Chestnut
271 Smith Street between Sackett/DeGraw Streets
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 243-0049
Subway: F/G to Carroll Street


I was thrilled this afternoon when a friend, let’s call her Hermana#1, gchatted me to discuss Momofuku Ssam Bar’s pork butt dinner. After a thorough discussion of what we would order (besides the pork butt) and who was worthy to include, she invited me to her Brooklyn Restaurant Week reservation at Chestnut; it was icing on the cake!

I rarely go to the boroughs, but while we were driving over, all I could think was “Wow, Brooklyn is so pretty!” It reminded me of Gramercy amalgamated with the Lower East Side and the East and West Villages.

Understated yet café-like, Chestnut fit in perfectly with the neighborhood. We were immediately seated at a small round table in the window-front corner. Our server was quick on his toes and reminded us a bit of Jonathan (the son) on Who’s the Boss.

The $21.12 prix fixe menu was awesome. It turns out that Chestnut actually does this prix fixe every Tuesday and Wednesday (for $25.00), and you can choose from ANYTHING on their menu (some of the main courses are marked with a smiley face, indicating a $5 supplement).

Their brandade was delicious, creamy, not fishy, slight cheese flavor, smooth with flecks of salt cod, served with a long toasted ficelle slice. The potato gnocchi reminded me of Barbuto’s: slightly crisped on outside, tender pillows within, in a sauce of crispy prosciutto with sautéed super-fresh oyster mushrooms created a multidimensional dish bursting with flavors.

I was disappointed in their charcuterie plate of the evening that consisted of a rabbit terrine, which was flavorless and dry, and boudin blanc, which was originally described as a white veal sausage, but later clarified that it was pork. Regardless of its origin, it was bland.

My favorite was the grilled calamari, a whole squid stuffed with a quinoa & romesco stuffing. Bursting with flavor, the quinoa stuffing brought an earthy touch that complemented the grilled calamari; the entire dish was rounded out and enhanced by the romesco flavors.

Skate with Meyer lemon gremolata and flageolet beans was just okay; although I like skate, nothing stood out about this one. I would’ve had no idea that it was served with lemon anything, had I not read it on the menu. Also, the fish was underseasoned.

I was expecting great things from the on-the-bone, stuffed pork chop; with a combination of balsamic-vinegar-poached fig and fennel stuffing and the reduced balsamic vinegar glaze, I imagined a powerhouse of flavor pop. Instead the stuffing lacked that burst; it barely peeped, and even the white polenta served on the side was overpowered by the balsamic reduction.

The hanger steak was the clear winner of the entrees. Despite an incredibly pungent side of blue-cheesed Yukon Gold potatoes, the simple hanger steak was cooked perfectly and delicious. I thought I didn’t like hanger steak, but I think I’m a convert.

Desserts were interesting. Homemade ice cream (we chose pistachio, oatmeal raisin cookie and pineapple) had intriguing spices, particularly the pistachio which tasted almost savory. The budino (a molten chocolate cake without the cake) was had incredible depth with or without the caramel sauce. The cookie assortment was interesting, but it wasn’t standout. There were a number of different cookies, and by the end we were only eating them to eat them. The churros & hot chocolate were mediocre; I enjoy the idea behind it, but I think the churros at Costco are better. I made everyone sip the hot chocolate to decipher the hidden spice. The consensus was that it had a spice in Chinese food; in fact, Hermana#2 (Hermana#1’s younger sister) likened it to soy sauce egg. It turns out the hot chocolate’s secret spice is anise.

I really enjoyed the cheesecake with pomegranate syrup. It was a cross between cream cheese and ricotta cheese cheesecakes, not too sweet, really light and excellent at the end of a meal.

I also had a peppermint tea which was served in a French press, and the novelty of the French press alone made for a wonderful “after-dinner drink” (especially for only $2).

Despite an almost run-in with Hermana#2’s enemy-friend (which we fortunately avoided), for $37 with tax and tip, it was well-worth the trip to Brooklyn.

