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.

Francisco’s Centro Vasco
159 West 23rd Street between 6th/7th Avenues
New York, NY 10011
(212) 645-6224
Subway: 1/F/V to 23rd Street
Bus: M5/6/7/20 to 23rd Street


The neon lobster out front really says it all: Francisco’s Centro Vasco is the spot for lobsters. It’s not much to look at, inside or out, with a run-down Spanish taverna feel; in fact, the first time I went, my husband’s look of disdain was enough for me to know we’d never return together. Potent margaritas and tasty sangria are served at the bar and in the dining room.

The menu is filled with a random assortment of seafood as well as some Spanish dishes, but I’m telling you: if you don’t get the lobster, you’re missing out.

This is the kind of place where your entrees include a salad, sides, etc. As soon as you sit down, bread, butter and a bowl of salad is set down at your table.

Don’t fill up on the bread.

This is the kind of place you go with a group so I’ve tried many of the appetizers. I love their black bean soup; it’s thick and creamy, with a ton of flavor and without that plain, beany taste. I also enjoy their chorizo. Thin slices of chorizo are browned to a slight crisp, and although simple, it’s tasty especially with the black bean soup. Both are filling, so sometimes I’ll order them to-go to make sure I have room for lobster.

I wouldn't recommend the oysters or littleneck clams on the half shell. Oysters had almost no taste; littleneck clams had more taste than they should. The mussels were average, but I’m not a huge mussel person. The shrimp in green sauce was disappointing. The Italian-style clams casino were surprisingly good for a Spanish establishment.

The main attraction is the lobsters. They’ll place a card on your table with the different sizes available that night. The last time I was there, they had a 13-pounder available. If someone orders it, they’ll parade it around the room -- it's, no joke, the length of my arm. I prefer the lobster broiled over steamed; they split the lobster in half, and gently stuff it with a golden breadcrumb topping. The shell gets toasty which imparts more flavor into the lobster meat.

Rice, potatoes, Spanish fries and green beans sautéed in garlic and olive oil accompany the lobsters, but there’s no room for all of these accompaniments.

Desserts, if you have room, aren’t worth it. Maybe the flan, which everyone seemed to devour. Nothing else has really been that memorable. Instead, I would go with Francisco’s special cappuccino, a potent kick of four liqueurs to end the evening.

This place may be a bit kitschy (there’s always someone celebrating a birthday), but the food is solid and the prices (for lobster in NYC) are impossible to beat unless you’re cooking at home.

Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 East 45th Street between 2nd/3rd Avenues
New York, NY 10017
(212) 867-5454
Subway: 4/5/6/7/S to Grand Central
Bus: M/15/101/102/103 to 42nd Street


I am very unaware of Japanese food, and I know why: I have never been to Japan, and I have no Japanese friends. That said, I’m very interested in knowing about Japanese food, so I suggested Aburiya Kinnosuke for dinner with two of my girlfriends.

The restaurant is below ground a short flight of steps, and as soon as you enter, the clean lines and dark wooden walls typical of Asian restaurants is evident. There are private booths, some tables and a sushi bar for dining. I appreciated that most of the tables (particularly the private booths) were occupied by Japanese businessmen.

My friends let me drive, and we ordered a number of dishes to share. I couldn’t resist the mushrooms sautéed with bacon and butter, which were rich, indulgent and delicious. There were a variety of mushrooms, including oyster, shiitake and what I thought were king.

The deep fried tofu was clean and simple, served with soy sauce and freshly grated ginger.

The ground chicken skewer was roasted over hot coals and from our corner sushi bar seats, you could watch the chefs as they turned the chicken to a perfectly crisp exterior while the aroma of toasted rice floated towards us. We chose not to have it sauced, and it burst with flavor anyway – really quite delicious.

The sautéed shrimp with aona greens was very soothing to me. It reminded me of a light stew and with rice, I could imagine craving it when I’m next ill. The rice balls filled with cod roe could be the perfect snack food, and despite the delicious filling, there was too much rice.

The grilled scorpion fish was probably my least favorite. It was a small fish served whole that had a lot of teeny bones and was annoying to eat. When it was cooked, it tasted good, but there were parts that were still cold and on the raw side.

