Felonius

Took some friends to GSI last night and had my usual fix of dumplings in chili oil, sesame noodles and Fresh Kung Pao chicken. I hadn't been in a while, and I was pleased to find the food as good as ever. My guests loved it too! If there's any slippage in quality, it sure wasn't evident last night.

This sums up my experience last night perfectly. Incredibly meaty ribs, desperately in need of more flavor. Overly pulled pork, in need of more flavor.

I've never been to Metisse, but would certainly join for a meal if y'all are ever headed that way.

Haven't been to Veritas in quite a while, and tonight I dropped by for an impromptu meal at the bar. The food was spectacular. My date and I tried the following items: "Juniper crusted venison with braised red cabbage, chestnuts and green peppercorn armagnac jus" - Two generous pieces of venison loin, cooked to absolute perfection, just a tad past rare. The jus had just enough spice and richness to complement the gaminess of the venison without overpowering it. A wonderful winter dish, earthy and satisfying. "Tender braised short ribs with parsnip puree, porcini mushrooms, glazed carrots and barolo" - the short ribs were also cooked to perfection. Tender and flavorful, without the excess of fat that often mars this dish at many restaurants. The meat was served over a brunoise of carrots, parsnip puree and porcinis, accompanied by a rich beef reduction that was slightly sweet and tangy. The short rib dish was a bit more complex in terms of flavor and texture, but I thought both were outstanding. The venison was a better match for the Bordeaux we drank, as the slight sweetness of the short ribs sauce detracted a bit from the wine. Speaking of wine, we had a half bottle of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac 1996. A stunning wine that showed well, but could really use a few more years for optimal drinking (and I suspect it will last for at least another 20). What a treat to find this wine in a half bottle, from a great vintage, and at a much lower markup (just shy of double the current retail value) than is usually the practice in NYC. For dessert we tried a chocolate souffle and a baba au rhum. The "souffle" was actually a molten chocolate cake. Excellent but not all that different from the standard issue Valrhona chocolate cakes offered by nearly every high end NYC restaurant these days. The baba was more interesting. It was served slightly warm, accompanied by a nice and tart apple sorbet, vanilla bean whipped cream, and by a sort of compote/brunoise of apples and some small berries (lingonberries maybe?). A nice inventive twist on a classic dessert. Both desserts were delicious, and I could have easily scarfed down another serving of each! Overall, the meal was as enjoyable as any I've had in the past year in NYC. Not as inventive as Mix, not as ambitious as Cafe Boulud, but every bit as good in its own right. Veritas is the sort of place I would gladly visit several times a week if my budget allowed. Add to this exceptional food the value/selection of wine, the courteous and low key service, and the highly knowledgeable sommelier's expert advice, and I'd say Veritas holds its own among the upper tier of NYC restaurants. I've never had a meal there that didn't leave me with a giant smile on my face, and the feeling my dollars were well spent.

Clearly then my memory fails me or my experience was unusual at Ouest. I too favor smaller portions and better quality. Having said that, the two scallop plate was pushing the limits even for me, and must have been an anomaly given the comments from more experienced Ouest diners.

I haven't been to Ouest in nearly a year, so my thoughts are not up to date. I remember a scallop appetizer that consisted of two scallops. This would have been fine it was on a tasting menu, but not as a regular appetizer in the $10-15 range. Otherwise, I really can't speak of Ouest with any authority. I went three times not long after they opened and never had a desire to go back. Too much hype without much substance in my opinion. In that price range, I'd gladly walk 10 blocks South of my apartment to Nougatine. Should I go back to Ouest for meal now that the hype has died down a bit?

All I can say to Jgould's initial post on this thread is "Amen!". You bring up a good point in that there is basically zero lunch business on the UWS. This neighborhood is one of the few completely residential areas in Manhattan. With the exception of service businesses (dry cleaners, delis, etc.) no one works up here, and hence there is no upscale lunch business. This probably makes the economics difficult for a restaurant. On the other hand, mediocre places like Ouest and Nice Matin have been packed to the gills every time I've dropped in for dinner, so there must be a way to make a living selling good French bistro food on the UWS. As for the soccer moms with strollers running rampant in restaurants, don't even get me started....

For old times sake I tried to get a reservation at Lutece. Nothing open, lunch or dinner for these last days. Kind of morbid that they are booked solid for their own wake. The woman who runs the front desk (I should know her name by now but forget) was very gracious on the phone when apologized for the fact they were booked. I felt a bit like someone slowing down to gawk at an accident on the side of the highway when I called to ask for a table. So I went to Cafe Boulud for lunch instead. They were jam packed at 1:30 pm.

