Felonius

Where? I've found very few upscale restaurants in Manhattan that have a corkage policy, let alone at $10. If I remember correctly, the corkage fee at Jean-Georges is $70, and the one time I tried to bring a bottle they made it clear that even with that corkage fee, they did NOT appreciate me bringing a bottle (it was a 1985 Haut Brion, which was not available on their list). Any leads to NYC restaurants with reasonable corkage policies would be appreciated.

I know I ranted about this in another thread a few years back, but an experience the other night compels me to go at it again. As I sat down for my first visit to Mas and scanned the wine list, I soon realized that the average markup was about 300%-350% from retail (which makes it what, 500-600% from their wholesale cost?) While I can't remember exactly, I think the cheapest bottle of red on the list was a Fleurie at $45. Then I looked at the wine prices by the glass, which were in the $12-18 range for fairly average wines. I began to feel the old rage welling up inside of me.... I know it's hard for restaurateurs to pay the bills in NYC, but this is just too much. It's one thing to charge these markups at a place like Daniel, where customers are paying a premium for a list of rare and sought after wines from top producers in good vintages, carefully selected by a master sommelier. I don't like paying it, but I can stomach it. However, now every Tom Dick and Harry restaurateur in NYC thinks they deserve the same markup for even mediocre wines one could find at the local supermarket. I can't remember much of the list from Mas, but here are a few selections: Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc $50 - a nice bottle of this varietal, but c'mon I can buy it at the supermarket for $13.99! Fleurie (I forget the producer) $45 - This price for what's basically an upscale bottle of Beaujolais? I love Fleurie, and buy a lot of it.... At $8-15 retail. Turley Petite Syrah Estate 2002 $120 - I love the Turley Zins and nearly ordered this bottle of Petite Syrah out of curiousity. It retails for about $35, but is admittedly a hard to find item of low production volume. This markup might be justified due to the rarity factor, until one reads the reviews. Here's what Wine Spectator had to say "Lean and a bit green, with hard cedar, herb and pepper flavors that aren't quite ripe, making the dusty berry and sage flavors a tough act to swallow. Score 83" (note: I'm not suggesting that Wine Spectator is always right, but it's a reasonable reference point) A 350% markup for an unsuccessful bottle of wine is highway robbery, even if it comes from a top producer like Turley. It's also assault and battery if the sommelier knows it's a loser bottle or poor vintage (and probably got it at a discount from the distributor) that will sell to unsuspecting customers due to the famous name on the label. I'm not saying that's the case at Mas, but I am relieved I didn't blow $120 on that bottle. Another factor that irked me at Mas (and to be fair, is common in NYC restaurants), is the lack of older vintages or the more successful recent ones. Many of the wines on the list at Mas were from vintages between 2000-2003 and barely ready to drink. I can see paying a high markup for top vintages or older ones that have been properly matured in a cellar. But paying these premiums for 2003 Oregon Pinot Noirs that probably came off the truck a few months ago and have barely had time to settle down in the bottle isn't very appealing. After a lengthy search, I did find a reasonable bottle on the list at Mas, a 1996 Volnay Caillerets from Bouchard for $85. A great vintage, from an average producer of Burgundy, and an enjoyable if not particularly exciting wine. This bottle probably retailed in the $40-50 range upon release. As I heard the couple next to me order that $50 bottle of Beaujolais, I felt a mixture of pity and relief, as though I had narrowly escaped being mugged. The unfortunate reality at places like Mas, is that one will likely have to spend $150 per bottle to get something even remotely comparable to the food. This means that dinner and a bottle of wine for two with tax and tip is over $350. I suppose that as long as customers in NYC are willing to pay exorbitant prices without blinking, the fleecing will flourish. I, however, will not be sipping wine at Mas any time again soon.

