Felonius

For straight-ahead sushi, Yasuda gets my vote. They have the best rice, a great selection of fish (the Sockeye salmon when in season is killer) and make things in proper proportion. I'm not a fan of the Orca sized sushi that seems to be so popular in the USA. For less money, my regular favorite is the downstairs bar at the original Hatsuhana (17 East 48th) with Seki running the show. Seki San has been there for about twenty years and has worked with several top Sushi Chefs, including Yasuda. Not the best sushi but the most fun is Bond Street. Try a Saketini to get things started.

I really can't imagine any circumstance where linen tablecloths would be worth the expense and hassle. They'd have to be washed and pressed every day (or between every day of service). Sure you could buy card tables or sawhorses and cover them with linens, but a month or two of laundry bills would surpass the cost of some decent tables and placemats. Despite all of this, if the food is good and the atmosphere is simpatico, the rest won't matter. How cool would it be to have a great meal in an underground restaurant (like a food speakeasy) with some interesting company? I'd gladly eat off a card table if the food, wine and company were interesting. I picture this being a low key version of something like Milk and Honey or the Tasting Room. You could probably fill up the tables via word of mouth and EGullet for quite some time. I sure hope you give it a try and that I'm invited!

Sorry if this redundant, but I didn't have time to read through all the posts. I'd go with tables with no tablecloths and Chilewich placemats. I've seen these placemats used in many high-end modern restaurants. They look great and are easy to keep clean. This will save you the money and hassle of linens. I've had a Chilewich runner on the floor of my kitchen for five years and it sill looks great. Also, can you find some good looking folding tables and chairs? This would give you added flexibility on layout and use of space. Design Within Reach is great for ideas on this sort of thing, but if you check around on the internet, you can usually find similar stuff for a lot less money. For example, I recently bought four Le Corbusier sofas for one of my businesses. Price from the original manufacturer (Cassina) was $6500 each, DWR was $3600 each, and I found similar ones online for $1800 each! Also, if you can get a designer to give you access to the factory showrooms, there are often great closeout deals to be had this time of year. Drop me a PM if you want any furniture contacts. Good luck, and put me on the guest list!!!

Had my first dinner at L'Absinthe last week, and my first impression would put it at or near the top of the NYC French bistro list. Lovely atmosphere, and a very fine rendition of some classic dishes. I had boudin followed by coq au vin. My dining companion had steak tartare. All of these were excellent, as were the warm choux pastry rolls brought upon our arrival. Dessert was a Grand Marnier souffle, which alone was worth the trip to the UES for me. Not many places still do proper soufflees to order (I used to go to La Cote Basque for them when the craving hit) and this one was the real thing. Finally, they brought some delicious house made chocolate truffles. They were so good that I asked the waiter to wrap the unfinished truffles for me, and was delighted to discover he had packed the box with quite a few more than were actually left on my table. I'd guess that roughly 1/3 of the diners overheard on this particular night were speaking French, which added to overall vibe of the place. BTW, my dining companion is a native Parisian and believes L'Absinthe to be as good or better than any of the other "French" bistros she's tried in NYC. The menu items were fairly expensive, but no more than similar UES competitors . My dining partner and I split an appetizer and dessert, and along with our two mains, coffee and a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, the tab came to about $125.00 before tip. Overall, a class act and about as authentic as I've had in NYC. The superb rolls and chocolate truffles were welcome extra touches I've not encountered at other French bistros in NYC. Highly recommended. I will definitely return to try some of their other dishes.

Had to go back to Cafe Boulud for one more truffle fix today. The truffle was practically the size of a potato, moist, and white all the way through. One of the most beautiful specimens I've seen.

I think white truffles are worth every cent, but that's a matter of personal preference. For example, I could care less about caviar, yet I have friends who will lay down similarly ridiculous sums for that indulgence. I suspect you have never had a truly great white truffle. I'm no expert, but as I mentioned in a previous post, the truffle I had last week at Cafe Boulud was far superior to one had two days later at San Domenico. The difference was so great that it was like having a completely different food. The one at San Domenico was rather small, dry and had little flavor or aroma. They shave a good bit of it (10 grams) over pasta, yet I could hardly taste it. I would guess that they shaved about 5-7 grams over my pasta at Cafe Boulud, yet the smell and flavor was so pungent that diners at adjacent tables were savoring the smell with glint of envy in their eyes (the table next to me promptly ordered the truffles!). I believe that if you come into contact with a great white truffle, you will know it immediately. You can smell them when a server carries them into a room. Whether or not you like their flavor/aroma is another matter.

