Perry St
176 Perry Street at West Side Highway
New York, NY 10014
212.352.1900
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
Bus: M20 to the closest stop to Perry Street

Perry Street, part of the Jean-Georges Vongerichten empire, is touted as a casual “neighborhood” restaurant. Yet, besides the Richard Meier building where the restaurant is housed (and its twin building next door), the neighborhood seems pretty sparse (there's certainly no public transportation and one entire side of both buildings is flanked by the highway).

Its décor doesn’t give a “neighborhood” vibe either. The all-glass walls of windows make for a spectacular view of the Hudson River; however, the dining room is angular, modern and cold. In fact, everything in the restaurant is square or rectangular, down to the dishes and even the teacups. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the spoon were square. However, none of this wreaks coziness or "neighborhood". I must also add that everytime I have been to Perry St (weekday or weekend), there’s barely anyone there, which may bolster my “lack of neighborhood” theory.

I have only been to Perry St for lunch because they have one of the best deals on the planet: 2 small plates plus dessert for $24.00 (each additional plate is $12). They even begin your meal with an amuse-bouche (a refreshing watermelon gazpacho on every visit so far). And the deal is offered every day, all-year round! To be able to indulge in Jean-Georges’ creative, delicious fare for a relatively piddly amount (how many of you spend more than $10, even $15, on a less-than-mediocre lunch?) is just genius.

The chef de cuisine is Justin Bazdarich, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in SoHo, and an incredibly talented and nice guy. I’ve known him and his interest in food since he was a student, and he’s worked his way up from the kitchen first at Jean-Georges to chef de cuisine at Perry St where, at lunchtime, he whips up a menu of approximately 10 dishes, which showcases seasonal ingredients.

The peekytoe crab salad with edible flowers, radishes and cucumbers was a hit on each occasion. My husband devoured the fresh mozzarella with sun-dried pineapple and Thai basil so quickly that not a bite remained (for me) on the plate. I didn’t understand the foam “sauce” that topped the asparagus with herbed risotto; the dish was delicious and delicate but the foam texture reminded me of poached egg whites. It began to sicken me by the time I completed the dish. The grilled salmon with cockles and fingerling potatoes made me a salmon convert on my first visit, with its crispy skin and moist, flavorful, perfectly-cooked center; however, on other tries, its meat was drier, its skin less crisp. I longed for my first time again. Hanger steak with creamed basil, fava beans and topped with a single onion ring was a crowd pleaser, although a bit overspiced in my opinion. The onion ring is probably one of the best you’ll ever taste, and it’s almost wrong to only serve one since it just leaves everyone wanting more.

Of the breakfast genre foods, who knew how amazing pancakes could be; my companions claim to be pancake aficionados (I would never try to boast that title), and they agreed that these were the best pancakes ever tried. Same with the omelet offered; light and fluffy – eggs were taken to a new level.

I’m not a dessert person, but the two choices will never disappoint. One is a chocolate concoction, a layer of moist chocolate cake topped with a layer of rich, dense chocolate pudding topped with a light-as-air whipped cream. The cheesecake was amazing; the poached fruit was boring but still tasty. Go with a friend, get one of each and share.

Although I’ll never feel at home at Perry St (perhaps because I will never be able to make one of the pricy Richard Meier lofts my home -- if you haven’t heard, the buildings boasts a celeb-studded tenant list), I advise one and all to trek here for lunch (every day if you can); it is beyond worth it and unbeatable.

The Grocery
New American
288 Smith Street between Union and Sackett Streets
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 596 3335
F, G at Carroll Street

Dinner at The Grocery is the perfect reason to make a trip out to Brooklyn.

I was at The Grocery on Tuesday this week with a friend. We took a taxi from the East Village across the Brooklyn Bridge to Hoyt Street. Warning: if you take a taxi out to Carroll Gardens, Smith Street is a long, one-way street. You may be better off riding down Hoyt Street and then walking the small block to Smith Street. Tip: the building numbers on Hoyt almost perfectly correlate with the ones on Smith Street. You can also take the subway which lets you out on Smith Street quite close to The Grocery (we were running late, so that option was not really an option at all).

For starters, we asked chef-owner Sharon Pachter for assistance with picking out a bottle of red wine. We knew what we were interested in eating, seafood and duck, but we didn’t know many of the wines on the 35-bottle (or fewer) list. Sharon picked out the wines herself and surprisingly, she put a lot of heart into recommending a bottle for us. We chose a Las Terrases, a Spanish red, with fruitiness (a distinct “jammy” taste) and less body to complement the seafood and particularly the duck. It was a delicious wine; upon the first sip, I told my friend that I could drink the entire bottle before the meal came out. Alas, I am not an alcoholic, so I refrained.

The amuse bouche consisted of potato leek soup (served in an industrial-looking yet cute metal jigger) and potato croquettes. The soup tasted like pea soup with slightly more personality. The croquettes were petite and delicious. Any larger of a croquette would have been decadent.

We started with the lobster tart with potato and leek and mache salad and the roasted, stuffed squid with black risotto, chick peas, and spinach. The tart was buttery and flaky, and surprisingly fabulous. The tart perfectly showcased the lobster and the flaky crust as equal players. The squid was more rustic tasting because of the spinach and chick peas. I would have expected something richer and more predictable with this dish, but I wasn’t disappointed. And beware: a squirt of squid ink is not pretty so be careful.

For our entrees, we shared the monkfish (I believe monkfish. It’s not a good sign when someone who dreams in food cannot remember a meal) and the slow rendered duck breast. The duck breast was recommended on almost every food site I consulted before my journey (namely the New York Times and New York Magazine). Although it was indeed crispy and well-prepared, it was not earth-shattering in any way whatsoever. Obviously, the fish was forgettable, so I will leave it at that.

The dessert menu was a pleasure to choose from. It was an easy choice though: hazelnut panna cotta (which replaced the Tahitian vanilla panna cotta for the night) and the gingerbread steamed pudding. The pudding was delicious for a few bites but much too syrupy and sweet at the center for even my own sweet tooth to endure. It may be one of the only desserts that I’ve tried that is quite good but unfinishable. That may not be a word, but I believe you know what I speak of. The hazelnut panna cotta, on the other hand, was hands-down the best part of our meal. Smooth, delicious, and should never be changed one bit. Both desserts came pleasantly decorated with thin slices of seedless, red grapes. A new touch that surprisingly went well with both desserts.

Perhaps it is because we ate at the less crowded hour of 9pm on a Tuesday night, but our service was phenomenal. The recommendations were completely on-par (and the staff was happy to recommend) and there was not a hint of pressure on us to leave even though we were the last ones seated at the restaurant. There’s also a beautiful back garden that is open in the summertime. It is not heated with lamps, so you want to make sure it is warm enough for you before you choose to be seated back there. Finally, there is a tasting menu for $75 and $100 with wine pairing. We did not opt for that because the menu was not extensive and we found dishes we immediately knew we wanted, but $100 for a tasting menu with wine pairing is a steal (especially compared to Manhattan), no?

If you are headed to The Grocery, go for the whole experience. Walk down Smith Street on your way there, enjoy the hominess of the restaurant and an ambitious and satisfying meal with personalized service (our waitress even called my friend “forlorned” while looking at the menu; unfortunately, no such word exists, but we understood her point. Also, chef-owner Sharon, at the start of our meal, shimmied her way under our neighbor’s tablecloth to fix an unsettled table.). And be sure to enjoy a after-dinner drink in beautiful Carroll Gardens at a neighborhood bar before you head back on the subway or taxi, or make your way home however you choose to.