L'Impero

I haven't been to many of the spots listed on this thread, but I'll throw in my votes anyway, based on different styles of ice cream. American style - Emack and Bolio's Italian style - Il Laboratorio di Gelato French style - La Maison du Chocolat (note they only have a limited selection and it's only on offer during the warmer months)

I'd walked by Mas on Downing Street several times, and the look of it sparked my interest. Then a glowing review (in the New Yorker if I remember correctly) convinced me it was time to treck down to the West Village to give it a try. The restaurant seems to have positioned itself as a contemporary take on French country food, with a focus on high quality small-farm produce. My date and I were greeted cordially and our table was ready on time. The dining room is cramped and a bit loud, but has a nice "casual chic" feel. It's a bit reminiscent of Blue Hill in that respect. The first page of the menu offered a four course (3 savory plus dessert) tasting menu for $68. The waiter also informed us that we could mix and match from the a la carte menu selections to create our own tasting if we liked. We weren't super hungry, so we decided to split an appetizer and order two entrees. At the waiter's suggestion, we started with the seared tuna. This consisted of strips of sashimi grade tuna barely seared in a glaze of butter and shallots. This was rich and delicious but became a bit monotonous after several bites. For mains, I chose squab and my date ordered pork. The baby pigeon was cooked in a clay pot in a jus/reduction that the waiter said took four days to make. It was accompanied by a duck tart and some frisee. The waiter offered Perigord truffles for a $20 surchage, and I opted in. The quality of the squab was excellent, with plenty of flavor, though the duck tart was rather soggy and uninteresting. The portion was quite small, no bigger than the tuna appetizer. A well executed twist on a classic dish (with the welcome addition of truffles) but nothing especially exciting about it. My date had pork tenderloin with parsnip puree and a side I can't recall. The portion of pork was also tiny. I'm not a fan of big portions, but I think $36 for two pieces of pork tenderloin the size of marshmallows is a bit ridiculous. The pork was tender and perfectly cooked, but other than that it wasn't all that remarkable either. For dessert we had a poached pear with bittersweet chocolate sauce. The pear had a sweet honey-like flavor, which was a nice counterpoint to the slightly bitter tang of the chocolate. Though simple, this dish was perhaps my favorite of the evening. The service was efficient and professional, the only glitch being a failure to continue pouring our bottle of wine. Once I mentioned this however, all went like clockwork. I enjoyed the meal, and thought the quality of ingredients was excellent. It reminded me a bit of Blue Hill in concept and feel. At this price point ($60-75 per person not including wine) there's an awful lot of competition in NYC, and the food (at least in my opinion of this admittedly limited sample) isn't quite up to par with what's on offer at places like Blue Hill, Veritas and Cafe Boulud. The tiny entree portions and pricey wine list also irked me a bit. There are only only a handful of wines on the list under $75 and not many are worth ordering ($45 for Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc and $50 for a bottle of Fleurie????). There are some more interesting choices but you'll pay a 3x-4x markup to get them, so $140 gets you a $40 bottle of 2003 Oregon Pinot Noir. I opted for a bottle of 1996 Volnay Caillerets from Bouchard ($85) which was one of the few reasonably priced bottles I could find. Basically they're charging 4 star markups on a 2 star wine list. Overall, I think Mas has a cool location, a good concept, and fairly good execution. At this price point however, there are too many more exciting options for me to head back to Mas any time soon.

I ate brunch at Fairway today and am pleased to report that the "Big Boy Special" and the pancakes haven't changed. Mmm good. The service was marginal as usual, but that's par for the course on the Upper West Side dining scene.

I promise this is my last off-topic coment, really.... Interesting that Jean-Luc and Olivier Flosse left Daniel and Cafe Boulud this month. Both are extremely talented and knowledgeable people who's passion for wine added something very special to Daniel's restaurants. I'll be curious to see who replaces them. Olivier is also moving on to a very interesting project in NYC, which I will discuss more on these pages when appropriate.

Which sommelier Bux? Olivier Flosse (ex-sommelier at Cafe Boulud) left at the beginning of the year and I'm wondering if it's him or someone else from Daniel. ← Jean Luc from Daniel is opening up the wine shop. It was posted several weeks ago in the Wednesday Section of the NYT. ← Sorry to get off topic here, but when did Jean-Luc leave Daniel?

I did manage to find a seat at the bar tonight for dinner. I had the white truffle and mushroom risotto and the herb crusted venison with pasta and juniper sauce. The venison was some of the best I've ever had, even more tender than most beef filets. The food was excellent, certainly on par with the top contenders in NYC. This was only my second visit, but the quality of tonight's meal ensured that I will soon return to Cafe Gray.

