New Charlie Palmer? Kitchen 22

[robert brown]

Friends asked us to dine with them at what they said was a new Charlie Palmer restaurant they thought is named "West 24th". I can't find any references to it. Can anyone provide any information?

[robert brown]

No wonder there are no replies. It's called "Kitchen 22". Now does anyone know anything about it? Is there a thread from before?

[Charles Smith]

He's changed the name of Alva to Kitchen 22.

It's, not surprisingly, on 22nd St.- East, not west-

It was in Daily Candy today

Click for info

[LESider]

My buddy is working there and says the food is good. its early though for a verdict. The Daily Candy piece gives the lowdown.

[Wilfrid]

This week's Time Out NY has a couple of paragraphs on it. A short menu, and the most notable thing was that it's exclusively prix fixe - $25. Moderately priced wines too, they say.

[robert brown]

Palmer's site states that it opens tonight. It would be nice to see posts from early visitors.

[robert brown]

Expect a rash of restaurants in the style of Kitchen 22. Charlie Palmer’s newest venture in what is becoming the latest round in the value-for-money new restaurant crapshoot is perfectly positioned for the current stage of the economic cycle. The “formule”, as the French say, is appetizer, main course and dessert for $25. with a choice of five dishes in each section of the menu. Formerly occupied by the restaurant Alva, the long, narrow room has been redone in a somewhat severe, minimalist style of white walls, a long narrow mirror running the length of one side, light blue banquets on the other, a giant fez-shaped lamp shades hanging from the ceiling. There is a big bar scene going on in the front as the restaurant attracts a preponderance of young people throughout.

An up-to-date menu almost the same as the one at the restaurant is posted on the web, the site best obtained by typing “Kitchen 22” in your search engine. The four of us started out with an heirloom tomato salad with a sorbet and pines nuts; the chilled corn soup with poached shrimp and basil cream; and peppered seared tuna with pieces of boiled potato and hardboiled egg. While portions were not large, they were adequate. The best appetizer was the tuna-- two small pieces seared rare with smashed potatoes and pieces of hardboiled egg-- very honestly and straightforwardly conceived.

The two wives ordered plates of Gemelli pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and greens with truffle oil, while the guys ordered steak frites; a smallish (9-10 oz. I would guess) strip steak and a copious amount of French fries. My wife felt that the diverse ingredients in the pasta dish all worked well together, each playing off the other quite adeptly, including the truffle oil which she generally tries not to have in anything she orders. The steak and fries were a terrific bargain. The meat was well marbled and cooked nicely medium-rare with our ploy and gamble of ordering it rare working just as we expected. Of course, it was not of the caliber of what one gets in the best New York steakhouses, but it did not taste cheap either. Only a slight bit of toughness kept it from tasting as if it cost nearly twice as much. The taste sensation of the night, however, was the French fries. I ordered mine well done and they arrived exactly as desired. They were long and not too thick and not too thin. The texture was “melt in your mouth” and the flavor delightfully nutty. In fact, I have not had fries this good in years.

Only desserts were a letdown, or at least two of the three. A tiramisu and chocolate mousse both came with whipped cream, and both had their flavor overcome with too much sugar. Nonetheless, the lemon tart, despite served with what my wife described as “genetically-engineered strawberries” had a nice crust and a good citrusy, lemony taste.

Besides suggesting wines by the glass and the bottle for each main course, the wine list offers two dozen or so wines for $25. or $35. a bottle. I tried to ascertain if one could bring a bottle in from outside. However, this restaurant makes you leave a message since there are no reservations accepted. Besides, this is not the type of establishment conducive to drinking, let alone bringing, major wines/

Unfortunately, the restaurant has one overwhelming deficiency that may keep some people (us among them) from returning. I cannot recall a nosier restaurant since the old Memphis place on Columbus Avenue. Holding a conversation with those opposite was often impossible without asking for them to repeat themselves. That is too bad since Kitchen 22 offers more bang for the buck than almost any other in New York. Come either with earplugs or with taciturn friends.

[Wilfrid]

Alva was noisy and it sounds like the refurb may have exacerbated the problem. Still, it sounds like the meal competes well with the flabby-batter veal chop sold by Sammy's Roumanian at about the same price - no sides.

(Oh, I can keep on about Sammy's for some time yet )

[cabrales]

New York magazine provides a report on C Palmer's Kitchen 22, which offers a three-course prix fixe at a very reasonable level.

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/food/r...127//index.html

Have any members visited?

[Aaron T]

Cabby

Kitchen 22 is a good value, but I wouldn't want you to think that it is the Aureole experience. I have been to kitchen 22 a couple of times and enjoyed it - a good mid priced option in the flatiron/gramercy neighborhood. I don't think they take reservations, so the wait at peak times can be long, although I didn't seem to have that problem.