Ed’s Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette Street between Spring/Kenmare Streets
New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-3236
Subway: 6 to Spring Street
Bus: M1 to Spring Street; M103 to Kenmare/Delancey Streets


Popping in for brunch on a Sunday afternoon, I was a bit nervous for long lines a la Pearl Oyster Bar (the chef’s former stomping ground); despite Ed’s Lobster Bar being relatively new (it opened just over a week ago), it arrived with a lot of hoopla (including DailyCandy). But the pretty space was relatively calm, which I attribute partly to the neighborhood (late risers) and partly to the newness.

My friends and I sat at the counter, even though there are tables in the back, because the server behind the counter was super friendly without being annoying. He’s also easy on the eyes, which made Sunday morning easier for me. Since we were starving (in particular, me), we just started ordering.

The New England clam chowder was disappointing; it was thin, very potatoey and lacked any distinct clam flavor. I’ve had this broth-like milky chowder before in Rhode Island, but I prefer a creamier chowder with lots of clams. Fried calamari was good, in that it wasn’t greasy, nor was it overcooked, but it wasn’t particularly memorable. The real standout was the Prince Edward Island mussels in a lobster and fennel broth, which screamed for bread to soak up the fragrant, flavorful liquid.

Many of the other dishes on the chalkboard sounded appetizing (oyster roll, clam roll, linguine with clams, whole grilled pompano, steamers), but we were there for one thing: the lobster roll ($19). And this one was a beauty: large chunks of sweet, tender lobster lightly bathed in mayo, with a brunoise of celery mixed in, were stuffed into a buttery hot dog-style roll and garnished with snippets of chives. I prefer my fries, which accompany the lobster roll, to be much crisper, but the surprise were the small pile of pickles which were extremely vinegary and extremely delicious.

After finishing my lobster roll (and some of my friend’s), I decided I was still hungry and of the three desserts offered, I opted for the blueberry crème brulee. Very creamy, this dessert had blueberries baked into the center, which was visually attractive and tasty, although it was a tad too sweet for me on a Sunday morning.

Some in my crew proclaimed that Pearl’s lobster roll is better. I haven’t been to Pearl’s since the fall, but I think Ed’s buttery roll really added a new dimension to the standard lobster roll (a Pearl revisit is probably in order). But I enjoyed Ed’s; something about the juxtaposition of the very clean and preppy white-washed walls and the long granite counter with the rugged tattooed chef and cool hipster servers gave me a sense of comfort. It was just so New York.

La Esquina
106 Kenmare Street at Cleveland Place
New York, NY 10012
(646) 613-7100
Subway: 6 to Spring Street
Bus: M103 to Kenmare/Delancey Streets


It’s amazing that a neon-signed Mexican restaurant has become a destination. La Esquina, which means “the corner” in Spanish, may be Manhattan’s only Mexican “speakeasy”, which, as evidenced by the constant crowds at Chumley’s, is a major marketing tool in a city where “getting in” is one of the coolest things that can happen to you.

Part of the mystery of La Esquina is finding the entrance. When you enter the narrow, truck-stop-esque taqueria, it seems dingy with some counter seating and fluorescent lighting. There’s always some people milling around. Don’t let the shabby vagrant fool you; he, along with a girl sitting at the counter, is probably your key to enter the red doorway.

My husband refused to believe that we were in the right place, and he was amazed when I gave our party’s name, like a secret password, she whipped out her hidden mic and radioed down that 2 more were heading down for our party. And voila! We were allowed entrance.

After climbing down a staircase to another hostess station through the kitchen and another hallway, you enter a candlelit subterranean bar and dining room. The center room has loungey couches and a large bar which is flanked on each side by tables of diners; rooms are divided by prison gates and bottles of wine. Music isn’t overpowering and complements La Esquina’s sexy feel. Wooden tables emphasize the underground dungeon feel, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if aged chains dangled from the walls. Wooden barrels lead me to believe they were going for the “secret cellar” feel, but I think dungeon is more accurate.

La Esquina’s house salad is a simple salad of greens and queso fresco in a vinaigrette garnished with tortilla strips. It’s basic, boring but not offensive. Soft tacos are served in thin, fresh, well-made corn tortillas; unfortunately, the fillings did little for these. Steak was chewy and almost gritty while stewed chicken was just tasteless.