Don’t go expecting a top-rated Zagat showdown at The Grocery. Rather, go to taste ambition with every bite.

Pop Burger
58-60 9th Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets
New York, NY 10014
212.414.2626
Subway: A/C/E to 14th Street; L to 8th Avenue

I popped (ha) into Pop Burger with a friend after having drinks at Ono at the Gansevoort Hotel. We were starving, and we just needed something to hold us over, not a serious meal.

Pop Burger is a super modern space, and I felt as though I'd walked into a Jetsons cartoon instead of a burger joint. There are multiple "areas" of the restaurant, from a grab-and-eat counter area in front to a loungey, typical Meatpacking District table area in the middle and a bar, pool room and DJ booth in back. Yes, a DJ booth. Welcome to the Meatpacking District.

Upon entering, we wondered if it was closed because there wasn't a soul in the place. As we proceeded to the bar, there were three people sitting apart from each other taking up the entire length of the bar even though they were together. They moved over so we could take a seat.

We didn't order burgers although the Pop "mini" burgers (essentially White Castle-esque sliders) did sound appetizing. We chose the individual lobster nachos with guacamole ($15) and a side of French fries. I nightcapped it with a specialty cocktail, the Flirtini ($12), which was coyingly sweet and almost painful to drink.

The lobster nachos was basically a dollop of a mediocre lobster salad on a tortilla chip with no chunks of lobster to be seen. It tasted fine, and I probably enjoyed it more because I had a few drinks in me, but it was a pretty pathetic dish. The clear winner, however. was the French fries. Medium thickness (not shoestring or super skinny, but not steak fries) with a deep golden hue, these fries rocked. There wasn't a soggy one in the entire batch; every last fry was crispy and delicious.

As an added bonus, Pop Burger has great take-out and makes the perfect party food, as I experienced at a recent apartment get-together. Even though they weren't freshly-made, the sliders were quite good with a crispy brioche-like bun, shredded lettuce and a perfect little plum tomato slice. My only complaint was that the bun to meat ratio was completely off; fortunately, the bready bun was quite excellent on its own so the mini-burger still fares well.

Pop Burger would not be a destination for me. But those fries deserve recognition.

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.

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.

Relish

225 Wythe Avenue at N. 3rd Street (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 963-4546
Subway: L to Bedford Street; J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue

Living in Manhattan, I rarely cross the river in general, but I will travel for good food. While perusing New York magazine’s "Where to Eat 2007", I was intrigued by this place Egg in Williamsburg that serves delicious breakfast (housed in Sparky’s All-American during morning hours) so one Sunday morning, I got up early, picked up some friends and crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. Much to our dismay, by the time we arrived at Egg, they were no longer accepting people. Egg closes at 12pm (so they can reopen as Sparky's), and unfortunately, we missed our window.

Since we were already in Brooklyn, we decided to stay, and one of my friends suggested Relish, which was just down the road. We pulled up to this adorable, vintagey railcar diner, and I hoped it was as cute inside as out. We were greeted by a tall, lanky hipster who seated us in a cozy booth in the corner of the front room.

Inside, it did not disappoint, and I loved the counter that spanned the entire front room although no one was seated there when we arrived. As we lingered, the restaurant filled up rapidly, and the counter and empty back room were completely full by the time we left.

We were really hungry when we arrived, and no one could decide, since each menu item sounded appealing. We basically ordered as much food as we could without looking ridiculous.

Grilled hanger steak served with two eggs over easy and homefries was exactly what I needed. Hanger steak is generally chewy, but this one was served in nugget-size chunks and was perfectly cooked and tender. I requested egg whites rather than eggs over easy, but I was told that the restaurant was unable to accommodate me. I subbed French fries for homefries, and the former tasted great with the tangy red pepper sauce served with the corned beef hash. Unfortunately, the sauce did not complement the corned beef hash as well. The actual corned beef hash was fine, but I prefer mine in a smaller dice with less peppers and onions, more meat and potato.

The baked Spanish eggs were delightful and light with its spicy tomato sauce, tender potatoes and gooey cheese. Classic eggs Benedict were unremarkable, and although I enjoyed the brightness of the hollandaise sauce, a fluffier English muffin and a bit more Hollandaise sauce would have benefited the dish. The crab cake version which we also ordered had the same issues; continuing the dish’s mediocrity, the crab cake itself was just ok. Although well-seasoned, it lacked an outer crust and tasted more like its spices than crab.

The side order of cheddar grits were quite good, creamy, but eat them fast as the consistency changes quickly to congealed. Chicken sausage was tasty, slightly rubbery, not memorable. Biscuits and gravy, which I was really looking forward to, were a mess – two large biscuits covered with a layer of scrambled eggs and then doused in a white chicken-sausage gravy. After taking apart the pieces, the biscuits turned out to be decent, not crumbly, a bit fluffy, but they were good enough with the modest amount of average gravy served atop. Scrambled eggs should be light and airy. These, on the other hand, were an overcooked, dense mass.

Bloody Mary’s had an amazing kick with the addition of red chili puree, but the virgin Bloody Mary was noticeably better than the one with vodka which was so diluted that the kick was gone (yet lacked the alcohol kick as well).

Service was inconsistent, ordering was fine, coffee and water were only refilled upon request. Dishes came out in waves, but I think we may have confused the waitress by ordering so many dishes for so few people.

I still want to go to Egg.

REDD
6480 Washington Street at Oak Circle (Napa Valley)
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2222


One beautiful Saturday, the husband and I decided to take a road trip up the coast with my mom. We decided to change the route on the way back into the city and drive through Napa with a few pitstops at some vineyards. Since it was getting late, we decided to grab some dinner in the adorable town of Yountville. OK, fine, I had the entire day planned, and I specifically planned our final vineyard to be in or near Yountville so that I could check out Thomas Keller's temporary new restaurant, Ad Hoc, before it was gone. Fortunately, Ad Hoc had a cancellation at 7:30pm. Unfortunately, it was 5pm, and we were ready to eat. I had researched no backup plans, since I believed at 5pm, we'd have no trouble getting into Ad Hoc. We drove from restaurant to restaurant, and fortunately stumbled upon REDD.

There were no tables available in the dining room, but we were seated at a perfectly comfortable table in the bar. Simple decor creates clean lines throughout the restaurant, from tables, to bar to restaurant dividers. After being seated, we were served delicious bread and even more delicious local butter.

As we perused the menu, practically every dish on the menu sounded delicious. It was difficult to make a decision, especially after hearing the even more delightful specials. To begin, we chose the sashimi of hamachi with sticky rice and edamame in a lime ginger sauce; Carnaroli risotto with Maine lobster, lemon confit and white truffle oil; and a special appetizer of Nantucket Bay scallops with potato gnocchi over a butternut squash puree. Amazingly, each of the dishes was amazing. The hamachi was above and beyond fresh and the lime-ginger sauce brightened the entire dish, giving it more personality than a typical sashimi appetizer. The Nantucket Bay scallops were sweet and tender, perfectly cooked and caramelized, making them almost indistinguishable from the similar-sized potato gnocchi, light fluffy pillows of potato without any gummy or mushy texture. It was perfectly balanced with the slightly sweet butternut squash puree. The risotto was also delicious with sweet chunks of lobster with each al dente bite complemented by tangy lemon confit. The waft of white truffle oil delighted the nose before each bite.