There are 5 choices for each of three courses - all for $25 - with sugestions for wines by the glass to go with the mains. Unlike NY Mag, I thought that they served a lot of food, especially for $25. The desserts were small & I was glad because I was already msotly full by then. I preferred the seared tuna appetizer to the salmon tartare appetizer (because the tartare came with a lemongrass panna cotta that I found to be unpleasant), athough it has been a few weeks since I was there last, so I do not know if they are still on the menu. I can't recall what I ate for for mains but I remember them being fine.

I think it is a nice looking modern space, in which many tables have been fit. I think it meets its ambitions admirably, but I wouldn't want anyone to think they were getting a fine dining experience. Also one of the two times I went it was very loud and hard to hear my friends.

[Bux]

Robert Brown wrote what I thought was a not very positive post on it shortly after it opened. You might search for that post. [That post is now part of this thread and appears above as a result of a merge of three related threads] I think the food was okay, but the crowd and the noise were more than enough. We tried it one Friday night against my better judgement and found we faced a wait that was said to be 45 minutes or more. I believe they have a no reservations policy and I suspect an active bar supports the food pricing. We didn't wait and went arond the block to wait at the bar in Craft for a table in Craft Bar. I'm sure we waited just as long and spent more money, but it all seemed more comfortable and civilized and the food quality was assured. Although noisy, Kitchen 22 had it's better points. It seemed an attractive place, but then my wife was sure I saw nothing but the large blonde in the small tank top--"in the small tank top" may not have been the most apt description.

The younger couple we were with, returned on a weeknight and said they ate well for the price.

[johnjohn]

Had dinner at Kitchen 22 tonight. Some thoughts -

- Every table was filled at 6 - Could not get through bar area to leave at 7:30 -place was jammed.

- Bread is served with a parmesan cheese dip, Hawaiian red salt, and olives. A nice way to start.

- Wine - sorry, just starting to learn about wine - can't give too much info. Had two merlots - enjoyed them - $9 each - bottles were in $35 range.

- 1st course - The best course - Butternut squash and apple soup with toasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkinseed oil was very nice. I have found this dish to be too sweet or heavily spiced at other places - thought it was just right. Nice touch is they pour it from a tea kettle at the table - wonderful aroma. Also took in the Roasted beet, walnut and goat cheese salad - a little sweet, but expected - a well done rendition.

- 2nd course - Roasted chicken with wild mushroom risotto, and lardons. Crisp skin, well cooked chicken - Risotto was a solid mass, not runny like I prefer, but the rice was cooked to the right texture - Lardons added a nice bit of salt. Nothing special - I could do the same at home. Fennel crusted salmon with a bean ragout and a port sauce. My favorite entree - perfectly cooked to med rare - Beans were not mushy, they had a nice mouth feel. Port sauce was very tasty - think I noticed some cinnamon. I had the Spanish Mackerel with tomato broth, chorizo, pine nuts and lemon zest. Fish was small, but well cooked - The broth was not thin enough to be considered a broth, and was a bit salty (I like salt)- The chorizo gave the dish a nice touch of heat - Over kill on the pine nuts, my dish was covered with them - The lemon zest was non-existent.

- 3rd Course - Poor. Hazelnut pound cake was very dry and I think precut earlier in the day - The dried fruit compote that came with it was very sweet - Was disappointed because waiter recommended it. Chocolate cake was of the dense fudge variety - I have never enjoyed this type of dessert, but companion who loves chocolate could not get enough of it. Also tried the white chocolate mouse - Not a fan of white chocolate - Didn't do it for me. Each dessert came with nicely whipped cream and a crisp biscotti.

- Service - Very good - No attitude and well informed - They were rushing us towards the end, but I saw it coming.

- Decor - Modern - Lighting not too dark.

- Coat checks were just dumped on us - The girl was overwhelmed.

- Noise level was out of control - Very loud.

- Menu has a small selection. A few things were printed on menu but were different from what we were served. Example - it said blue cheese, but salad came with goat cheese. Salmon did not come with a horseradish puree. Waiter told me some componets change daily.

- Portion size - apps = large - entrees = small - desserts = large.

- $25 bucks for three courses.

Summary -

I do think it was a good value - I was not disappointed - I think it is a fine restaurant for what it is trying to do - I will probably go back if in the area - Would recommend to a friend.

johnjohn

[cabrales]

I had an average-to-average-minus meal at Kitchen 22 recently. (Note I might be rating slightly more harshly currently, due to anticipation effects from taking in a single meal a day.) I would not recommend this restaurant for diners interested in cuisine.

Even though the bar area of Kitchen 22 was busy, I soon secured a seat. Warm bread arrived with a trio of accompaniments: (a) homous (spelling), with a strong taste of rosemary (smoother than most other versions, not poor), (b) Hawaiian orangish/pinkish sea salt (very salty; when I inquired, the bar team member indicated that, for example, one or two of the largish grains could be placed on the bread), and © olives.

(1) Marinated Seafood Salad, lemongrass basil consomme, with a glass of sparkling wine from New Mexico (Gruet Blanc de Noirs).