Tostadas were actually much more successful. The ceviche tostadas of the night were mahi-mahi, served atop a small round tortilla crisp, and the ceviche was good and flavorful. I like my ceviche a little more tart and spicy, but this one was just fine. The most delicious tostada was the crabmeat which had a lightly-spiced chipotle mayonnaise, diced avocado and lump crabmeat all atop that same tortilla crisp.

Main courses included a carne asada that was bland, dry and overcooked that needed the chimichurri sauce for any flavor at all. Chipotle-glazed shrimp were large shrimp with their heads on that didn’t taste much different than grilled shrimp. The roasted chicken was boring and unremarkable. Black beans had great garlic flavor but were too liquidy; they have great potential, but need to be thicker. Grilled green beans had an excellent char which gave them a boosted flavor and were still crisp.

Desserts were actually better than I expected. An incredibly chocolatey cake could have been more “molten” on the inside, but the rich chocolate flavor was well-balanced with a vanilla ice cream. The sweet, slightly dry bread pudding was accompanied by an excellent dulce de leche ice cream. But the real standout was the flan which wasn’t sweet and tasted like Bloomingdale’s frozen yogurt.

We were drinking sangria that was sweeter than I’d like, and I wish I had chosen a nice wine instead. Service was surprisingly good, and the entire waitstaff was attentive and helpful. However, we weren’t allowed to linger; at about 10pm, our server basically told us outright that we had to get up because the next party had arrived. And the prices… at $105 per person with tax and tip, I did feel a bit ripped off. But it’s New York; you pay to get in.

Restaurant Forte Baden Baden
28 West 32nd Street, 2nd floor, between Broadway and 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(212) 744-2266
Subway: B/D/F/N/Q/R/V to 34th Street
Bus: M2/3/4/5/6/7 to 34th Street


I’ve walked down the busiest block of Koreatown many many times, and I’ve never noticed Restaurant Forte Baden Baden, even when I was looking for it! I’d read an article about “Korean fried chicken” in the New York Times a while back, and although I’m not the biggest fan of chicken, I love Korean and I love fried. A friend and I had made plans to check it out, and before we found a free day for both of us, New York magazine recognized it as 2007’s best fried chicken.

We climbed up a slightly dingy set of stairs to a bustling bar filled with tables as close together as possible borderline being a fire hazard. A host catered to all of the different patrons walking in, including us, surveying the room to see where he could squeeze each new party. Waitstaff buzzed quickly around the room serving drinks and food. It was exactly how you’d find it in Seoul.

We were told there would be a 20-minute wait for a group of 6, but we were ushered to a cozy corner table with a great view of the flat screen TVs within minutes. Although the crowd was majority Korean, I’m sure the recent publicity has brought in its fair-share of foreigners, and on that night, there were a few scattered throughout, including our table. We ordered drinks and anju (Korean word for dishes consumed with alcohol) and got settled and excited.

Everything was served incredibly quickly. The touted fried chicken really was quite delicious. Exactly as described, deep-fried rotisserie chicken is imbued with garlic and is incredibly moist yet crisp on the outside and plated with a huge portion of super crispy French fries.

If you’re looking for a more Southern-style fried chicken, go with the hot wings. Super spicy, but dry, these wings are battered to a golden crisp and are spiced HOT and paired with a blue cheese sauce, celery and a yummy salad. These will be my go-to wings from this point forward.

We also included a very typical anju to round out our meal: dubu kimchi (tofu with kimchi and pork). The tofu was very fresh and tasted delicious with the stewed kimchi and pork. This is not for the faint-of-heart; the kimchi stew is very strong, and I advise eating it with the tofu to balance out the flavors.

We didn’t drink as much as we should’ve (since I’d been drinking for 4 hours prior), but these 3 dishes were plenty for the 5 of us. With drinks, tip and tax, the total per person was only $30 – much cheaper than flying to Seoul for this very Korean experience.