Entrees were also quite good, although not as exceptional as the appetizers. To get a full idea of what REDD had to offer, we went with the New York steak (medium rare) and shortribs served with creamy spinach, fingerling potatoes and bacon; a special of veal and ricotta meatballs with homemade fettucine; and an appetizer special as an entree of crispy sweetbreads with olive oil mashed potatoes in a cornichon sauce. The steak, served sliced, was perfectly cooked and delicious. It was evident that the meat was an excellent cut, well-aged and flavorful. The braised shortribs, however, were less than stellar. Braised, Korean kalbi-style, the shortribs were fatty and could have used more time braising for the fat to have melted away and for the meat to be more tender and flavored. The sweetbreads were delicious, but the accompanying potatoes were too heavy to balance the dish. The cornichon sauce overpowered the components of the dish; perhaps they spooned too much on the plate? Finally, the actual veal and ricotta meatballs were excellent; however, despite my love for white truffle oil, the white truffle oil overpowered the entire dish, and it was hard to distinguish the flavors of the rest of the pasta.

Service was fantastic; our server was incredibly attentive and knowledgeable. We never felt lacking in water, wine or food. She wasn't obtrusive nor obnoxious as you sometimes find in nice restaurants.

Overall, the meal was professional and well-done. My mom was impressed with not just the food, but the service. REDD's excellent food, sleek and modern look is definitely an interesting addition to quaint Yountville.

per se
(French)
Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle at W. 60th Street, 4th Floor (Lincoln Center)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9335
Subway: A/B/C/D/1 to 59th Street-Columbus Circle
Bus: M7/10/11/20/31/57/104 to Columbus Circle


It’s a daunting experience as you approach per se, walking towards the grand blue door, knowing that you’re about to partake in the Thomas Keller experience. Thomas Keller has long been heralded as one of the greatest chefs in the world, and certainly, the greatest chef in America, and as I walked towards per se, my heart started to beat a little faster. Interestingly, the large blue door doesn’t open, and instead, sliding doors on either side of the blue door let you into the sleek, modern entryway. The hostess offered a warm and gracious greeting as we entered and immediately took our coats and ushered us to a sitting area to wait for our dining companions. Our sofa had a spectacular view, overlooking Central Park South and the bustle of Columbus Circle. While waiting for our table, we were offered a tome (their wine list) to peruse.

I gazed around the angular room in awe and wonder and thought about how lucky we were to be there. Normally, reservations are taken two months from the date of call, and when our friend offered to take us to per se, he received the same two-month response from the reservationist, that the first available reservation was December 14, 2006. This was obviously not good enough for me, especially since I could not even imagine when the next time would be that someone would offer to take us to per se. I called in a favor with a friend who works with Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco who somehow finagled a reservation for us for that Sunday evening.

When our friends did arrive, we were seated quickly at a window-side table overlooking the same amazing view as before. While we glanced through the different menus (I studied and memorized), we received Thomas Keller’s signature amuse-bouche: a canapé of salmon tartare with red onion crème fraiche in a savory tuile that looks just like a tiny ice cream cone, an idea inspired by a trip to Baskin-Robbins. The combination of flavors worked beautifully, and I knew it was a testament to the chef when my husband, who doesn’t like fish, particularly raw fish, gobbled the entire thing right up.

For the same price ($210 including gratuity), per se offers three different menus: the chef’s nine-course tasting menu, a nine-course vegetarian tasting menu or a seven-course menu. We all chose the chef’s nine-course tasting menu to really savor and enjoy our first Keller experience.

The first dish to appear was another Keller original “Oysters and Pearls”. This was my favorite: Island Creek oysters with Sterling white sturgeon caviar in a pearl tapioca sabayon (custard). The oysters were just barely cooked and creamy, and the caviar had that pop not common of farmed caviar. Luckily, my husband did not enjoy this dish, so it just meant more for me.

The second course gave us an option between a foie gras terrine or a Hawaiian hearts of peach palm salad. We all chose the terrine of Hudson Valley Moulard duck served with Bartlett pear marmalade, a pear chip and a balsamic glaze with frisee lettuce and toasted brioche (which my husband called Texan toast). The entire dish together was delicious, although I was surprised that a $30 supplement was charged for the foie gras. I was rather curious about the other option, because I’ve actually read amazing things about Thomas Keller’s hearts of palm source.

The third course that evening was a crispy skin fillet of barramundi served with a confit of globe artichokes, California crosnes (aka Chinese artichoke or chorogi) and piquillo peppers with a basil vinaigrette. The whitefish was delicate and light and well-balanced against the vegetables. My husband finished his before I did, and again, the chef impresses me when my husband will eat fish.

The fourth course was a sweet butter-poached Nova Scotia lobster served with a pumpkin puree, braised Cipollini onion and a toasted pumpkin seed persillade with a curry emulsion. This was my 2nd favorite dish as the lobster was succulent and tender, and I had never thought to pair lobster with a mild curry sauce, which worked incredibly well.

For our fifth course, we received a sautéed breast of quail from Cavendish Farm with a “jambonnette en crepinette” (basically a sausage shaped like a quail leg) with a fig compote, mizuna greens and red pepper-quail sauce. This was probably my least favorite dish, partly because I have never been a big fan of quail, but also because it wasn’t that interesting besides the jambonette, which I did enjoy with its burst of flavor with each bite surprising me.

The sixth course offered a choice between a beef and a veal. Despite the $75 supplement, I chose the Blackmore Ranch Australian Wagyu beef sirloin served with a small square of Wagyu beef brisket, potato-mushroom mille-feuille, carrots and bordelaise sauce. The beef was delicious, but I do not believe the taste warranted a supplement. In fact, I thought the small beef brisket served alongside the steak was better than the centerpiece itself. My husband thought the beef was phenomenal (as a Texan, he claims to know beef). The veal, on the other hand, was a masterpiece to me. A rib-eye of March Farm’s veal was the most delicious, milky, tender veal I’ve certainly ever tasted.

The seventh course was a cheese course, which was a Meadow Creek Grayson cheese, which I’d never heard of. It was not memorable at all.

The eighth and ninth courses were two dessert courses, first, a mango sorbet which acted partly as a palate cleanser to prepare the mouth for the "Snickers" dessert that followed. The Snickers dessert was a nougat ice cream with milk chocolate cream, salted caramel gelatin and a peanut nougatine, which I didn’t enjoy at all. This was the only dish that I did not finish because it didn’t work well together, particularly the salted caramel gelatin.

We thought the meal was over besides the tray of petits-fours (or mignardises... tray of small sweets) that is generally brought out at most nice restaurants, but suddenly they set another spoon in front of each of us. ANOTHER dessert course which was not on the menu was served; one was a Madagascar vanilla bean creme brulee that I thought was too sweet despite its powerful vanilla taste; the other was a yogurt, apricot and honey pot de crème that I think may have been the best dessert I have ever had in my life. It was tangy and light yet rich and exploding with flavor. It gave dessert a new meaning to me.

At this point, we had to leave because we had been sitting there for over four hours, and the couple we were with had to return to their babysitter. We were sent home with flavored meringues and interestingly-spiced chocolates.

I also have to note that we were offered four types of bread: the usual French baguette, a ciabatta roll, a wonderful pretzel bread and a potato sourdough roll; the latter two were so good and refreshing compared to the other restaurant standards. It was also a treat to receive two kinds of butters: a salted Vermont butter and an organic sweet butter.