Honestly in my humble opinion Sapori D'Ischia is below par. To truly contemplate the Alba truffle one must cough up a suitable amount of cash to receive it. At ADNY they have a decent T.menu. The departed but finest rest. in the world of which i have dined Lesspinase (IMHO) is a much better venue then the others but alas Grey has moved on, we can just keep our fingers crossed that he will reopen a "fine' dining rest. P.S. We have discussed this before but "T.Oil" is not a truffle derivitive(spl). If by happenstance you find yourself in ATL please try Antica Posta I know the owner well and his Albas are shipped to him by his brother who resides in a region close to Alba. From personal exoeirebence it is much more pratical to buy Albas and execute the dish oneself if one has a few hundred or thousnd $ worth laying around. Edit: The allure is the musky botinical scent and the earthy taste. Sort of like opening a bottle of BOLS and savoring its earthy herbaciones and then adding a drop oof O.Bitters and further contemolating the scent Edit2: Not that it tastes like this but whith a little tweaking it is fun to play with. I recently made a C.T. wit gin:O.bitters, 9 shaves W.Albal,egg W; then shake the shit out o' her. To make it "golden keep yolk in and add a 1/8 sprinkle of salt to play wit' the yolk. ← I'm headed to Atlanta today. Thanks for the tip. I've never been to Antica Posta, but will head there tomorrow!

I mention this in another thread, but thought I'd post it here as well. White truffles I had this week at Cafe Boulud and San Domenico were miles apart in flavor intensity. The truffle at Cafe Boulud blew away the one at San Domenico. It was much more intense, seemed softer, less dry, and had more of a "melt in your mouth" quality. I should also add that Cafe Boulud shaved the truffle in thinner slices and seemed to offer less actual truffle per dollar. However, the truffle was so much more aromatic that the smaller serving served a much bigger truffle punch. Does this have to do with the quality of the truffle? Its age or freshness? How it was transported or stored? Any experts out there care to enlighten me?

A call to San Domenico confirmed they had white truffles, so I headed there for lunch. They offered to serve them over risotto or taglietelli and I opted for the latter. They charged $5 per gram, and I had ten grams shaved over the taglietelli. This along with the $30 prix fixe lunch menu set me back a total of $75 for appetizer, entree (the pasta) and dessert. Not a bad value in my opinion, and it seemed more actual truffle for the money than I had at Cafe Boulud last week. However, the truffle at Cafe Boulud was much more aromatic and intense in flavor, in another league really. I wonder if this has to do with the quality of the truffle or perhaps it freshness.

Cafe Des Artistes has them in, and Chef Joseph know what to do with them !!! Run !!!! ← Interesting.... I was under the impression that Cafe Des Artistes was pretty much an overpriced tourist destination these days. Am I mistaken? Do you know if they do a white truffle with pasta dish?

I love white Truffles, and usually get my fix every season at Cafe Boulud. CB offers them in a variety of presentations (over angel hair, gnocchi, with a fried egg, etc.) and I had a generous portion served over angel hair pasta yesterday. However, it's quite pricey at $110.00 for the plate. I'm wondering where I might find white truffles on offer for a lower price, as I could use of a few more helpings without breaking the bank. Any recommendations in Manhattan would be appreciated.

I live nearby and was excited to have this new addition to rather barren landscape of fine dining that is the UWS. I've eaten at Gari several times now, and am not a big fan. The sushi is excellent in terms of creativity, and the quality if quite high as well. However, I've experienced consistently brusque and condescending service. I've also been given the cold shoulder for wanting to order a la carte at the bar rather than omakase. At the price range they're in (expensive), I expect better service. Looks like I'll be making the hike back to Yasuda and Hatsuhana in the future when I get that quality sushi craving.

I used to eat lunch in Nougatine weekly. For $20, it was (and to some degree still is) one of the better lunch deals in the city. Recently however, I've had some really mediocre dishes there. Staples of the menu in the past such as lightly cooked salmon, hanger steak, etc. seem to have given way to pedestrian pastas and dishes that seem to be engineered to have the lowest food cost possible. If you have time and a few extra dollars, I'd take Fat Guy's advice and bypass Nougatine for the main Jean-Georges dining room. The food is infinitely better on that side of the house.

Right on, Bux! If you're inclined to stop and consider the quality of the cuisine or the price of a drink in this place, you're not in their target market. I'm not in their target market either, but I drop by every now and then to enjoy the people-watching. Bruno Jamais' club/restaurant serves a very specific purpose for a very specific clientele , and Bux hit the nail on the head, as usual.