This dish was poor due to its blandness. It came highly recommended by the bar team member, who was helpful, but could not say whether the "marinated" seafood was more akin to a ceviche that was unusually accompanied by warm consomme or whether it was something else. The seafood included were cooked (limited cooking time in some cases) pieces of lobster (smallish pieces), shrimp, cut-up scallops and squid. The shrimp and scallop tasted emaciated and bland. Almost all of the seafood was of a relatively uniform, bland taste, and some of the textures were not appealing. The seafood had been placed on top of a large leaf of lettuce, and a very bland consomme had been poured over the small mound.

The only sparkling wine or champagne available by the glass was the Gruet. This will remind me not to order sparkling wine that is not champagne.

(2) Roasted Chicken, porcini mushroom risotto + arugula + bacon lardons, with a glass of with Domaine Delaye Pouilly - Loche ($9.00/glass)

This was somewhat better than the appetizer, although that is not saying much. Two largish pieces of chicken with a relatively crunchy crust. Most portions of each piece were appropriately juicy, although some portions were overcooked. Most US chickens lack a certain flavor for me, and this was no exception.

Flavors within the chicken dish were pronounced (not in a good way). It was as though the very significant bitterness in the cooked argula (unusual that it was cooked) woven in large portions into the risotto was intended to show bitterness to diners who would not notice bitterness expressed more subtly. Similarly, the bits of bacon in the risotto were stark. Overutilization of porcini oil (mixed with chicken jus) in the reddish oil-like jus surrounding the risotto. Unduly thick consistency of the mushroom risotto, as though the saucing had been cornstarch-based (it was not actually). The superficiality of the flavors and their "red flag with respect to general category" nature were unappealing to me.

I also disliked the restaurant's pretentiousness in describing why certain wines by the glass matched the various dishes. For example, on the right hand page of the menu, the following is noted for the chicken: "The creaminess of the risotto and the crispness of the roasted chicken require a well structured and balanced Chardonnay, therefore we recommend the Domaine Alain Delaye Pouilly - Loche." Well, the pairing was subpar. This is not Lucas-Carton, which is probably the only restaurant where I would find such descriptions appropriate and which only places such descriptions on its website (the menu describes the wine by the glass a bit, but not why each matches its own dish).

Nice provision of a robust-looking steak-type knife for the chicken (Walico?). I like cutting into chicken with stronger knives, such as Laguiole knives.

(3) Rum Carmelized Pineapples

It is a sad situation when a pineapple dessert was my preferred part of the meal. This was average, with largish pineapple chunks that were appropriately caramelized. Accompanied by a lemon panna cotta (poor texture and lacking in lemon flavors), above which sat a small piece of biscotti. Cheesy presentation through inclusion of a red (cocktail-type) cherry on top of the pineapple chunks.

http://64.225.79.246/kitchen22/menu.asp

(menu)

Total cost before tips $47 (of which $25 was for the three-course prix fixe, the only way in which meals are served at Kitchen 22).

Other Observations

Many diners were on the younger end of the spectrum, and the noise levels were, as other members have mentioned, relatively high. The below photos of applicable dining areas portray them to be much more appealing than reality. The plastic "globe" lights lining the bar table appeared cheap and cheesy to me, for example.

http://64.225.79.246/kitchen22/venue.asp

The restaurant is rather convenient, being located on the same block as Flay's Bolo, which is within a 1 block walk of the 6 train. However, Union Pacific is in the same neighborhood and is far preferred to Kitchen 22.

The restaurant is "first come first served", apparently. The wait for a table in the non-bar area was significant. For example, I was told my table in the main dining area was available as I approached dessert at the bar. No other guest in the 12-14-seat bar area was taking in dinner. Most were younger people taking in Cosmopolitans (literally) or other drinks. Also, a lot of young women with fake Fendi and other designer handbags.

Edited January 15, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Wilfrid]

Well, I like to take my cosmpolitan in "literally" too. I find external application unsatisfying.

$25 for three courses is very, very cheap. I am not entirely surprised it was also disappointing. Edit just to add that the place must surely expect a profit on bar sales, with the food essentially a giveaway.

Edited January 15, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[tommy]

However, this restaurant makes you leave a message since there are no reservations accepted. Besides, this is not the type of establishment conducive to drinking, let alone bringing, major wines/

has anyone else been here?

robert, what do you mean by the above quote?

thanks.

[Wilfrid]

Memory suggests Cabby posted a fulsome report not long ago. It involved people "literally" taking in cosmopolitans is the bit I remember. She didn't like it.

[Bux]

For those who worry that Wilfird has such a short term memory problem that he can't remember back half a page, be advised that Wilfrid's memory is good. A quick search brought up three threads that now serve much better as one. The post to which Wilfrid refers is now part of this thread. It wasn't when he posted the message.

[LESider]

Expect a rash of restaurants in the style of Kitchen 22. Charlie Palmer’s newest venture in what is becoming the latest round in the value-for-money new restaurant crapshoot is perfectly positioned for the current stage of the economic cycle.

There is some foreshadowing in this post as C.Palmer is going to roll out a couple of more Kitchen 22's. I believe one is slated for the upper Sixties.