This dinner was spectacular; however, I must note some points of contention. (1) During the entire dinner, I felt that the staff was rushing us. As my plate from one course was being cleared, I felt that the next course was already being served. Although a nine-course dinner imaginably runs long, considering the cost and experience, I was disappointed that I had the “rushed” feeling the entire night. (2) Perhaps it was because we dined on a Sunday night, but the service and staff was less than spectacular. One waiter poured the second wine into a partially-full glass of wine from the first bottle. Another described our Snickers dessert as the S’mores dessert. And she never even realized she made the mistake. These are just a couple examples, but I never felt catered to, as I should during a meal of this caliber.

As we exited per se, I was very full with an overly satiated belly and a mind full of glee; however, I can’t help but hope that Keller’s staff be more proud to work at and with an amazing restaurant like per se and truly exemplify the craftsmanship of this man.

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia Street between Bleecker and W. 4th Streets (West Village)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8211
http://www.pearloysterbar.com/
Subway: A/C/E/B/D/F/Q to W. 4th Street; 1 to Christopher Street
Bus: M5/6/20 to Bleecker Street; M8 to 6th Avenue


On the last night my friend from Dubai was in town, we decided to gather our friends together again for a farewell dinner. We discussed options, and it came down to pizza or lobster rolls. And what made the decision was while you can get decent pizza wherever you are in the world, the lobster roll as good as Pearl Oyster Bar's is few and far between.

Pearl does not take reservations, and for our party of 10, I arrived around 7pm and put our name in for 8:15pm. We grabbed a drink down the street and waited for our perpetually-late friends to arrive. By 8:30pm, our group was complete, and we were seated just after 8:45pm. Pearl is a cozy restaurant, despite their expansion into the space next door. My favorite place to sit is at the bar, close to the open kitchen. Actually, I’d be willing to sit anywhere that isn’t the counter opposite the bar where there isn’t ample legroom which makes it quite uncomfortable.

The ambiance at Pearl feels beachy minus the squawking seagulls and lapping ocean waves. The menu is short but sweet, and I do not recommend Pearl to non-fish/seafood eaters. On the other hand, if you like seafood/fish, I recommend practically everything on the menu. Most of us had been here before, so we knew what would be good (lobster rolls, the chowder, salt-crusted shrimp, and anything from the raw bar), but there were things we had not tried. We've always considered the bouillabaisse or the crabcake; this time, we decided to go for it. The crabcake with huge chunks of lump crabmeat was really incredible, especially with the accompanying crunchy slaw. In fact, I prefer it to the highly-acclaimed salt-crusted shrimp. The bouillabaisse was also a pleasant surprise, although I can’t imagine ever ordering it instead of the lobster roll. Sharing it as a starter was an excellent idea. The lobster rolls were just as wonderful as remembered… a large meaty helping of mayo-based lobster salad served in a perfectly tender hot dog bun with a generous serving of shoestring fries. Another delicious surprise was the fried oyster roll (not on the dinner menu, but available by request) with approximately 12 fried oysters miraculously crammed into a small hot dog roll. My only change would be to request the tartar sauce on the side unless you really like tartar sauce; a large dollop is plopped atop the oyster roll which doesn't allow for even tartar sauce with each bite.

Although none of us were hungry, dessert is a given at a group dinner. The butterscotch praline parfait and Callebaut chocolate mousse were ravished by our group of 10, as well as an apple pie which was served to us by accident. It was a perfect finish to a perfect meal.

Pearl Oyster Bar is one of those places that can’t do no wrong.

Murray Hill Diner
222 Lexington Avenue at E. 33rd Street (Murray Hill)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 686-6667
Subway: 6 to 33rd Street
Bus: M1/101/102/103 to 34th Street


Everyone should have a neighborhood spot that you can rely on. On the weekends when we are tired (read: hungover), we like to order in breakfast. My husband likes blueberry muffins and bagels with butter or cream cheese from Austin’s Café, but I like to try different places. Whoever wins the argument that morning chooses where we order from.

Since I’m constantly losing the “where to order from” argument, I haven’t yet found the perfect spot. I frequently walk by the Murray Hill Diner, and it looks cute, and it always looks crowded.

I am generally indecisive, but when I’m hungry and hungover, this problem is magnified. This morning, I went with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich; pancakes; a side of corned beef hash; and a side of French fries. Although this sounds like a lot of food, this was for both of us, and I usually just pick at each.

We waited. And waited. I called 30 minutes after placing the order, and they told me the delivery was about to leave the restaurant. We continued to wait. I called after another 15 minutes. The man told me the delivery was on its way. We waited some more. After another 15 minutes, I had my husband call (he’s sterner than I am). They told him the food had just left. I hate liars.

We received our delivery 73 minutes after placing the order. The fries were terrible: soggy, unsalted, almost uncooked. The pancakes were no better: tasteless and gritty. The corned beef hash was sour. Even the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich was piss-poor. The roll was slightly stale and there was barely an egg in the sandwich. Now how does a restaurant screw up a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich?

Some mornings are just lazy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you are looking for a reliable, quick breakfast, do not order from here.

Keens Steakhouse
72 West 36th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (Garment District)
New York, NY 10018
(212) 947-3636
Subway: B/D/F/Q/W/N/R to 34th Street
Bus: M2/3/4/5/6/7, Q32 to 34th Street


I have a friend who currently resides in Dubai, but formerly lived in Manhattan, and when he comes for a visit, I always organize a “welcome back” dinner with a large group of our friends. The restaurant we choose is almost as important as the people we invite, and for this visit, we chose Keens. Established in 1885, Keens is curiously an oft-overlooked steakhouse on the edge of the Garment District that oozes classic New York. Perhaps because it is less mainstream than a Luger’s or Smith & Wollensky, it was easy to make a reservation on OpenTable (http://www.opentable.com/), and when I called the restaurant directly to change the time and increase the number in our party from eight to 14, the hostess was incredibly accommodating (as an added bonus, I still received my 100 OpenTable points). I recommend arriving before dinner to enjoy an aperitif in their adjoined bar which boasts three trivia questions daily.

The rich history of Keens remains in and on the walls, and while the restaurant’s ceilings are low, this gives you the opportunity to wonder and amaze at the many churchwarden pipes decorating the ceiling. The lore of these pipes is that Keens had previously been the Pipe Club and housed the pipes of historical celebrities the likes of J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, General MacArthur, Albert Einstein and Babe Ruth.

A group of 14 can be unruly and unmanageable, especially with 10 bottles of wine plus drinks at the bar beforehand, but there is one perk: many dishes are ordered, and I’m not shy about asking to taste. The lobster cocktail was a perfectly cooked half a lobster tail, claw and knuckle served with a bland Green Goddess-like dressing. My husband’s lobster bisque (a special of the evening) was delicate yet rich with hints of Cognac and sherry. The Maryland lump crabcakes were full of crabmeat with very little filler – exactly how they should be. The New Orleans oysters Rockefeller (I have never tried the original at Antoine’s, http://www.antoines.com/) were different – I was expecting an oyster-version of clams Casino (baked with a golden crusty bacon topping), but these were less golden and crusty and more herby and dense, and the oysters were just barely cooked underneath. They were fine, but when you expect to taste one thing and then taste another… it always tastes strange.