I love the noodles that finished our meal… mai fun-type noodles that are sautéed with vegetables are slightly creamy, while some noodles are crispy and some are toasted. It would have been even better had we had it with pork.

I had also ordered the pork cheek, but our server didn’t write it down, which was probably for the best since we were all stuffed by the end of dinner. Despite being stuffed, I wanted to lick clean every part of this meal (except the fish), and next time (if I can convince my husband to dine with me here), I’m looking forward to trying more dishes particularly the fish collar and the pork cheek. Service was attentive as you’d expect, and price... including 3 large carafes of sake and a tremendous amount of food, it only came to $53pp with tax and tip.

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.

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.

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.

Madras Mahal
104 Lexington Avenue between 27/28th Streets
New York, NY 10016
(212) 684-4010
Subway: 6 to 28th Street
Bus: M1/102/103 to 28th Street


One Friday evening, a friend and I were Google chatting as to where to eat. We were focused on Asian food, but more importantly, we had restaurant parameters guiding us: inexpensive, BYO wine and not too far in any one direction. Our search landed us at Madras Mahal, a (practically) indistinguishable, vegetarian/Kosher joint on the Curry Hill stretch.

We entered a dimly-lit, comfortably-small and almost-empty room and were seated immediately in a booth. While we examined the menu, the waiters hovered and paced between the back and front of the room, stopping to pour water, open wine bottles and give us glasses.

Our first dish, samosa chaat, which is two samosas split in half and covered in a spicy yogurt sauce, was served cold and came out quickly. To our surprise, Madras Mahal began on a great note... the chaat was absolutely delicious with the perfect level of spice.

We took a bread recommendation from our waiter who suggested alu paratha, a flaky bread stuffed with a thin layer of potato, which came with raita and chutney. We couldn’t stop taking triangles of this wonderful suggestion, which I would’ve liked to eat with our curries, but came out beforehand.

I love palak paneer (also called saag paneer), which is a spinach curry with cheese, and this one, heavy on the paneer and spinach, was quite good. The vegetable korma was less successful. Korma is my favorite curry, and I’ve yet to figure out the exact ingredients, as it seems everyone has a different recipe (I’ve asked friends, parents of friends and many a cab driver), but the general consensus is that it includes cream, tomato and ground nuts. I think Madras Mahal’s korma was too tomatoey which took over the entire dish.

We also chose the Madras thali (combination dinners) to get a sampling of the restaurant’s other offerings; iddly (a lentil/rice cake), vadai (a lentil donut), a mini utthappam (a pancake of rice/lentil with mixed vegetables) and the mini masala dosai (a crepe stuffed with potato and onion) were all served on a round silver tray. I’m not that thrilled by utthappam in general, and this was no different. The dosai (also spelled dosa) was large considering it was supposed to be “mini”; otherwise it was unremarkable.

As we were finishing our meal, a couple Indian friends met up and joined us. Although not really hungry, we raved about the samosa chaat, so they ordered one for themselves, and it was quickly devoured. They also chose the dahi vada, lentil balls served cold in a spicy-sweet yogurt sauce. I had a bite, and the combination of flavors was amazing. I think this may be my new favorite snack food.

The service was friendly enough (although after our friends arrived, they made it abundantly clear that they wanted us to leave), the food was pretty good and the bill came to $24 per person with tax and tip. Is it the best vegetarian Indian food I've ever had? Maybe not (Dimple on 30th and Saravanaas on the next block are both excellent). But considering I’ve already thought of an instance where I can return to Madras Mahal, I think it's worth keeping in the rotation.

The Stanton Social
99 Stanton Street between Orchard and Ludlow Streets (Lower East Side)
NY, NY 10002
(212) 995 0099
http://www.thestantonsocial.com/

My New Year’s resolution for New York City restaurants is, “Please someone, feed me.” I always thought New York City was the trendsetter city of all restaurant cities in America. How come the small plates concept has been hot for two years in San Francisco, but it’s now catching on in New York City? Who, besides restaurant owners trying to make money, ever thought conning diners into getting tons of small plates instead of two to three decently sized plates was acceptable? Actually, I have a new, New Year’s resolution for New York City restaurants, “Please leave small plates for tapas.”