I am sorry to see Llutece go. My father took me there as a boy in the 1970's, and it was quite a memorable experience. I think one of the same waiters was still working the floor the last time I dined there in 2003! In recent years, the food wasn't worth the price, except for the prix fixe lunch special. However, their apple tart was my favorite in NYC, and their molten chocolate cake was also sublime. When did it close?

I second this. I have eaten at GS probably more than 50 times. While quality has varied somewhat, I've always enjoyed the following: Sichuan dumplings in chili oil Sichuan noodles (cold in sesame sauce) Fresh Kung Pao chicken I'm surprised the wontons were tough, as I have found the dumplings at GS to be some of the most light and tender in NYC. I'll admit I'm addicted to them. Having said all this, as much as I love GS, I'm not sure it's worth the trip all the way from the Lower East Side when you have some good options in Chinatown close by.

I've never been to Compass, Sipan or Alouette. Thanks for the recommendations. I'll try them and post back. As for the others mentioned: Ouest - I dined there three times last year. Had decent food, but nothing memorable. I do seem to remember portions on some items were laughably small, and this is coming from someone who generally prefers smaller portions. Overall I'd agree that it's some of the better food on the UWS, but given the price point and the difficulty of getting a reservation, there are many more compelling options for a $5.00 cab ride East or South. Nice Matin - I've eaten there 4 times now. The first meal was good to average, and then it went downhill from there. The last two meals have been poor enough that I felt completely ripped off given the price charged. The one exception was a chocolate/coconut timbale with lychee sorbet for dessert, which I thought was very good. And who did the interior design? Awful! Cesca - only had one meal there, so will give them another shot if I can ever get a reservation! Picholine - had a couple of mediocre experiences there years ago, and never went back. In fairness to them I should give it another try, but given the cost I'm inclined to head South to Jean-Georges or East to Daniel/Cafe Boulud where I know I will get what I'm paying up for. @SQC - One of the only bright spots in my neighborhood. I dine there quite often and I've enjoyed nearly all my meals there. Jean Georges - I think one of the top three restaurants in NYC. I just don't really consider this the UWS. Nougatine - Not nearly as good as Jean Georges, but still worth the trip. Given the relative price point, there's no reason in my opinion to go to a place like Ouest when Nougatine is a close cab ride away. Aix - Tried it twice and had average meals at an above average price. The setting is kind of fun though. I should probably give this place a few more chances. Genarro - I used to go there a lot. Recently I've become less thrilled with the food. It's a good option for the price, but I don't think it's worth waiting in line for. I still go, but only at off-peak times to avoid the lines. Celeste - I think this place is tops on the UWS for price/value ratio. The only drawback is getting a table! I agree that ethnic foods further up on the UWS are probably the best thing in the neighborhood. In my initial post, my thoughts were more focused on finding a good middle-to-upper range bistro type place. I wish we could have a Balthazar, Pastis or Payard. Even Orsay does a much better job in my opinion than Cafe Luxembourg or Nice Matin. I just don't get why we don't have more options of this type. The Bowery/LES gets Schiller's liquor bar, so why can't we get our own funky bistro with reliable food? Given the crowds at Nice Matin, Ouest and Cesca, don't you think there's a market to support a place like Balthazar?

I may be beating a dead horse here but.... I've lived on the UWS for four years, and the mediocrity of our local restaurants continues to frustrate me. I think it may be the worst dining area in the city. This is inexcusable for a such a densely packed residential area with plenty of disposable income. In the last week, I've had three truly awful meals at places considered by many to be some of the better upscale dining options on the UWS. Cafe Luxembourg - a lousy hanger steak that made me wished I'd walked or crawled to any number of places outside my neighborhood (Les Halles, Florent, Pastis, Jardin Bistro, etc.) Cesca - a greasy "Cubano" panini that took 45 minutes to arrive at my table. The fact that it cost something like $14 only added insult to injury. Nice Matin - truly inedible short ribs. Two slabs of fat with negligible amounts of meat, served in a rancid tasting reduction. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of these meals is that all three restaurants were packed to capacity with gleeful Upper West Siders, willing to endure long waits to pay up for this crap. You'd think that one of the major restauranteurs in NYC (McNally, Neiporent, Meyer, etc.) would come up here and kick some culinary ass.

Why for heaven's sake can't the Times see the light and hire Fat Guy to replace Grimes? I think we should start a petition....

Thanks for the report! I am so damn excited to have these new additions to my neighborhood, especially given the limited amount of interesting restaurants on the UWS. Of course the only problem now is that they will all likely be booked solid for the next two years.