Now if you've heard of Keens, you should know that their signature dish is the mutton chop. On December 14, 2005, Frank Bruni, food critic for the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/), reviewed Keens Steakhouse and discovered that the mutton chop is actually mature lamb rather than more than one-year-old sheep. Despite our knowledge of this truth, nine of 14 of our diners ordered the famed mutton chop. The mutton chop is a daunting cut, 26 ounces, as thick as my fist and wrapped with a "tail" of thoroughly-crisped fat, yet plates were practically licked clean and enjoyed by all nine. The porterhouse for two, which my husband and I shared, was delicious. Atypical of most New York steakhouses, this porterhouse was served on a normal restaurant dish rather than a sizzling metal plate. Yet, the dry-aged steak was perfectly cooked (like every other piece of meat we ordered) and tender, with amazing taste and texture. My favorite entrée from Keens, which I did not order on this occasion, is the prime rib; it is ginormous (a bit reminiscent of a Medieval Times event) and delectable, especially with horseradish.

Our side dishes were the usual: hash browns (crusty and wonderful), mashed potatoes (unmemorable), French fries (the first to go), creamed spinach (typical steakhouse), sautéed wild mushrooms (woodsy but salty) and green beans (my favorite green). In addition we also had a request for the carrots with brown butter, which, I was told, were the best carrots ever had by a carrot-lover at our table. Personally, I felt they were a little sweet, but I’m anti-dishes like sweet potato marshmallow casserole, which many people enjoy and love.

The wine list was typical steakhouse, full of many big reds from all over (primarily France, California, Italy), and we chose two from France: a Pomerol and a Margaux in the $60-75 range. Both were fair choices, although the Margaux was preferred by the serious red wine drinkers. The Pomerol really needed to breathe.

Although there wasn’t much room left for dessert, we still ordered a few for the table (listed from bad to better): a terrible crème brulee, an average Lady M chocolate cake and a pretty good New York cheesecake. Most were not finished. I wish we had ordered the bread pudding, one of my general favorite desserts. My advice: fill up on meat and pass on dessert. I chose to pass on my own dessert and enjoy a very good port which a friend recommended.

As usual, everything was as delicious and reliably prepared as expected; the only unreliable shocker of the night was the higher than usual price tag: $145 per person including tax and tip. But with all that wine and a happy stomach, who’s counting?

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
(Southwestern)
29 West 21st Street between 5th and 6th Avenue (Flatiron)
New York, NY 10010
(212) 414-3139
http://www.lonesomedovebistro.com/
Subway: N/R/W/F/V to 23rd Street
Bus: M2/3/4/5/6/7 to 23rd Street


When we were in Dallas recently, we had dinner with my husband’s brother and sister-in-law. They live in Fort Worth and told us that an amazing Fort Worth restaurant was opening a NYC outpost. They said it was their favorite and raved about its chef Tim Love and the restaurant for quite a while. I had completely forgotten about it, until I received my local Daily Candy (http://www.dailycandy.com/) a couple weeks ago which featured Lonesome Dove. With my 11-month anniversary rapidly approaching, I thought it was a perfect excuse to make a reservation.

A bearskin rug lies on the sidewalk in front of Lonesome Dove, a dimly lit, casual restaurant in the Flatiron district. As you enter, a long bar encompasses the entire front half of the restaurant, making the entrance narrow while heading into the dining area. Although the restaurant was fairly empty at 7:30pm on a Friday evening, we were seated at a small uncomfortable table right next to a vertical beam. Within minutes, a table of four was seated right beside us, so close that I was practically cheek-to-cheek with one of the diners.

The wine list wasn’t very familiar to me, so we asked for the sommelier, who suggested only one wine which, at $75, ran higher than average. I personally think it’s the sommelier’s duty to request a price range, but this one didn’t. We were, however, pleased with the suggestion: J. Wilkes Bien Nacinto Vineyards Hillside Pinot Noir 2004.

Upon reviewing the menu, I found it interesting and quite different with a lot of sweet, fruity additions like huckleberry, raspberry, wild cherry and even candied jalapenos to spicy savory dishes. The attention-grabbing main course was the entrée for two: a Tomahawk chop, lobster tails, scallops and mashed potatoes carved and served tableside by the chef for market price (that night, $125, which was more than I had in mind). We decided on two appetizers, two entrees and two side dishes and waited in anticipation.

After ordering, bread was finally served to us; it tasted fine, nothing spectacular, but I’m not sure exactly what it had to do with Urban Western food – it was similar to Middle Eastern flatbread or pita bread. The softened butter was a highlight that I appreciated.

When our appetizers arrived, I was surprised at the lack of presentation. Both the buffalo corn dogs (3 for $12) and rabbit & manchego empanadas (4 for $9, I think) were served on the same white oversized dinner plate, the corn dogs separated by being placed in a concession-stand-esque red & white paper food basket. The corn dogs were very greasy, and the State Fair sauce that accompanied them tasted like mayo mixed with relish juice which I’m still not sure is a good combination. The empanadas had potential especially when when paired with the accompanying sauce; however, barely enough sauce for one was drizzled on the plate.

After an unsuccessful round of appetizers, we hoped that entrees would have better luck. My husband’s hand-cut beef tenderloin (medium-rare, $3.40 per ounce) with Serrano-lime butter was a tasty piece of meat, but was overly seasoned with very coarse black pepper. As my husband describes it, “It was like eating a hunk of black pepper with meat.” My grilled veal chop (medium-rare, $34) was similar where the quality of the meat was actually quite good, but it was so overseasoned and salty that some pieces were impossible to eat. Also, none of the fat seemed to be trimmed and the overseasoning and oversalting extended to the sauce to the point that I was unable to eat the grilled forest mushrooms or the crispy ricotta dumplings that came with it. I actually like salty food, so for it to be salty for me, it had to be VERY SALTY. The side dishes were unremarkable: $6 French fries were limp and not crispy; $12 white truffle mac & cheese used orzo rather than standard elbow macaroni and wasn't very cheesy (although it was creamy and white truffley). That said, the mac & cheese was the only passable part of the main course. Other dishes did look interesting: the seared monkfish and spicy posole stew with fried lobster bacon, garlic-stuffed beef tenderloin and, of course, the Tomahawk chop.

To round-out our meal, we ordered the ice cream sandwich for dessert, a simple dessert of vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies, but even the simple was poorly executed: the cookies were overcooked (burnt on the bottoms) and so hard that we couldn’t even dent them with a spoon, which was a bad match for softened ice cream, because if you tried to pick up the sandwich to take a bite, the ice cream smushed right out while trying to bite into the hard-as-a-rock cookies.

Our waitress (from Oklahoma) seemed overly enthusiastic about everything at the start, but it was hard for her to access our table throughout the meal since the table next to us was basically on top of us. When we got our bill after this unsatisfying meal, we were surprised at how expensive it was, even though the prices were on the menu. Considering the size of the appetizers, the taste of the entrees and the lack of care in the dessert, prices were high. And then I noticed an error on the bill; rather than charging us $75 (the price on the wine list) for the wine, we were charged $90, which is a bad mistake for a new restaurant. When I pointed it out to our waitress, we barely received an apology; she just changed the price of the wine and returned the bill to us.

Poor execution of interesting ideas may keep this restaurant from being a success. The only saving grace of this dinner was the wine because I’ve found a new wine that I really enjoy.