Ditch Plains
29 Bedford Street at Downing Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 633-0302
Subway: A/B/C/D/E/F/V to W. 4th Street
Bus: M5/6 to Houston Street; M21 to 6th Avenue


For Sister#3’s birthday, she wanted seafood, and more specifically, lobster rolls. We considered our old standby, Pearl Oyster Bar; she had gone to Mermaid Inn with her boyfriend; and we couldn’t stomach the thought of the wait at Mary’s Fish Camp. That’s how we stumbled upon Ditch Plains.

Ditch Plains definitely does not feel like a seafood shack, except that it’s casual. It has a tin bar, some comfortable wooden booths, and small tables very close together. Waitstaff wear t-shirts and don’t look messy, but not entirely neat. The entire place is hooked up with wireless Internet access, and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner all day.

We knew one thing for certain: we were definitely getting the lobster roll. We started with a dozen Prince Edward Island oysters on the half shell (these were the only ones offered), which were excellent. Slightly briny yet still creamy, they had the best flavors of each coast (even Sister#3 enjoyed them, and she's fully a West Coast oyster fan). Sister#3 was really excited for littleneck clams on the half shell, but these weren’t what we’d hoped for at all; not briny at all, they lacked that delicious explosion of littlenecks, and instead had a slightly dirty flavor to them.

We were hungry so we wanted food to come out as it was ready. The lobster roll, sitting atop a mound of sweet potato chips (not fresh), was fine. I had some excellent tender, buttery chunks of lobster, but then had some that were a bit too soft or rubbery. It was bathed in an herby mayonnaise that wasn’t bad, just different.

The crab dip is served in a small individual soufflé-sized ramekin surrounded by bagel chips, but the contents barely come to the halfway mark in its dish, so it looks like someone has already eaten half of it (in fact, the girls at the table next to us ordered the crab dip as well and commented, "Is it supposed to be half-empty?"). I liked the dip, but Sister#3 thought it was sweet. She was convinced she tasted cinnamon. I think it was just the sweetness of the crab.

I thought the highlight was the salad of marinated white anchovies, long shreds of cucumber, cherry tomatoes and capers. It was bright, acidic and fresh, lightly dressed, and the anchovies were mild and nice.

After all of this, we were still hungry, so we finished with roasted oysters and a side of French fries. I’m trying to avoid carbs in the evening, so the fries were incredibly tempting. Unlike most restaurants, the basket came with ketchup and mayonnaise without a special request; it was a large order of medium cut, golden brown, crispy-looking fries, but Sister#3 had a hard time finding ones that were actually crispy.

I liked the roasted oysters, but I was expecting something like an oyster pan roast. Instead we received six oysters barely warmed in a garlic, parsley and butter sauce nested in their shells atop crispy croutons that have soaked in some of the oyster and flavored butter – it sounds better than it was.

It’s slightly disappointing when a restaurant self-proclaimed as a “New York-style oyster bar & fish shack” has only decent dishes and when a salad with barely any fish/seafood is the most successful of meals. I may return for breakfast sometime (any time since it's served all day) because I would be interested in seeing eggs Benedict with lobster (plus I like the feel of the restaurant). But next time I want a lobster roll, I’ll walk a little further and wait at Pearl.

Street Cart
Madison Avenue at 28th Street (SE corner)
New York, NY 10016
Subway: 6 to 28th Street
Bus: M1/2/3 to 28th Street


My Saturday night was very meticulously planned with practically each minute accounted for, since I had a number of events to attend, and only one evening to enjoy them. But sometimes, things don’t work out as planned, and this was one of those nights.

I began my night at an engagement party at the Penthouse at the Time Warner Center, and although food was served, I was being picky since I knew I’d be attending a 30th birthday dinner at Craftbar, so I nibbled on a few shrimp and pigs-in-a-blanket, but soon enough, the drinks took over, and I lost track of time. By the time I reached the dinner, dessert had been cleared.

I made the rounds to see where my farewell party had ended up, but I found voicemails on all ends. To top it all off, the weather wasn’t cooperating! With not a single available taxi in sight, I realized I would just have to hoof it home.

