bloviatrix

Yes, Madras Cafe. I've been a regular there since shortly after it's opened, and I've brought many friends there over the years. No-one's ever been disappointed. Even my arch-carnivorous ex-girlfriend grudgingly admitted to liking their vegetarian cuisine. One of the things I love about Indian is that it's so flavorful that I don't miss the meat. They manage to raise simple ingredients like potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach to a higher level.

Say, I'm trying to remember the name of the upscale kosher place on West 85 St. that I really hate(d). We used to go because my godmother lives right near there, and my stomach reacted like I was eating motor oil. EVERY TIME! So I simply refused to go there again after a few times. Is there something about kosher meat restaurants and overuse of fat? The place on w.85th is Deli Kasbah (I think they're going by Kasbah currently) which is far from upscale. I refuse to eat there. I think it's filthy.

This list is fairly up-to-date. The places on here would be acceptable to someone who follows orthodox supervision. It's compiled by the synagogue I attend. I'm about to do a brain dump..... I should point out that my husband and I don't go out a whole lot. So, I can't give reviews on all these places. For super casual eating, we're most apt to eat at either Dairy Dougies or Dougies BBQ. Dairy Dougies has the disctinction of being one of the few places with a pastry chef on staff (at most places the desserts are awful. And there's no excuse for this, IMO, at dairy places, where butter and cream are allowed). Stay away from the mozerrella sticks and jalepeno poppers. At Dougies BBQ, I like their burgers. I get them nice a rare, and layer tomato, onion, pickle, etc. We like the wings and ribs. I had a sliced steak sandwich last time we were there. The carmelized onions were good, but I found the meat tough. Josh's Place has been undergoing a transformation. They've recently gone to waiter service. We were there 2 weeks ago. I had the avocado wrap which was ok. I liked the vinagrette they used, but found the "bread" raw tasting. We're not sure what we think of this place. It's only 6 blocks from us, so our fingers are crossed. In the east village there's Village Crown which is Morrocan. The nice thing about this place is they have outdoor dining. I ordered the beef shish in July and found it well flavored. I think the appetizers are pretty good. A nicer, but still casual morrocan place is Darna (UWS). It's been awhile since we've eaten there, so I can't really comment. I do like the room. Plus, I'm friends with the owner. On the east side, Galil is a tiny morrocan place. I've had some good tagines there over the years. But again, I haven't been in awhile. There's a new steak place that opened on Amsterdam between 92nd and 93rd called Talia's. I think they're still getting the kinks out. I haven't eaten there yet. There are a bunch of indian places - both in Curry Hill and then there's a place on 2nd ave and about 5th street. I like Pongol. Dosa Hut has a really cheap lunch special if you're in the neighborhood. And finally, there's Mendy's. They have a large restaurant on 34th street. But they have a stand in Grand Central Terminal, a small shop in the Rockefeller Center concourse, and a place in the Galleria. Basically dogs and deli. I'm sure there are other places that I'm missing. If I think of any worthwhile places, I'll post.

This list is extremely out-of-date. They have places listed that have been out of business for 5 plus years.

Foams haven't caught the imagination of the kosher diner. And honestly, I don't think it ever will. I can just see the reaction....."I paid what? For flavored air?"

Pan, Here's a link for Shallots. We had a mixed a group at dinner last night - not everyone keeps kosher. My brother, who is very hard on anything related to kashrus liked his meal. He had the risotto as an appetizer and said it was excellent. I haven't been to Box Tree yet, but I hear it's lovely. Apparently, there was a review in New York magazine this week. Another nice place is Levana. I like this place a lot. I had a venison dish there some years ago that I still dream about. It was slices of venison on a bed of arugala with dried fruits and some sort of reduction. At another memorable dish I had was 3 morels, eached stuffed with different mousse. I will say that I've been disappointed with the way they prepare duck. Levana frequently does special meals with wine pairings. The steakhouse you refer to is Le Marais, which is actually owned by the same guys behind Les Halles. As a matter of fact, Les Halles, downtown was in its prior life Le Marais 2. I love the onglet here. My complaint is that the restaurant is extremely noisy, but they know how to prepare steak (bloody!!) and the frites are fabulous. Back in my expense account days, this was a place I was willing to take non-kosher steak eaters (I had a lot of them as clients). No one ever complained. Also, when it comes to steak is The Prime Grill. This place is fancier than Le Marias, but just a noisy. I've only been there once (Christmas Eve,'02) and didn't love the steak I ordered. But, I plan to go back sometime in the future. Other nice kosher places include: Abigails. This place draws mixed emotions from people. You either love it or hate it. I know people who have had bad service here, but I've never experienced it. Trevere 84. The people who own this place own some other non-kosher places. One is called Lattanzi. Again, this place gets mixed comments. I don't particularly like it. But I know others who do. Haikara. This is Jewish Japanese. There was a time when we would go here a lot and I got burnt out on the menu. Everything I've mentioned is meat. For dairy: Va Bene. Pasta and fish. I was there back in May. Very noisy. My Most Favorite Dessert. This place is hit or miss. Good for brunch or a bite after the theater. Stay away from the Lemon Tart. I had it last month and it was awful. They also have a small cafe that sells sandwiches and assorted salads. Gusto va Mare. It's been awhile since I've been here, but I liked this place. That's my list of nicer kosher places. There are also very casual places. If you're interested, I would be glad to provide a list of those. I will save my litany of complaints about the lack of sophistication of kosher eaters for another time.