Another note on service. Yasuda has has Gari beat hands down in my experience. Both are hard places to get a reservation, but once you're in Yasuda, they are extremely friendly and accomodating. I have much more limited experience at Gari, but I get the impression they feel they're doing me a big favor to give me a seat at the sushi bar. At the tables it's a bit better, but they have expressed all but open displeasure the two times I asked to order sushi by the piece rather than omakase. Things also feel a bit rushed. The service isn't bad by any means, but they don't go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. At this price point, I expected better.

I'm a long time fan of Yasuda, and have recently paid a few visits to the new Gari on the UWS as it's near my apartment. I think Gari does a good job, especially with more creative "fusion" sushi items when one orders omakase. However, I prefer Yasuda for straight ahead sushi and think their quality of fish is better overall. Also, I think the rice at Yasuda is unbeatable in NYC. My overall vote goes to Yasuda, and I've found both places to be similar in price (expensive).

How anyone could stop after a good mint julep is beyond me. I'm not alone in this sentiment, evidenced by the song "One Mint Julep". If you don't know who did the song, I rest my case.....

Pan, can't say I've ever had a great Mojito in NYC either. I used to head down to Elizabeth St. to get decent ones at a place called Rialto. I went down there for the first time in a year or so last week and had only a passable Mojito at best. Still made with lots of mint, but way too sweet (as are most Mojitos in the USA). I hate to say it, but the best cocktails I've had in NYC (other than no brainers like scotch and soda) have been at places like Daniel and Bemmelman's Bar. They charge obscene prices, but can deliver a decent mixed drink when required.

Does anyone in NYC really make the real deal though? It's hard enough to find a decent Mojito, let alone a real Mint Julep. I've never had a drinkable one in NYC. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a good one other than at a private party or at a few clubs in the deep South. They are time consuming to make, require expensive tumblers ($50 to 500+ a pop depending on whether they're silver plated or sterling), and copious amounts of fresh mint on hand. However, an authentic Mint Julep is a thing of beauty if you can find it. My guess is that only a place like Milk and Honey would take the trouble. Damn, now I'm craving one!

To me, a classic steak frites should be hanger or "onglet" as served in most old-school French bistros. It's a cheaper cut with lots of flavor if prepared properly. Often there will also be a choice of sirloin or "faux-filet" for a few extra dollars. Tartine and Les Halles offer both choices, and are faithful renditions of the the Parisian original.

Does Balthazar offer a hanger steak (or "onglet" as they say in most French bistros)? If I remember correctly their steak frites is a sirloin cut.

Not even a small mention of Frank Bruni for making it easier to find a seat? ← Thanks Frank.

My #1 vote goes to Les Halles, and my #2 is Tartine. Balthazar and Pastis do a credible job, albeit with a bit more hype, and I've had a good version at Florent too. Of course it depends on what you're looking for. The version I prefer is an aged hanger steak with a bit of sauce au poivre.

Ventured out to The Modern for the first time last night and ate at the bar. Looking at the whole equation of food/service/atmosphere/value/concept, this place may set a new standard in my personal NYC diner's journal. Here are my fist impressions: Food - Interesting, creative, fresh, excellent. I'd agree with Steven that if they consistently deliver on this, it should easily rate 3 stars in the NYC spectrum. Service - friendly but not cloying, efficient, knowledgeable, close to perfect. I had a drink within two minutes of sitting at the bar and food within 8 minutes. Meyer has this equation figured out better than anyone in NYC. My recent visit to Gramercy Tavern and now The Modern puts back into perspective just how good service can be, and how crappy it is in so many other places in this city. Atmosphere - Modern (duh!), sophisticated, high-energy, fun. The bar room may not be for everyone (it's a little loud), but I liked the vibe and decor. For those who want to tone it down a notch, the main dining looks like the ticket. One of the staff members also said they hope to offer outdoor dining in the sculpture garden, which I think would be one of nicest outdoor spots in the city. Value - The cheapest prices at this quality level I've seen in NYC. I've been eating at the bar at Cafe Gray quite a bit lately, and The Modern bar blows it away from a price perspective. Similar quality food and atmosphere at roughly 1/2 to 2/3 the price. Concept - This place is a home run. Fun yet grown up. Creative yet comfortable. I love the ability to create one's own tasting menu from a large palette of $15 dishes. And all of this was only at the bar! I'm dying to try the main dining room now. My hat is off to everyone involved in this venture. They've given New York a really exceptional and unique new dining option. Not an easy task, considering the competition.