Park Avenue Café
(Contemporary American)
100 East 63rd Street at Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 644-1900
http://www.parkavenuecafe.com/
Public Transportation: Subway: 4/5/6 to 59th Street, N/R/W to Lexington Avenue, F to Lexington Ave/63rd St; Bus: M1/M2/M3/M4/M5 to 59th Street

Frequently, food lovers also love wine. It doesn’t always go the other way, where wine lovers also love food, but foodies love gluttony, and wine consumption can be gluttony. So transitively, an unlimited wine lunch at Park Avenue Cafe would certainly be gluttony which I love. This is where Wine Week (http://www.nationalwineweek.com/) steps in. One week each year, fifteen of Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group’s restaurants pour 10 (give or take) wines each day with lunch for only $10. Actually, it used to be free (back in the good old days), and there’s talk that it might be obliterated (something political from what I gather), but since it was on this year, and it was only $10, I immediately made a reservation at Park Avenue Café on OpenTable (http://www.opentable.com/) which I'd wanted to try for quite a while back when David Burke was at the helm, and now because he was no longer.

When we arrived for our 1:15pm reservation at 1:10pm, one of the three greeters took our name and directed us to the cute, small bar to wait where another maitre d’-esque person poured us some sparkling wine while we waited. With its cute townhousey feel, simple decor and the sparkling wine, I started to love Park Avenue Cafe immediately. But then a few other groups arrived and were seated immediately. That bothers me. Our glasses were refilled, and we continued to wait. My husband asked about our reservation but was politely shooed back to the bar for additional waiting. My opinon was quickly waning.

We were finally seated just before 2pm at a comfortable table in the back room, and since it was wine week, gentlemen immediately rushed over with four different types of wine. I examined the menu and stared at food being served to other tables while sipping on a delicious Sauvignon Blanc (Spy Valley). As always, I was torn, since everything at nice restaurants always sound delicious, and finally decided on a ½ dozen oysters on the ½ shell and the East Side lobster roll; however, I made a last second change to get a better taste of the chef's style and chose a butternut squash and lobster bisque to start and a black sea bass in a gingered coconut broth over jasmine rice. My husband ordered the signature chopped salad and signature hamburger, which was perfect since I always like to try restaurants' signature dishes.

Imagine our surprise when the SIGNATURE salad was overdressed and wilted (as though it had been prepared and sitting out)... my husband wouldn’t even eat it! The flavors were good, similar to a Greek salad, but I knew it was bad when my husband said that MY Greek salad was crisper, lighter and better than this one. The bisque was good; however, there was little hint of lobster flavor and the lobster meat in the soup was tough. I started to rethink my last minute call... maybe I should have gotten the oysters... or the foie gras.

Entrees were similar. The burger was served with nine hand-cut French fries (yes, 9) and two red pepper catsups (one spicy, one not). We both would have preferred ketchup, and I don’t even like ketchup. The actual meat in the burger was very high-quality and tasty, but for medium, it was overcooked, with not even a tinge of pink in sight. The coconut broth that the waiter poured over my fish was incredibly tasty and exploded with flavors. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough to counterbalance the rice, which immediately absorbed what broth there was, and the fish didn’t have a chance at getting any of that amazing flavor.

For dessert, we split their sundae, a fun dessert which reminded me of a sundae bar from a birthday party from my youth. Accompanied by whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate toffee and a berry compote, it allowed you to make your own creations with your ice cream of choice.

Surprisingly for wine week, we had to hound the servers for wine, and more often than not, the wines poured did not suit our meals. Normally a fan of unlimited wine meals (for example, Cite’s wine dinner), I wouldn’t recommend the hectic wine lunch at Park Avenue Café. In fact, I wouldn’t even recommend lunch at Park Avenue Café; for the price, I could think of a dozen restaurants that I’d prefer.

Mama’s Daughters’ Diner
(American, Comfort Food)
2014 Irving Boulevard between Manufacturing Street and Turtle Creek Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 742-8646
http://www.mamasdaughtersdiner.com/


On my quest for the ultimate comfort food in Dallas, I found Mama’s Daughters’ Diner. Although there are a few other branches, the Irving Blvd one is the original. On a Saturday morning, we found Mama’s Daughters’ Diner in a strange, desolate area. The restaurant was already crowded, and I was so happy that we motivated early enough to get a table.

Adorned on the walls are tons of photos, particularly of Norma, the original Mama. Something about the photo felt welcoming, and then I began to take in the aromas wafting throughout the restaurant. Dishes moved quickly out of the kitchen to the tables, and maybe I was just hungry, but I couldn’t help but stare at EVERYTHING because it all looked so good.

I ordered Mama’s breakfast special (my choices in parentheses): 2 eggs (egg whites well-done), grits or hash browns (grits), biscuits or toast (biscuits) and gravy, and chicken-fried steak, breakfast steak or 2 pork chops (chicken-fried steak). My husband had a breakfast special as well: 2 eggs (sunny-side up), 2 pancakes, biscuits and bacon. My eyes were big so I also ordered a side of hash browns (crispy) and a cinnamon roll.

The cinnamon roll was served first, and it was the most delicious cinnamon roll I have ever, ever had. It was homemade, warm, not too sweet, not too cinnamony, doughy. It was perfect. I wish I had ordered another one. As we were demolishing the cinnamon roll, our food came out.

I quickly sliced into the chicken-fried steak, and it wasn’t as knife-tender as I’d hoped… nor was it as seasoned and spicy – it was just OK. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable. The gravy was pretty good; I especially enjoyed the flecks of pork in the gravy. I couldn’t eat the eggs, because, despite the “well-done” request, there were wet, almost-raw areas, which I couldn’t eat.

When I asked the waitress for butter for the grits and the biscuits, she pointed to the table – more specifically, a red plastic basket filled with individual tubs of Land O’ Lakes fresh buttery taste spread. Butter… SUBSTITUTE. When I explained to the waitress that I would prefer real butter, she said there was none in the restaurant. No butter in the restaurant??? Who doesn’t use butter??? After getting over the initial shock, I added the Land O’ Lakes fresh buttery spread to my grits, but they were inedible, regardless of the fake butter. Too gritty, not cooked long enough, and I must’ve gotten the bottom of the pot… I think I got the entire stale layer that gets stuck to the bottom.

I enjoyed the biscuits; they were more flaky, less crumbly and although they weren’t perfect, they were pretty darn good… especially smothered in the pork gravy. The hash browns were the shredded potato-kind, and cooked crispy, they were a delicious addition to the meal. My husband’s pancakes were great, fluffy, almost melt-in-your-mouth. The bacon was really meaty and chewy; it tasted good, but I prefer my bacon crisp. Since bacon didn’t come with my order, I’ll have to request crispy bacon next time.

Next time, and there will DEFINITELY be a next time since I’m still wishing that I had gotten pie (we were sitting in plain view of the pies, and they looked amazing)… and another cinnamon roll… next time, we’ll have to try lunch, since Mama’s closes at 3pm on the days they’re open. Before this ends, I have to comment on the prices. Mama’s is the definition of cheap eats. I was in opposite sticker shock! A side of hash browns was 89 cents; I think that may be cheaper than McDonald’s.