Starving, probably aggravated by the endless supply of drinks, I started walking up Broadway to Madison Avenue. I saw a crowd huddled around a large street cart parked on the southeast corner of 28th Street. I also began to smell that familiar odor of street food, the one that makes your stomach growl when you’re walking down the street and you’re not even hungry. It was almost 2AM and lightly raining, yet there were at least 8 people (mostly cabbies) just standing around and more people coming over. I began to think it was a mirage. I had to stop.

I asked the loiterers what they recommended, and that is what I ordered: mixed meat (lamb and chicken) with spicy rice (I clearly stated that I like it spicy). And then I just watched with joy as the gentleman behind the grill furiously chopped chicken and vegetables with what looked like a bench scraper, carved lamb off the loaf on the vertical rotisserie and squirted white sauce and hot sauce with abandon over the entire masterpiece.

I opened the Styrofoam rectangular box, and a waft of heat almost knocked me out. As I digged in, I found strips of pita sautéed in, chunks of eggplant, a few random French fries (that taste best if you mix them in to soak up all of the flavors) and even a mini-salad. Each bite was more delicious than the next. And all for just $5.

I live pretty close to 28th & Madison, and I’m surprised I never noticed the cart before. I asked if he was there all the time, and according to the chef, his hours are 5pm – 4am, every night. But the next evening I walked by, hoping for another bite, but to my distress, no cart. Perhaps it was a mirage?

Barbuto
775 Washington Street at West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-9700
Subway: A/C/E to 14th Street; L to 8th Avenue
Bus: M11 to 12th Street (or closest street); M14 to 9th Avenue


Barbuto makes me smile. I’ve walked by 1000x, and I always look through its greenhouse windows (that open in summertime) to see a bustling scene of eaters, drinkers and revelers, and that energy is one of the things that I love about New York.

There’s really nothing about the décor that stands out; it’s simple and industrial-chic with very hipster servers wearing all black and the Barbuto baby-t’s. A great long bar spans 2/3 of the restaurant’s length, and at 7:15pm on a Thursday evening, Barbuto was empty (way too early for the normal customers in that neighborhood, but perfect for our girls’ dinner to catch up).

Our server began by “explaining” the menu which is broken up into five sections: formaggio (cheeses), antipasti (appetizers), primi (first course – essentially the pasta course), secondi (entrees) and contorni (side dishes). I love that the dishes on the menu are seasonally-influenced, and it seems that dishes could change daily since the date is printed at the top of the menu.

We chose to forgo the cheese course and begin with the Treviso salad (chicory, anchovy dressing, sieved egg). None of us knew what chicory was (I was imagining frisee, but thinking of New Orleans chicory coffee), but it turned out chicory is just a broad name for radicchio and Belgian endive, both “greens” that I love. I liked it, and the bitterness was offset by the slightly-too-strong anchovy flavor in the dressing, but it wasn’t spectacular.

The cappalunga (Italian for razor clam, a long skinny clam) consisted of five moist and tender razor clams served on an open shell with a crispy pancetta and Champagne vinegar dressing that complemented them wonderfully.

The pulpo alla piastra (seared octopus with chili & crushed olives) was probably my favorite; it was difficult to discern what was what, and I’m trying to research what “alla piastra” is, but it was so good, I didn’t care. Barbuto’s was delicious with chunks of olives and what I thought were caperberries, a little kick from the chili and the perfectly-cooked octopus.

I have a major weakness for pasta, and Barbuto’s don’t help. The gnocchi stagionati are not your typical gnocchi: perfect plump potato pillows are browned until just crisp and then served in a simple butter sauce with baby carrots, some greens and parmesan cheese. I could’ve eaten this for each course and have been happy. Although I was eyeing the carbonara (a favorite pasta of mine), we decided on the organetti con ragu on this cold winter’s night. This, too, was wonderful with its toothy ridged pasta (a cross between orecchiette and radiatore) covered in an earthy deep sauce of veal, pork and porcini, which could only have been improved had there been a light sprinkling of nutty Parmagiano Reggiano on top.

