the "Biodynamique" thing, as crazy as it sounds, is yielding some incredible results. I thought it was all bullshit until I blind tasted some of these wines. Try the latest offerings from Leroy and Meo-Camuzet in Burgundy. The former is one of the first proponents of Biodynamie, the latter is a recent convert. Randall Grahm (who hosted an interesting forum here about a month ago) is now experimenting with these techniques. Chicken bones or not, they seem to be on to something.
Having said that, I think the wine list at Mix is somewhat uninteresting and certainly overpriced. But that's par for the course in NYC. Their description of biodynamic wines is poorly written and not informative in any meaningful way. Don't let that lead you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you're curious about it, do some blind tastings from producers who are heading down this road and judge for yourself. You might be as surprised as I was.
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Took another burger research field trip today at J.G. Mellon's. Hadn't been there in over a year and wondered if the burger was as good as I remembered.
It wasn't. Scratch that off the list.
Will try Lunchbox Food Co. next week. I still think Fairway is worth a visit from BC at some point.
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Uh-oh, I think I might be about to lose my $12 bet.
I wouldn't worry about that. Even if I don't like it, you've given me a new pickup line to add to my arsenal.
"Hey hot baba, would you like to see my chiboust?"
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It has been awhile, but I've had that baba-au-rhum at ADNY at least 3 or 4 times and I don't recall it ever being hot. Isn't it always served lukewarm, not to mention cooled a lot by the addition of the rum and the pastry cream?
The babas I've had at were at least warm and tasted like they just came out of the oven. Then again maybe they just microwaved mine a bit longer than yours.
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It's possible to get less-than-terrible service there, but I'm well up into the 10+ visits range and have never had anything approaching good service. At this point, there's no excuse for service that poor and slow at any price point -- you can get substantially better service at any diner.
Not only did it take me an hour and a half to get a burger and a dessert, but the couple next to me arrived before me and were served after me. I heard them asking for water several times over the course of the meal, but it never arrived. They finally got up, walked over to the wait station, poured their own glasses of water, and sat back down. The service was so bad that everyone in my corner of the restaurant passed right through the annoyance and anger phases to reach a state of amused incredulity.
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The pricing is still pretty advantageous if you get the combo special, because you're getting an appetizer plus three side dishes with your steak.
You are correct sir. This isn't really an issue for me. I never order an appetizer when at S&W or Sparks, because a side or two and a large steak is enough to stuff me to the gills. I can't remember the exact pricing, but I think sirloin steak in the Grill Room at S&W is about $32. Split an order of hash browns and some creamed spinach with the table and the price without drinks isn't much different from the $40 charged at Fairway for the combo special (was it originally $35?).
So is it a $10 corkage or absolutely no BYO now? If it's the former I'm in, if it's the latter I'm headed back to S&W.
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I'm pretty sure they're calling it "savarin" rather than "baba." Forgive me for failing to note the correct name -- I didn't take menus home this time around, and in my mind the terms are interchangeable. A pastry person will have to tell us the technical difference if there is one, and also whether it's actually hard to make (how hard could it be?), but as far as I could tell the substances are identical save for 1) the Mix savarin is made in a small ring-mold (coincidentally, the same diameter as the straight-sided glass serving dish) instead of a cylinder-shape like the ADNY baba, and 2) there's no rum involved in the Mix version of the dessert, just a vanilla and lemon chiboust/pastry-cream/Italian meringue.
Thanks for the clarification FG. I do believe the savarin is on the lunch menu. I just didn't know what the heck a Savarin was.
As for the difficulty in preparation, I misspoke in my last post (too many glasses of wine at dinner I'm afraid). I didn't mean so much that the recipe for the Baba was all that difficult, only that the timing of delivery might be difficult to orchestrate in a less controlled setting than ADNY. It seems to me that the full glory of the Baba can only be appreciated if it has just come straight from the oven, much like a madeleine. This probably isn't too hard to pull off at ADNY, given the single sitting and slow pace of dining with multiple courses. In a faster paced like Mix, I wonder how hard it would be to get that hot Baba born on time. Then again, maybe they can pre cook them to some degree or use other tricks to deliver them on short order.
I'll try the Savarin on my next visit, but I may have to smuggle in my own flask of rum just in case....
Fairway Cafe
in New York: Dining
Posted
I know there's another thread somewhere about the Fairway Steakhouse/Gordon Mitchel's (Broadway and 75th), but I think their pancakes are worthy of their own mention here.
I've now eaten at this place 4 times, and each time the food has been excellent. One of the best burgers in NYC, great salads, fantastic desserts, etc. Then I tried the pancakes....
Unbelievably good. In fact, the best pancakes I've had in my life, period. These pancakes are small - maybe 4 inches in diameter and so thin that a stack of seven cakes was about 2" tall. They have a moist and slighty spongey consistency, almost more like a crepe than a cake. They remind me a bit of something called "swedish pancakes" I used to get years ago at long forgotten pancake house down South. I have no idea how their recipe differs to make them so special, and apparently Mitchel isn't gonnna tell. They're served with real maple syrup on the side too.
I can't really describe them adequately in words. You'll have to make the pilgrimmage to Fairway yourself to truly know this holy grail of hotcakes.
By the way, Mitchel has been watching the floor like a hawk during my past two visits (breakfast and lunch), and the service has improved quite a bit as compared to previous visits.