Good Eats (Southern, American, Comfort Food)
3888 Oak Lawn Avenue between Blackburn Street and Irving Avenue (but the restaurant is basically on the corner of Irving)
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 522-3287
http://www.goodeatsgrill.com/
Public Transportation: I have no idea if there even is public transport in Dallas

I didn’t grow up in Dallas, or anywhere near the South, but I think of myself as somewhat of a “comfort food” aficionado (if I do say so myself!). When my husband and I were invited down to Dallas for a long weekend (first-class tickets and a room at the Mansion on Turtle Creek), I was excited to oblige (especially when I thought of the delicious food possibilities: chicken-fried steak, authentic Mexican and Texan BBQ).

I researched restaurants and cafes before we left, but the heat and my hunger panicked me when I walked out of the hotel so I asked the valet for a suggestion for some “local” food, and he pointed me in the direction of Good Eats (when I heard the name, I immediately thought of the Food Network show “Good Eats” which I thought was a good omen).

Good Eats is a mini-chain (4 locations) wholly within Texas, and when I pulled into the strip mall parking lot, I was a bit apprehensive, but this was slightly eased when I saw people waiting outside for the restaurant to open at 11AM.

The décor of the restaurant looks like an Applebee’s hit a rodeo. This made me nervous again, and I regretted taking the advice of the hotel valet and not planning better.

My husband was at a meeting so I was alone, and the incredibly friendly maitre d’ seated me at a spacious and comfortable booth. The young waitress was sweet as well – actually, everyone, including the patrons, acted friendly and smiley… exactly what you would expect in Texas. When I asked her what was good and fresh, she responded, “Everything’s made fresh, besides the fries… and the spinach…” Before she could go on, I ordered their award-winning chicken-fried steak (it won kudos from D Magazine and the State Fair of Texas – how could I not?) which came with two sides (I chose garlic spinach – a special – and French fries).

When the bread came out and being in Texas, I instinctively reached straight for the cornbread… what a mistake! It was horrible, like crumbly sawdust. I would’ve tried to spread on the accompanying softened whipped butter, except the entire piece crumbled into my hand as I tried. Having given up on the cornbread, I warily reached for the plain wheat roll. WOW… to my surprise, it was soft, warm and delicious. It was doughy and yeasty in a homemade-sorta-way, and the smell reminded me a little of the fresh-baked bread from Subway.

Finally, as I watched every other table being served (by the way, the restaurant filled up within 30 minutes of opening!), my entrée came out, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. The chicken-fried steak looked golden brown, well-seasoned and crusty. Amazingly, it tasted even better than it looked – tender, spicy, crispy. And the gravy atop was the perfect sauce… until it congealed three minutes later perhaps due to the AC blasting (combating the 100+ degree heat outside). Strangely, the crusty chicken-fried steak still remained crusty – not soggy in the least – even underneath that layer of gravy – a scientific wonder.

The greens were waterlogged, the fries missed being crispy (maybe they needed to fry it with the same method as the chicken-fried steak), yet I would definitely return to Good Eats, and next time, maybe I’ll try the meatloaf or pot roast, but I doubt it.

Essex
(American)
120 Essex Street on the SE corner of Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 533-9616
http://www.essexnyc.com
Subway: F to Delancey Street, J, M, Z to Essex Street
Bus: M9 or M14A to Essex & Delancey Streets


Back in 1999, when Essex was relatively new, this place was more of a lounge than a restaurant, but sometime between now and then, Essex became a full-fledged restaurant. Located in the hip Lower East Side, Essex creates its own warehouse chic feel that fits in with the neighborhood.

If you’re going for brunch, make a reservation. Here’s my personal experience with the crowds at Essex: a few months ago, a group of eight of us tried to have brunch at Essex at noon on a Sunday; I had another commitment at 1:30pm, so I was unable to partake in brunch because by 1:15pm, we still had not been seated. Fortunately, this time around, a reservation had been made, especially since we were a group of 12, celebrating a friend’s bridal shower.

Brunch is a $15 prix fixe and includes THREE (yes, 3!!) brunch-esque cocktails (bloody Marys, mimosas and screwdrivers). Sadly, I wasn’t drinking, so I had to settle for a virgin Mary. These bloodies were SPICY – definitely a wake-up call on a droopy weekend morning. And perhaps it was because we were a group, but everyone who was drinking had more than 3 drinks, and no extra charges were added to our bill.

The food: I’m not exactly sure what type of food Essex is supposed to have. I’ve read “Jewish-Latin fare” and just “Latin” but when I was there for brunch, I saw an omelet, eggs Benedict (classic plus a few variations of), biscuits & gravy, steak & eggs, chocolate-blueberry pancakes, bacon… most of which didn’t sound very Latin or Jewish (especially the bacon) or a combination thereof. I noticed a few “Jewish” dishes: potato pancakes, challah French toast, lots of cured salmon (aka gravlax) and matzo; and their “Latin” aspects: the Cuban sandwich, an egg dish with torilla chips and pico de gallo, but is this enough to classify this restaurant as “Jewish-Latin”? It sounds pretty melting pot to me, which is the definition of AMERICAN.

As for how the food tasted, it was good enough. The chocolate-blueberry pancakes (which I didn’t order) were good enough that I wanted another bite. Actually, the pancakes were delicious. Everything else was less delicious. I ordered the Southern – biscuits & gravy. I am married to a Texan so I know biscuits and gravy. This was not good. Nothing else looked good. Except the pancakes.

Still, the brunch is worth it, just for the drinks. Bring good friends (ideally one or two that doesn’t drink so you can steal their drinks) and bring 20 bucks, and you’ll be golden (or a little pink-cheeked from the mimosas).

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
646 W. 131st Street @12th Avenue (very close to West Side Hwy)
New York, NY 10027
(212) 694-1777
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Subway: 1 train to 125th Street/Broadway


Last night about 10 of us trekked up to Harlem (1st time!) for a farewell dinner at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Four of us arrived almost an hour early for our 8PM reservation, and as we entered the restaurant, our surroundings went from urban Harlem to a wild wild West rodeobar in full swing. We waited in the comfortable bar which had an ample assortment of interesting beers on tap. The best way to try a few (without getting hammered immediately) was the beer flight (4 4-oz samples of your choice); also available was a flight of agave tequilas (which we weren't ready to tackle). I also tried the Remy Red sangria (too strong, not fruity, not recommended), and everyone had some of our favorite beer: the Abita Purple Haze. While at the bar, we couldn't resist so we ordered a small Swag Sampler (fried green tomatoes, chicken wings, spicy shrimp boil and Creole deviled eggs)... it was good enough that we ordered it again once we were seated.

When all 10 of us were finally there and seated, we ordered A LOT of food & drink, starting with Coors Light pitchers (there are so few places in NYC that have pitchers!), 2 large Swag Samplers and 2 orders of chili. The noise level was loud, but audible conversation was definitely not a problem. The food came fast and despite our little bar snack, we were still hungry. The fried green tomatoes were excellent: tender yet not mushy on the inside of the perfectly crisp crust. The Creole deviled eggs were exactly right: creamy, tangy with a hint of spice. The drunken spicy shrimp boil, full of Old Bay spice, was also perfect, and this comes from a girl who went to school in Baltimore and had her fair share of Old Bay spiced shrimp. Even my husband, who snubs getting down & dirty to peel his own shrimp, started peeling away (after I peeled his first so he could see how good they really were). The chicken wings... they were meaty, but they didn't really taste like much. No one asked us how we wanted them, so make sure you specify if you do order this dish. The chili -- our native Syracusean, which is from where Dinosaur Bar-B-Que hails, talked highly of it -- I thought it was strange. It had a slightly sweet aftertaste... it didn't do it for me.