It was a Wednesday evening and yet another large dinner with friends on the Lower East Side. It was ten of us on the second floor of the restaurant, next to the bar, and the place was only half-crowded. Since The Stanton Social is a small plates restaurant, we decided to split the table in half, five and five, so that each could get a reasonable portion of each plate. The restaurant also creatively allows you to order additional pieces in a plate, which we found out after ordering unfortunately, but we implemented our new knowledge during our second round of orders.

We started with the edamame with spicy miso and ginger which someone at the table (who had dined at the restaurant previously) exclamed was excellent. The grilled edamame comes topped with a thick sauce that is tasty albeit salty. Overall, though, it was much too messy for a food that is shared by a group of people and shared by numerous hands. The chicken and waffles was unpleasant although no one else at the table agreed or disagreed. It tasted burnt and the syrup, which came on the side, didn’t add much flavor or moisture. Two friends didn’t even see the syrup it came with. I tried it with and without syrup. Both were serious let-downs. You can’t name something chicken and waffles and do that to me, c’mon! The wood grilled pizzetta was simple and good, yet uninventive. It’s a fun addition to the meal considering there’s so little food on each plate, you need to carbo load somehow. Which brings me to the french fries. They were yummy but the servings were even smaller than Core 191 (could things actually get smaller than Core 191?). As a result, the fries don’t help you in your grand scheme to carbo load. Shucks.

The hanger steak was unremarkable, which at that point, didn’t surprise me much. The meatballs and manicotti were fine – again, unremarkable. The best additions to our table were pierogies that were not outstanding but tasty and easy to eat, share, and enjoy and the charred squid lettuce wraps. The lettuce wraps were very good, fun, and interesting. They were, by far, the best dish we had ordered.

For dessert, we shared a chocolate tasting which came with ice cream – too spicy, pudding – delicious, raspberry chocolate cake – decent but dry, and peppermint patties – a cheap addition to the dessert that we only ate out of sheer hunger.

The ambience of the The Stanton Social made up for what the food lacked. Sound level and lighting were well managed on the 2nd level (however, who’s to say what the other floors are like). In addition, the restaurant catered to a group of 10 quite well. Overall, the food was not earth-shattering but was dependably fine. A couple of decent dishes amongst some real snoozers. Perhaps next time, I’ll go to The Stanton Social (to order the lettuce wraps) after eating at Bereket.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
1221 6th Avenue at 49th Street
New York, NY 10020
(212) 575-5129
Subway: B/D/F/V to 47-50th Street/Rockefeller Center
Bus: M5/6/7 to 49th Street; M27/50 to 6th Avenue


There’s always much debate as to the best steak in Manhattan (and Brooklyn, if you include Peter Luger’s), and with steakhouses popping up all over town, it’s hard to even keep up. Some go to such great lengths to have a favorite steakhouse for each cut of steak (yes, I really know this person)! As for me, I’m partial to ribeye and porterhouse, and when I’m eating out, I enjoy these most at MarkJoseph downtown. When one of my girlfriends suggested dinner at her favorite steakhouse, Del Frisco’s, somewhere I’ve never been, I happily agreed.

Housed on the ground floor of a corporate building in Midtown, Del Frisco’s doesn’t wow you on the outside. However, upon entering, you are greeted by a grand staircase, incredibly high ceilings and a vast open dining area surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Upon my arrival, the hostesses were overwhelmed, disorganized and less than friendly. No one offered to take my coat, and I had to ask multiple times about my reservation before I was assisted.

There are two bars for drinking and waiting (one on the ground floor, one on the balcony), and the former, the large main bar, was bustling. I headed upstairs to the smaller balcony bar, which was completely occupied, yet not overwhelming, and had a bird’s eye view of the dining space below as well as of touristy Sixth Avenue through the soaring windows. I’ve also heard that the upstairs bar offers a Bloomberg terminal to accommodate their typical clientele (I didn’t notice it).