The main dining room appeared to be full, though there was an outside area that was maybe 1/2 full. This was on a Sunday night. CB is my overall favorite restaurant in NYC, but I avoid dining there (or at most high-end NYC establishments) on Friday or Saturday nights if possible. Just too much of a madhouse. I think the best times to go are dinner early in the week or at the beginning of service (5:30 pm). The food is usually at its best, since the kitchen isn't under so much strain, and the cramped room is less of a problem when it's not full.

I'm with you here. The atmosphere at Cafe Boulud is pleasant, but doesn't have any of the "wow" factor of a place like Le Cirque or Jean Georges. The tables are too close together as well. Having said that, there are two tables at Cafe Boulud that I think work better than the others for dinner for two: the banquette in the front corner (so you are sitting at a 90 degree angle next to eachother facing the room) and the small table behind the bar (in a sort of alcove where you are away from the rest of the room with some privacy). Interesting that you liked the food at the CB in Palm Beach better. I dined there for the first time last week and found the food to be good but nowhere near the food at the NYC location. My sample of one dinner isn't enough to make a judgment of course. The fact that I know the chef and staff here in NYC may have something to do with the food difference, as my food probably gets extra attention here that it wouldn't in Palm Beach. The dining room in Palm Beach is nicer than the one in NYC though.

Felonius, FG describes the components of the chowder on the first page of this thread: It sounds unreal, and since you recommend it as well as Steven, it and the bison will definitely be my first dishes at Mix. That does it. I'm on my way back to NYC tonight, and I think I may have to stop by the bar at Mix for some clam chowder!

Good point about the atmosphere. Jean Georges has a much more modern and lively feel to it than the others. I could see how some people might find it cold, but the friends I've brought there have all liked the space. ADNY is much quieter and subdued. It has more of dark and luxurious feel, though not particularly distinctive. Daniel is somewhere in between. Definitely luxurious, but much larger and a bit louder than ADNY. Some of my friends find Daniel a bit over the top or garish in terms of setting, and dislike it for that reason. I don't mind Daniel's vibe every once in a while, but in general prefer eating in the bar there (which is a bit more low key) or at Cafe Boulud. Since you are going for a special night out, all three should be fine, with the realization that Jean Georges has a much more "hip" vibe to it. If your date is on the younger or trendier side, Jean Georges might appeal to her more than ADNY or Daniel. As for the food at these three being "not in the same league" as Cafe Boulud, I humbly disagree. I visit Daniel and Cafe Boulud on a regular basis, and usually prefer the food at Cafe Boulud. As for Jean Georges and ADNY versus Cafe Boulud, that for me is an apples to oranges comparison. All three restaurants have very different approaches to food and dining experience overall. The first two are more "special event" restaurants, whereas Cafe Boulud is intended to be an "everyday" sort of place, albeit for people with eight figures in their bank accounts. Having said that, I've had special tasting menus prepared by Andrew Carmellini at Cafe Boulud that could hold their own against any food I've had in NYC or the U.S. for that matter.

SG. Without knowing more about her tastes than what you've already stated here, I might lean towards Jean Georges. I think they tend to push the flavor and artistic envelope a bit more towards the "wow factor" than the others you mentioned. It's hard for me to say exactly why - maybe it's the wide range of culinary influences, or perhaps a bit more of a desire to make a statement. Then again, if your date finds a meal at ADNY or Daniel "blah" then I might consider looking for another date! I wouldn't really classify Jean Georges as "French Food" per se, more as a French/American/Asian/Mediterranean or "international" fusion. I think ADNY is the most "French" of the places you listed, yet it and Daniel both are influenced by food and flavors from around the world as well.

Bux, the clam chowder at Mix has a fairly rich cream base. However, it's not as thick as many versions of New England clam chowder I've had over the years. I think the tiny brunoise (sp?) of vegetables along with several varieties of very fresh clams give it this version a lot of flavor. It's deceptive dish, in that it seems very straightforward, almost simple, yet I suspect the method behind it is anything but simple. I know many people enjoy red wine with fish, especially richer fish like salmon or tuna. As for me, the fish more often than not leaves an unpleasant "fishy" taste on my palate when paired with most red wines. This tuna/red pairing at Mix was one of the few exceptions in my experience. I've occasionally enjoyed salmon with a light red such as Pinot Noir, but in general would still prefer a full-bodied white with the richer fish dishes. However, I can't afford what they're asking for Montrachet or even a top Meursault in NYC restaurants, so that pairing remains a distant dream unless I'm dining at home. I really ought to experiment a bit more with the red wine fish combo.