Down to dinner: at every meal, there are always people who eat like you, and who don't eat like you. I like to separate the table based on eating style: good eaters on one side, non-eaters far far away from me. Four of us last night were eaters, and the four of us shared the sampler extreme (1/2 rack of ribs, Texas beef brisket, 1/2 bar-b-q chicken), pork & brisket (pulled pork & brisket), an additional 3/4 rack of ribs plus 4 pieces of honey hush cornbread and 6 side dishes (each dish comes with 2 sides): mac & cheese (2), cole slaw, mini iceberg wedge (mini version of the salad they offer as a starter), french fries and Syracuse style salt potatoes. The pulled pork and brisket were tender, fall-apart good, and I would definitely recommend both. The ribs were good; some pieces were meatier and better, while others were dry and meatless. I wouldn't rave over them. My husband, a Texas native, felt similarly, and although I wouldn't trust him to review any Asian cuisine, I think he's a rib aficionado. I didn't touch the chicken; it looked dry, and at the end of the meal, it was the only thing left on our plates. As for sides, the mac & cheese, one of my favorite foods ever, was pretty good (creamy, a little dry), and each bite made me like it even more. The Syracuse-style salt potatoes were the best new thing I've eaten in a while: buttery-boiled new potatoes slathered in a buttery-delicious sauce. The fries were fries; the cole slaw didn't wow me. If the mini-iceberg wedge is anything like their actual wedge salad, DON'T GO THERE -- all we got was a little chunk of lettuce with a couple halved grape tomatoes and their house dressing in one of those red & white paper boats. What happened to the bacon and pecans that was in the salad description???

Overall, I think Dinosaur was pretty good. I definitely know what I would (and would not) order next time, and I still want to try to the Hot Elgin Sausage and simmered greens. Plus, it was CHEAP... tons of food, tons of drink and the bill was $32 per person, including tip!! That might be less than half of what we'd spend at Blue Smoke (reviewed 7/16/2006)! Harlem is not close, but the good food, hopping-fun scene and right price just might make it worth it.

Blue Smoke (BBQ)
116 East 27th St between Park/Lexington Aves
New York, NY 10016
(212) 447-7733
Subway: 6 train to 28th St; Bus: M1 to 28th St


If you've never been to Danny Meyer's BBQ heaven (it is one of my favorite places to eat & drink in NYC), definitely make a reservation, unless you want to wait 2-3 hours at the long bar, sometimes standing 2-3 people deep to order a drink... dinnertime any day of the week can be chaotic.

Once you are seated, plan to indulge. On this visit, sister#3 and I had birthday brunch on a Sunday, which was the quietest I have ever seen this restaurant. Most of the occupied tables had children, another anomaly to me here. We were hungry, and we ordered plenty for two.

I always get the pulled pork sandwich (accompanied by coleslaw) because it is THAT GOOD (the pulled pork platter is $6 more, has a little more meat and comes with beans); however, it's always on the menu, and on Sunday, there was a special that sounded great: short rib sandwich with potato salad. So I went with it. My sister ordered the oyster po' boy. We shared a side of mac & cheese, french fries and chicken-jalapeno sausage.

The oyster po' boy was delicious - not exactly authentic, but shredded lettuce, tomato, perfectly fried oysters... had there been a little more remoulade, it would have smelled like New Orleans. The celeriac slaw, however, was not authentic and tasted dirty. The short rib sandwich could have been amazing, except for the sauce, which was overly sweet. I tried to wipe it off, but there was too much. The fries are always good (not tough to make good fries), and I love the mac & cheese, elbow noodles in a creamy, cheesy, slightly processed (in a good way) sauce. The sausage was too spicy and not really good.

We had both come off a night of drinking so it was water only, but if this were a usual meal, I would've ordered a Lynchburg Lemonade or mint julep. And next time I go (which will hopefully be soon), I know my husband will get the Texas salt & pepper beef ribs, and I'll either check out Sunday night's special chicken-fried steak or stick with my old favorite, the pulled pork sandwich.

davidburke & donatella
133 East 61st Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 813-2121


Last night my husband took me to this charming restaurant housed in a townhouse on 61st Street near Bloomingdale's to celebrate my 30th (ugh) birthday. He made the reservation on OpenTable (http://www.opentable.com/), which was easy AND we earned 100 Dining Points. We were seated immediately (one of the perks of dining in Manhattan on the weekend during the summer) in a nice corner table for two.

Very polished service is what you'd expect from a Zagat ALL-CAPS restaurant so I was surprised when from the beginning, I felt as though the B-team was our serving group. Our waiter/sommelier suggested wines without asking if we had a price range, starting with a $110 bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, then a $375 bottle of Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (pronouncing 'Brion' like the name 'Brian'). Perhaps my shocked face gave away that the price range was a bit high (or that he had butchered the pronunciation). I settled for a $48 bottle of Henri Bourgeois Sancerre. On our chargers was a bi-fold paper that contained the tasting menu and specials of the evening; my husband's was blank.

The amuse-bouche served was a pastry filled with short-rib which was good, but a little dry for a meat that's usually melt-in-your-mouth braised. The wine was served a touch warm. Menus were given, and everything was expensive.

I'd like to preface that I wish I had read Adam Platt's 3/15/2004 review in New York Magazine before arriving, but I hadn't. He has an expense account to try all of this food; we do not.

I began with the seared foie gras which I was looking forward to because I LOVE FOIE GRAS. Some bites were salty, some bites were flavorless, some bites tasted chemically. Even the presentation was unattractive. The husband had the lobster bisque served with a lobster roll (imagine a spring roll with lobster). He wolfed down the lobster roll (if it's deep-fried, he'll eat it), but the lobster bisque was disappointingly brothy, rather than rich and creamy. The bits of lobster in the soup were overcooked and chewy.

Entrees were no better: I had the lobster "steak" with curried shoestring fries. Imagine going to a Chinese restaurant and ordering some lobster dish and pouring duck sauce all over it (and over the HUGE mound of literally "shoestring" fries -- not like McDonald's size, but thinner), then adding strong spices that almost overpower the duck sauce... then you would have this dish. For $44, I was sad. My husband almost always orders steak, so as expected, he had the Black Angus prime rib eye steak, medium rare. It was thin (for $41), slightly overcooked (for $41) and very very very salty (for $41). The one saving grace: four pieces of wilted butter (Boston) lettuce with Caesar dressing that accompanied the steak. The dressing was exactly as a Caesar should be. We each ate about 1/3 of our dishes and then hoped dessert would be better.

As usual, I couldn't decide among the desserts, so I asked the B-team waiter which he would choose. We went with a "dbd Classic": warm apple tart with cider caramel and vanilla ice cream. The apple tart was a classic, with a flaky crust, but it required a knife to cut off a bite (you couldn't just cut off a bit with the edge of your spoon or fork). It was good. But the caramel was inedible -- it was just overdone, which, for caramel, is death. Acidic and burnt, I couldn't believe they would put that on the plate.

All in all, I would go there again, but next time, I would do as Adam Platt suggested and get the crispy and angry lobster appetizer and the Dover sole entree (which was a special that I didn't order because it came with sage gnocchi -- I'm not a huge fan of sage -- and acorn squash, which doesn't seem appropriate in July). I forgot to mention that the chef de cuisine (I think his name in the menu was Eric O'Hare) was hot; he was talking to one of the patrons, and he looks like a younger, skinnier Rocco DiSpirito.