Interesting perspective, but I still think it was a very odd design decision. I think I'll head down there tonight (my second visit) and try the bar with the hopes that the blizzard will allow for at least one seat.

I wondered if that was the case when I last dined there about a month ago and Mitchel's name was no longer plastered all over the walls. Has anyone noticed if the food (especially those pancakes!) has suffered since his departure? I've never had dinner there, but always found the breakfast and lunch items to be quite good and reasonably priced.

Which sommelier Bux? Olivier Flosse (ex-sommelier at Cafe Boulud) left at the beginning of the year and I'm wondering if it's him or someone else from Daniel.

Has anyone tried lunch yet? How does the lunch menu differ from the dinner menu in terms of selection and/or prices? I need to go back and give CG a second try.

Sorry to get off topic here, but have you dined more than once at Cafe Boulud? I will say unequivocally that it is my personal favorite in NYC. When Andrew Carmellini (chef at CB) is on his game, it is a marvelous experience. I would suggest calling ahead and requesting a tasting menu, and dining there on an off night such as Monday or Tuesday, or perhaps lunch if you can find the time. I am confident the experience will not disappoint.

I just do not understand why ADNY has suffered from so many negative reviews. I have dined there four times in the past three years and each meal has been a benchmark culinary experience. I can understand why people may think ADNY is overpriced, and I can understand that not all people are a fan of Ducasse's approach to cooking. What I find ridiculous are the accusations from supposedly knowledgeable foodies (i.e. "food critics") that Ducasse is turning out mediocre food. I have had the privilege of dining in many of the world's top restaurants on a wide variety of occasions, and I just cannot believe that anyone who has done likewise could truly feel that ADNY turns out a mediocre (or anything less than world class for that matter) product. In my opinion, the meals I have had at ADNY in each instance have significantly surpassed all but a handful of many, many meals I've had at places like Daniel, Jean-Georges, Cafe Boulud, Bouley, Danube, etc.... What is going on here?

On my first visit to Cafe Gray, I dined alone at the bar. I ordered this appetizer on the bartender's recommendation. It's a sort of carpaccio with yellowtail marinated in satsuma juice and garnished with a dash of caviar if I remember correctly. I generally enjoy smaller portions but the minute size of this dish was a bit ridiculous in my opinion. It was about the equivalent of one piece of sushi, more of an amuse than an appetizer. This dish was refreshing, and was reminiscent of the "crudo" served at Esca. I wouldn't order it again, however, as I'd bet that some of the other appetizers are more complex and interesting (and bigger!). I followed up with the shortribs as a main course, which were fantastic. I love shortribs, have eaten many in my life, and would say that Gray's version might be the best I've ever had. Dessert was a poached pear coated in olives and pine nuts I think (another bartender recommendation). It was interesting, but didn't quite satisfy my dessert cravings. The shortrib and the dessert were also quite small. I was rather surprised to leave Cafe Gray still hungry after three courses. I seldom eat large portions and can't remember ever being hungry after three courses at any other New York restaurant. The portions I received at Cafe Gray from the a la carte menu were similar to the "downsized" ones offered at Jean-Georges, Daniel, or Cafe Boulud when one is ordering a multi-course tasting menu. I've only been to Cafe Gray once, and I be interested to hear if the other menu items similarly skimpy.

I'm in complete agreement with JGould assessment of Nice Matin. If the UWS had at least one bistro with the same caliber of food and service as Le Gigot, I'd probably dine there twice a week. Unfortunately we're stuck with places like Nice Matin and Cafe Luxembourg.

Paid my second visit to Jacques-Imo's today for brunch. The food was mediocre at best. I had a bowl of gumbo that was not nearly as good as a bowl had at Houston's (an uspcale chain restaurant) in Atlanta last week. Too thin in consistency and no okra in sight. I also had a side of Jumbalaya which was far too salty with tomatoes that had been cooked down to the point of tasting like they were sun-dried. I expected better on these creole basics. The service was very friendly and the live dixieland band added a nice element to the casual and fun ambience. I'd say that this place is more of a neighborhood eatery than a destination of any sort for NYC diners. I'm disappointed that it's not putting out more exciting food. I love New Orleans/Creole cuisine and was hoping Jacques-Imo's would finally bring the real deal to NYC.