The spigola straccia is a dish our server recommended: striped bass with forest mushroom topped with a romesco sauce. I was disappointed because the fish was overcooked and slightly dry, but with a little imagination, I could see how this fish might be someone’s favorite especially with the romesco, a sauce traditionally made with garlic, almonds and chili and a favorite of mine. The gratin of swiss chard was amazing, slightly bitter chard baked with cream, parmesan and golden breadcrumbs… I could eat that now.

We also wanted a meat, and despite our server’s recommendation (and everyone else’s) of the chicken, none of us really wanted chicken. As one of my friends said, “Chicken is the one thing I can make at home.” That said, I was curious about the chicken after reading Adam Platt’s description of the “golden, crackly Peking-duck texture” of the skin, but we still couldn’t do it. Instead, we went with the pork shank (I almost always choose pork if possible), stinco di maiale, that is slow-cooked with cannelini beans and vin cotto (wine that’s reduced with flavorings to become like a syrup) until the pork is tender and falling off the bone.

We also ordered the polenta contorni, which I was hoping to have with the pork shank, but the timing was off, and we were practically finished with the pork by the time the polenta pillows arrived. On its own, the pork was fine; it was less flavorful, less fatty and less tender than I would’ve hoped, but it was okay. The polenta, on the other hand, was fabulous. Little nuggets of polenta that I believe were deep-fried to a puff – once you cracked open the puff, the inside was soft, creamy and lovely.

None of us could stomach dessert, after two bottles of wine and more food than I had imagined (many diners’ reviews complain about small portion sizes). Barbuto was packed by 8:30pm, and the noise level was loud, with acoustics that echoed in the open space. At a dinner where you’d actually like to hear your companions, I’d recommend that you go quite early. The food was excellent, and the tab was so affordable at $63 per person with tax and tip. Barbuto still makes me smile.

El Herradero
2224 Mission Street between 18th/19th Streets
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 626-7366


The last time I was in San Francisco, a friend showed me and my husband some of the fun spots in the Mission District. After drinks, the 2 AM rush seemed to gravitate to this Mexican hole-in-the-wall on 24th and Mission for burritos and other late-night grub. Maybe it was the booze or maybe it really was the burrito, but I haven’t been able to replicate that delicious experience at any other taqueria, especially in New York.

While visiting my husband and family for the weekend, the only thing I remembered was that burrito. Fortunately, Sister#1 was up for Mexican as well, so we packed up the kids, my mom and the husbands and headed to El Herradero. Sister#1 recommended the burrito, and in a city with a major parking drought, it has a dedicated parking lot to boot.

El Herradero isn’t much to look at… two TVs playing Spanish-language media, some interesting posters, maps and artwork on the walls, a few Formica tables and a semi-open kitchen area. That said, it had more atmosphere than the dives that we'd tasted prior.

The host/server greeted us and sat us at a long center table. He immediately brought us tortilla chips and a spicy thin salsa; both were amazing. The chips were very fresh – still warm, in fact – paper-thin, light and not greasy at all. We immediately gobbled up the small bowl of chips; fortunately, upon ordering, we were brought more in a somewhat larger bowl.

We started with some guacamole which was an unnatural shade of green (maybe I'm unfamiliar with the hue of super-fresh avocados), but it was still pretty good – a little heat, slightly oniony and with a hint of diced tomatoes. Queso fundido is one of my favorite starters – melted cheese with chorizo sausage (the cheese oil melding with the delicious chorizo grease) served with thin soft flour tortillas – and this one didn’t disappoint.

The combination plate was a huge plate with a chile relleno, enchilada and chicken tamal, all covered with red sauce and served with rice and beans. I didn’t taste the enchilada since my husband ate it before I had a chance, but I stole the chile relleno from him and shared it with my mom, who loved it. I thought it was a little heavy due to a thick breadcrumb coating that had fallen off. But you can’t really go wrong with a pepper stuffed with cheese and baked.

The chicken tamales were the best tamales I’ve ever had. Something about the cornmeal made the difference. It was very soft and tender and tasted just like corn. I always loved the idea of tamales and try them wherever I can, but I'd yet to find a successful one. I finally found one worthy.