I had dinner on Friday night at Mix, and my date and I ordered the tasting menu which arrived as follows: Clam Chowder Amuse Duck "salad" with quail eggs Scallops with cauliflower reduction/puree and black truffles Seared Toro (tuna belly) with chanterelles and assorted wild mushrooms Bison tenderloin "Wellington" Mix chocolate cake and assorted ice creams I believe all of these items have already been well-discussed on this thread, so I won't go in to great detail here. Is there a more sastisfying dish in NYC than the Mix clam chowder? I enjoyed every dish, and believe that Mix only gets better with each visit (this was visit #11 since opening in September). The few service quirks have been ironed out now, and I feel that Doug Psaltis is reaching his stride in the kitchen with these new specialty dishes. The bison Wellington was as good a dish of its type as I've ever had. If I could figure out how to cook bison that tender I'd be eating it at home twice a week. Each dish was a work of art both in terms of flavor and presentation. Everything was cooked perfectly, and service was exemplary - attentive yet unobtrusive. The desserts still don't thrill me, good but not as exciting in my opinion as some of those offered by the competition. I was especially pleased by the wine service. I asked the sommelier, Bertrand, to pair wines by the glass with each course as he saw fit. He was kind enough to split a tasting, so that my date and I wouldn't have to be carted out at the end of the meal. He chose an interesting assortment of wines, all of which matched extremely well with the individual courses. I never drink red wine with fish (I know it can be done, but I don't generally enjoy it), but Bertrand talked me into a red to go with the tuna. It turned out to be a great choice, something from Spain I believe, but I forgot to write it down. The toro was served over a bed of wild mushrooms and a rich reduction, which would have overwhelmed almost any white except for perhaps a Grand Cru Burgundy. My favorite wine of the night, Niebaum-Coppola Cabernet Franc 2001, was a perfect match for the bison. I had no idea that Coppola even made a 100% Cab Franc. I suspect it may be a limited realease wine. Tremendously smooth and accesible for a young wine, with great depth and concentration. This wine made my day. This pairing worked beautifully in complementing each dish, as well as allowing us to sample a wide variety (5 wines in all, including a Jurancon for dessert) of wines without getting too clobbered. This pairing was in my opnion a good bit more interesting than the one at ADNY mentioned in another recent post, and was about half the price. Bravo Bertrand! I really couldn't have been more pleased overall with the meal at Mix. Now I just need a few weeks of rehab to recover from this luxurious food overdose. To Egulleteers contemplating a visit to mix, I'd recommend trying the bison if it's available.

I haven't been since early December, so I'm not sure how similar the current menu will be. There are always house standards such as "scallops with caper raisin emulsion and cauliflower", but the rest of the items change regularly. Favorites I remember from my last visit were a celery soup with butterscotch foam and some sort of ravioli (I seem to remember black truffle and chestnut). This was one of the best soups I've ever had. I also liked the squab dish, which had an interesting spice combination (cumin and maybe some tandoori type spices?). These two were standouts, but everything was excellent. As for the desserts, it's hard to go wrong. I usually prefer the category called "exotic". There are several options for tastings including "chocolate", "exotic" and a seasonal themed one. If they're still doing the passionfruit souffle in the exotic tasting, I'd highly recommend that as a choice. Better yet, if your dinner partner doesn't mind, just go ahead and order several tastings to share. I think Iuzinni's desserts are the most interesting and creative in NYC. I found the waitstaff at Jean Georges to be helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. I wouldn't hesitate to take some of their suggestions for what's best on the current menu. Please report back. I'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on your first JG experience. You're in for a treat!

Congratulations! You've been hired as the new New York Times restaurant reviewer! I regret to inform you that I enjoy having fun. I think this disqualifies my application for the job.

One thiing I forgot to mention about my Esca experience - the flawless service. I've had less than exemplary service on several occasions at Babbo, and also encountered a bit of attitude from the host and bartenders. This was not the case at all at Esca. Everyone on the staff was friendly, attentive and very accomodating. The sommelier was especially knowledgeable and helpful. In fairness to Babbo, this may have to do with the fact it was a snowy night, and Esca wasn't overrun by the dining masses. So far in my Batali restaurants experience, Esca wins the service award hands down.

Good point on the food cost issue. That hadn't occured to me. Esca is a decent value by NYC standards. To my taste, however, Babbo offers more bang for the buck in terms of savory dishes and atmosphere. I probably wasn't all that enamored with the crudo for two reasons: - I'm not all that adventurous when it comes to fish selections - I had just met an incredibly beautiful blind date, and I was frankly so enamored with her that raw fish wasn't the first thing on my mind I generally prefer meat to fish, with good sushi being an exception. So, I'm probably neve going to get as excited about crudo, no matter how good, as I am about the veal cheek ravioli or short ribs at Babbo. Still, I'd like to go back to Esca, eat at the bar, and try a wider variety of crudo selections.