In my opinion the food at Nice Matin has gone downhill during the past year or so. The food went from fairly good to mediocre. About six months ago I had shortribs that were just awful - all fat and a sauce that tasted rancid - and have never returned. When one factors in the long wait times (at least there used to be), the high noise level, and the cramped and uninspiring space, I don't see any reason to bother with it.

I heard bad things when it first opened so didn't bother going, but have heard nothing since. I walked by during brunch last weekend. There was a line out the door waiting for tables at Cafe Luxembourg, and not a single diner next door at Compass. I think the food at Cafe Lux is mediocre at best, so why no one was willing to blow off the long wait to try Compass had me wondering. Next time I'm in NYC I'll give Compass a try and report back.

Bond Girl, please post their hours/schedule if you get through to them.

I dine solo quite a bit in NYC, and Veritas is probably my favorite. It has great food, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and is much quieter and less crazy than a place like Babbo (which can be fun, but be prepared to to be crammed in amidst waiting guests and frantic waitstaff squeezing through to the front tables). Veritas also has some interesting wines by the glass and half bottle, which I like as a solo diner. Finally, it's not too far from Murray Hill. Daniel is another good, albeit more expensive and formal, choice for high-end bar dining. Gramercy Tavern and Gotham Bar and Grill are also choices I'd heartily second. My problem with many bar dining experiences in NYC is that they become jam-packed staging areas for angry diners waiting on tables/reservations that weren't available on time. This means one must constantly fight for space and rub elbows with disgruntled and often obnoxious customers.

I'm a whitey and suspect I've been missing the fucking point most of my life, but I do agree with Sam that the charred exterior bits with bloody meat on the flipside are damn tasty in this instance.

I agree with you FG that the beef was not as high quality as that at a Ruth's Chris, Morton's, etc. There's no way it could be considering the price point and unlimited quantity offered at the Churrascuria I tried. Most of the cuts were quite flavorful however, with a nice char and juicy interior. While the meat was not generally as tender or aged as it might be at a higher end steakhouse, for me the variety of flavor in the cuts (sirloin, flank, filet, rib, etc.) made up for this deficiency. Unless I can find three extra stomachs and someone else's corporate Amex card to bring to Sparks, I'm going to have to settle for one cut of meat. I enjoyed the ability at the Churrascuria to switch flavors and textures at will, all arriving on my plate just cooked. It's really an apples to oranges comparison. As I mentioned before, I expected the Churrascuria experience to be little more than an all you can eat gimmick with crappy quality food, and was pleasantly surprised to find it an enjoyable and quality dining experience, with its own unique benefits. It won't become a regular staple of my diet (or I might need bypass surgery by next year!), but certainly an experience I will enjoy periodically and would recommend to other steak lovers. By the way, we had no problem procuring rare meat upon request. As you mentioned, many of the cuts initially came out medium rare to medium, but when we requested rare the waiters (Gauchos?) quickly returned with fresh cuts that were indeed rare. This may have had something to do with the fact that my uncle is a regular at the restaurant. I'll be curious to see if I can obtain rare meat at Plataforma in NYC.

I had never been to one of these places until last week. I went with my uncle in Dallas to a place called Fogo de Chao (spelling?). I went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Most of the meat seemed of good to excellent quality and was perfectly cooked. I really enjoyed the ability to select small samples of a wide variety of meats and cuts, and whatever temperature one wanted was readily available. One nice advantage to this method of service that hadn't occurred to me was the fact that if done properly, one is always eating meat that is hot and just off the fire (chiarascura, BBQ, whatever it's called). We ate leisurely for several hours, and never had to worry about about our steaks growing cold. The lamb chops and filet were particularly good at this restaurant. Overall, it was a fun way to pass several hours and try all kinds of meat. I'll have to try Plataforma in NYC sometime. Not sure about the price of the meal in Dallas because I wasn't paying. I would say if Plataforma is of similar quality and is $45 for the all-you-can eat service, it's a relative bargain in NYC.