My husband made dinner again. Of course, he didn't have choice considering he bought a whole rainbow trout and I refuse to touch any fish that still has it's head on. He stuffed the fish with fresh mint and slices of lime. It was really quite good - his cooking skills are improving.

My lovely husband brought home a whole rainbow trout today. I was unaware of this development until he walked up behind me and said "look." I turned around to see a fish staring me in the face. Guess who was responsible for making dinner tonight.

There are probably about 12 books that I use constantly. This is about 10% of the cookbook collection. The rest I use primarily as inspiration or if I'm trying to learn a new technique.

I think it's time for TiVo.

::drools:: ::falls over:: If I'm following correctly, you had this in NYC. What restaurant did you go to for this dish? (Unless I missed the flow of the thread and you cooked this one...) We went to Shallots, which is a kosher restaurant in mid-town. It's one of the nicer, upscale kosher places - David Rockwell designed the space. Great place for business lunches and special occassion dinners.

Why, thank you re: my brevity. Frank Rich turned me on to the word. But admit it, bloviate is a perfect word for the world of internet message boards.

I had duck for dinner tonight. It was lovely. The meat was cooked rare, just the way I like it - flavorful and juicy. The skin was crisp and crackling - a nice counterpoint to the juicy flesh. Sitting under the slices of meat was a duck confit hash that was very tasty. And the artfully dribbled around the plate was a cherry-syrah sauce. It was heavenly.

I feel that way about ducks. Whenever I'm at the 79th Street Boat Basin and I see the ducks I always say "Look, dinner." Inevitably I get some nasty looks from the people around me. I view it as their loss. They don't know what they're missing. We're going out for dinner tonight. I'm thinking about ordering the duck as the restaurant we're headed to does it very well.

mine is "Jai-ya".

Welcome to eGullet ik8r2u! I make a flourless chocolate cake, but I'm getting bored of it. At Passover I served it with strawberries that were infused with a balsamic-vanilla syrup that was a hit.

That looks yummy. Thanks for the suggestion.

Some years ago in Amanda Hesser wrote a long article about duck in the NY Times. Her theory was that most home cooks found duck to be a pain in the ass to make. Futhermore, duck at home is often comes out tough because cooks treat it like chicken. That, coupled with the price turns people off. I can relate to her theory a bit, because the first time I ever attempted duck it was an absolute disaster - although the port and prune reduction was tasty. My husband could believe that I spent thirty some-odd dollars on something that turned out so lousy. But, over time I prevailed, and have since figured out a way to play up the duck's strength. In my love for duck, it is the item I'm most apt to order off a menu, and I find that many restaurants don't know how to prepare it well either. All to frequently I've had duck that's been over-cooked so that the meat is dry and flavorless. But when a dish is well made ---- ahhhhhhh. Perfection.

I'm going to second the statement that many people are put off by the smell of lamb. It can be a bit strong. But a nicely grilled lambchop is really tasty.

I know, I know. It's amusing just to think about the idea of a kosher restaurant in Mongolia, but I'll take the opportunity to point out a couple of things about world travel for those with dietary restrictions: It's definitely true that there's a point of restrictedness (is that a word?) at which it becomes supremely challenging to travel outside of places that really cater to you. But it can always be done if you're willing to form a group. I probably couldn't take one Hasidic Jew to Mongolia on a tour, because at that level of observance that person would be very particular about what knife has touched what product, and what bowl has been used for what, but if a group of 12 wanted to go I'm pretty certain that I could set it up--we'd have our own cook (as we did), vegetarian-only food (they'd have to eat a lot of noodles, and some mayonnaise too!), and other approved arrangements. At a lower level of observance, it becomes even easier in direct proportion to the lessening of restrictions: I can take strictly Conservative and even some Modern Orthodox Jews to Nepal, for example, as part of a mixed group because they tend to be satisfied with "no meat" as a sufficient level of kashruth so I can just tell the cook, "No meat." And, while I don't keep kosher, I did grow up in a kosher home, know the dietary laws, and still observe some of the practices of kashruth. And this has never been a problem for me traveling anywhere in the world--except maybe North Carolina. [edited for clarity] You mean Chabad doesn't have an outpost in UB? Seriously, though....Ellen, I'm loving your writing. I can't wait for the next segment.

Well, as someone who keeps kosher, lobsters really aren't an issue. Regarding the presentation of whole fish, when I was Venice I ordered bronzino and whole fish came out on the plate. I managed to quell my disgust and eat the fish - leaving the head in tact. It never occurred to me to send it back.

Thanks so much Rachel. I am now officially blind.... I second Dumpling on this one.

Fish head, lamb head -- my darling 'trix just has an aversion to head. ~bloviator

I've actually eaten lamb's head. But all we had was the lower jaw. If it was the whole skull, I'm sure I would have had a bad reaction. It's tradition on Rosh Hashana to eat either lamb's head or fish head's. I've given the husband the responsibility of prepping the heads.

What do you think reminded me to start this thread?? I'm gonna have nightmares from that photo.