Starr gift certificate: where would you use it?

[sockii]

So, the fiance and I got a fairly ample gift certificate to any Starr Restaurant from a colleague, which is lovely but now we're trying to decide where to use it.

We've both been to Continental many times, El Vez, and Morimoto, but figure we'd like to try something different. Just about any kind of food is good to us, so I'm wondering what others might recommend as the best & most enjoyable bang for the (in this case, mostly-free) buck.

[Buckethead]

So, the fiance and I got a fairly ample gift certificate to any Starr Restaurant from a colleague, which is lovely but now we're trying to decide where to use it.

We've both been to Continental many times, El Vez, and Morimoto, but figure we'd like to try something different. Just about any kind of food is good to us, so I'm wondering what others might recommend as the best & most enjoyable bang for the (in this case, mostly-free) buck.

←

It kind of depends on the value of the GC. If it's big, I'd go to Barclay Prime or Buddakan. If it's not so big, I'd go to Parc. I would not go to Alma de Cuba, Jones, or Pod.

[sockii]

So, the fiance and I got a fairly ample gift certificate to any Starr Restaurant from a colleague, which is lovely but now we're trying to decide where to use it.

We've both been to Continental many times, El Vez, and Morimoto, but figure we'd like to try something different. Just about any kind of food is good to us, so I'm wondering what others might recommend as the best & most enjoyable bang for the (in this case, mostly-free) buck.

←

It kind of depends on the value of the GC. If it's big, I'd go to Barclay Prime or Buddakan. If it's not so big, I'd go to Parc. I would not go to Alma de Cuba, Jones, or Pod.

←

It's for $100. Hoping to choose somewhere to use the GC for the food part of the bill, and then just have to cover our own on drinks & tip.

[phungi]

There are two threads that discuss favorite Starr restaurants:

Thread One

Thread Two

It is likely a question of menu preference, as (IMHO) you were handed a "can't miss" gift.

I have always had a good meal at Buddakhan.

[jm chen]

I faced the same question last year. Don't go to Barclay Prime; $100 will not go far. Parc sounds right to me.

[I_call_the_duck]

Yeah, but $100 will get you (partway) towards that Kobe Cheesesteak. No way could I justify that with my own money.

[KatieLoeb]

Why not make a trip out of it and try one of the restaurants in New York or Atlantic City? Seems to me that anything normally accessable isn't really a treat, is it?

[sockii]

Why not make a trip out of it and try one of the restaurants in New York or Atlantic City?  Seems to me that anything normally accessable isn't really a treat, is it?

←

Budget, timing, and a slew of other reasons. We just did a NYC weekend a while ago, so...sticking close to home at this point.

Thanks for the links to the other threads, though. I think we're leaning towards Tangerine or Buddakan at this point in time.

[Andrew Fenton]

Thanks for the links to the other threads, though. I think we're leaning towards Tangerine or Buddakan at this point in time.

I've eaten at Buddakan and Tangerine a grand total of once each, so I'm no expert. But I thought that Tangerine was head and shoulders better than Buddakan. With Buddakan, I kept getting the feeling that I was eating dishes that were simultaneously gussied up and dumbed down; I could have them for half the price a few blocks away in Chinatown. Tangerine, on the other hand, had a consistent aesthetic: the dishes could stand on their own.

[sockii]

Just posting a follow-up: We ended up deciding on Tangerine and went last Sunday night.

If I'd been on the ball and realized it was the start of Restaurant Week, I probably would have booked another night, just because it meant the place was pretty jam-packed even from the first seatings at 5:30 when we got there, and I felt the service was a wee-bit rushed despite the fact that we were ordering off the regular menu and not the Restaurant Week "special" (which was kind of blah looking to me). Not that ordering off the regular menu was a problem, though we were told that we'd have to order at least $25 worth of food a person (um, not really a problem here...)

Overall I'd say it was good but not somewhere I'd rush back to, at least not on my own dime. The shortrub spanikopita appetizer was excellent and would have been enough to feed me on its own; in contrast, the calamari appetizer was very disappointing to me--very greasy and heavy, the "red pepper aioli" having no notable heat to my tastebuds. I know it's not an earth-shattering dish, but fried calamari is one of my favorite things when done well and a dish I can rarely resist when I see it on a menu. This was one of the more disappointing preparations I've had of it in Philly.

I had the grilled pomegranate pork chop for an entree, which was significantly better though I thought the escarole in garlic oil didn't mesh well at all with the sweet pomegranate sauce for the pork chop (both very tasty, yes, not not a great flavor combination together.) My SO had the grilled "whole" fish of the day, which was probably the best part of the meal, especially the lovely plate of various vegetable sides and relishes. Although we did ask for it whole (head & tail on), as we were told was possible, but it came out filleted.

We shared an Apple Streusel Tart for dessert, which was really nice in a "deconstructed" way.

With 2 drinks each (the sangria being the best), the bill with tip was $185. So, considering we technically only paid $85 of that, I won't complain too much, but I don't know that I'd go rushing back again if we'd had to pay the entire thing ourselves.

[cinghiale]

One (1) shortrib spanakopita -- excellent

One (1) fried calamari -- disappointing

One (1) pork chop -- odd flavor combo

One (1) fish o' the day -- error in service, though good

One (1) dessert

Four (4) drinks, of which at least one was sangria

$185 incl T/T

Given the economy, Obama shoulda called out the restaurateurs along with the investment bankers...

[mrbigjas]

do you guys remember the south park with the underpants gnomes? they had a plan:

step 1. steal underpants

step 3. profit!

(they didn't have step 2 figured out yet)

well, stephen starr has it figured out: at parc they have an 'oatmeal brulee', which, i'm not sure what it is, but it's $11. there's not much you can do to oatmeal that makes it worth charging $11 for.

note that i'm not complaining about this. hey, if people will pay it, why not charge it? i'm just kinda shaking my head, like, really? $11 for oatmeal?

Edited February 2, 2009 by mrbigjas (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

well, stephen starr has it figured out: at parc they have an 'oatmeal brulee', which, i'm not sure what it is, but it's $11.  there's not much you can do to oatmeal that makes it worth charging $11 for. 

note that i'm not complaining about this.  hey, if people will pay it, why not charge it?  i'm just kinda shaking my head, like, really?  $11 for oatmeal?

You'd think they'd at least translate it into French-- that'd be worth a buck or two right there. Except, I'm not sure the French actually eat oatmeal. Maybe on le weekend, I dunno.

[cinghiale]

Avoine, says my translator tool. Yeah, brûlée d'avoine definitely sounds like an $11 dessert now, particularly with all the funny accents.

[gfweb]

I'm not a Steven Starr fan. His places seem higher on concept than on food. Not that the food's bad, just that its only OK. Buddakan is a great example. I've eaten at the Philly and NY places. If you subtract the decor and serve this food at any Asian resto, nobody would think it was anything special.

Edited February 8, 2009 by gfweb (log)