The carne asada soft tacos were stuffed with small cubed sautéed steak with onions and peppers, but they looked dry; I opted instead for a soft taco stuffed with chorizo. With a squeeze of lime for brightness and a sprinkle of fresh chopped onion and cilantro, it was a nice little package. With a little of the salsa on top for heat, it was perfect.

I’m not really sure what the difference is between the Zapata burrito and the super burrito, but the Zapata burrito was not the burrito of my memory. I chose pork but found a lot of rice and not enough of anything else. On the other hand, the sopes with carnitas was a cornmeal patty (similar to an arepa/tortilla hybrid) topped with a generous helping of perfectly-cooked carnitas, beans, lettuce and cheese. I really enjoyed this dish.

For my nephew, we also ordered some sopa de pollo (chicken soup), the broth of which was very good, but I was surprised to find zucchini in the soup (cut into chunks too big for soup, but at least were not mushy and were easy to pick out so I could eat them). Also, the meat on the whole skinless chicken thigh cooked in the soup was too stringy to eat. He spent more time eating the crispy carnitas off of the sopes.

For all of this food which more-than-fed me, Sister #1, the husbands and my mom, plus my nephew and niece, the bill only came to $76 with tax and tip. Despite the burrito not measuring up to my burrito burned into memory, everything else, from service to food, really was quite good, and unlike most of the other taquerias in the area, El Herradero gives the option to sit down and enjoy the delicious food and mediocre atmosphere. Besides my husband, what I long for most from San Francisco is amazing authentic Mexican food like El Herradero.

Barbounia
250 Park Avenue South at 20th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-0242
Subway: 6 to 23rd Street
Bus: M1/3/4 to 20th Street; M2 to 23rd Street


My husband made a reservation at Barbounia for us for Valentine’s Day 2006, and my initial reaction to his choice was “ugh.” Part of it was that I hate the whole schtick behind expensive prix-fixe Valentine’s day dinners. That it was at one of the recently-opened, might-as-well-have-been-cloned restaurants on Park Avenue South certainly didn’t help matters at all. I cancelled the reservation.

Fast-forward a year, and I still hadn’t tried Barbounia, so when a friend (my dentist, in fact!) wanted to go, I was game, despite my initial hesitation, and a table for two at 7pm on a Thursday evening was easily secured through OpenTable. I’ve walked by Barbounia a number of times, and from the outside, it looks like a huge restaurant, so when I arrived, I thought it would be larger. Instead, I enjoyed the airy, café-like feel inside. A few couples entered at the same time as I did, and I couldn’t be bothered to wait for the hostess to get to me. Fortunately, my friend was already seated, and her waving caught my attention.

Barbounia is a self-proclaimed Mediterranean restaurant, but the menu seemed very Greek to me (not that I’m so familiar with Mediterranean v. Greek). Dishes seemed pricey, but not outrageous. There was a good size assortment, from small dishes for sharing, to normal-sized entrees for those who don’t like to share. While we were deciding what to eat, we noshed on their combination dip platter, which had a smaller portion each of hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanoush and spicy feta spreads on one plate and was served with a warm flatbread cut into fingers. All of the dips were quite good, and after our second piece of flatbread, there wasn’t much room for entire entrees.

We each chose a salad (mine was Greek, hers was mixed greens) as well as the charred octopus appetizer. The feta in my Greek salad was delicious. The rest was merely a Greek salad. The octopus Nicoise salad was incredibly tasty with well-cooked octopus, perfectly tender potatoes and crisp haricot verts. Although we both weren't hungry after the salads, we still chose a strawberry Napoleon for dessert. It was simple, slightly difficult to eat and not worth overstuffing yourself for.

My only complaint about Barbounia were that the tables around the perimeter of the room were a bit close together, so I felt like I was sitting with the couples at the tables to my left and right. It’s not that it was loud, just close together. Service could have been more attentive, but it wasn’t deplorable.

Barbounia pleasantly surprised me. It wasn’t overly expensive ($45pp with tax and tip - mind you, I had two glasses of Cava with my meal), the interior was harmonious, and the food we tried was generally good. And I’m fine with that.