I was disappointed that neither bartender knew how to make my favorite aperitif, the Negroni, but neither quibbled when I corrected them. I liked the small-bar, almost café-like feel that the upstairs bar gave, which is a difficult feat at a massive steakhouse. After our party was complete, we barely waited or barely felt like we had waited at all when we were ushered by an attractive hostess to a table in a small nook on the balcony level next to a private enclosed cigar lounge. Our server, Anna, was attentive and friendly, and service was excellent.

Immediately upon sitting, we received a small loaf of bread sprinkled with sesame seeds that was steaming hot, and absolutely delicious. Have you ever noticed that warm bread always tastes better? I don’t understand why all restaurants don’t freshly bake or even heat up their bread. Del Frisco’s bread would only have been improved had the butter served with it been even slightly softened or at room temperature.

Appetizers were served incredibly quickly, almost too much so. I’d read everywhere that the crab cake was the not-to-be missed starter, and I understand why: this single crab cake has no filler and is basically a seasoned mound of lump crabmeat served with a delicious Cajun lobster sauce. The marinated shrimp, similar to a shrimp cocktail except laid out on a platter, consisted of five ginormous shrimp in an herby marinade and were tasty, although unmemorable. The fried oysters were also good, but they wouldn’t hold a candle to those from Pearl Oyster Bar.

Our appetizers were barely cleared when our entrees began to arrive. A friend and I chose to share the signature 22 oz. bone-in ribeye which was a “special” – I learned later that although this cut cannot be found on the menu, it is always available, which I think is a strange practice. Well-marbled, incredibly tender and perfectly cooked, this was a good, large steak, which was definitely enough food for two fairly hungry people with appetizers and sides. After the fact, I was slightly offended that the waitress tried to sell us on the $89.95 Tomahawk chop because she felt the ribeye would not be enough food. This gargantuan cut of meat, which the table next to us did order, could have easily served all four of us and had a HUGE bone that almost ran the length of the table.

The porterhouse was not good and lacked the flavor and depth that you expect from a top steakhouse. We went with three sides, which was probably excessive, but it was hard to narrow it down as they all sounded delicious. The macaroni and cheese was incredible. Even when I was full, I couldn’t help but take another scoopful. The creamed spinach was one of the best I’ve ever had, and I’m positive it’s cooked with bacon (and let’s face it, bacon makes everything better). The only disappointing side was the potatoes au gratin, which were large cubes of potato covered with cheese. It didn’t work.

On a service note, I overheard a conversation that the table behind me was having with their waiter (not Anna). The couple had ordered a bottle of wine and asked him how the wine was. The waiter, rather than offering to bring a sommelier or someone knowledgeable, responded with “I’ve never tried it, but the label looks really nice” and proudly showed off the bottle to the couple. Obviously Del Frisco’s could train this guy a bit more.

We went with lemon cake for dessert for the table, which was a nice light finish to a heavy dinner, but it too disappointed. The cake itself was moist and lemony, but it didn’t really impress.

With a couple cocktails, a glass of wine and two bottles of Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine (the least expensive bottle of sparkling wine or champagne – $50), the damage was $130 per person including tax and gratuity, which sounds pricey, but I think Del Frisco’s was well-worth it.

Genji Sushi
424A East 14th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A (East Village/Stuyvesant Town)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 388-1127
Train: 4/5/6 to 14th Street/Union Square; L to 1st Avenue
Bus: M14 to 1st Ave or Avenue A


I only started eating sushi in college, but since my first foray with yellowtail & scallion rolls and nigiri maguro (tuna), I have branched out considerably. I usually only eat sushi with a few people (my mom, sister#3) because I’m very particular, and I really prefer omakase (literally translating to "entrust"), sitting at the sushi bar allowing the chef to serve you with the freshest fish in the order he believes best.

That said, I've been craving sushi, but recently I've been dining with friends who seem fond of all food types, but with whom I’ve never eaten sushi. Interestingly enough, rarely does anyone seem like me when it comes to sushi. I did some research since I chose the restaurant, and I found a small article in New York magazine's food blog "Grub Street" that seemed like the perfect spot.

The neon sign outside screamed cheezy, but the cozy interior, with about 6 tables in the restaurant, and 3 seats at the sushi bar, was welcoming and not cramped nor crowded. The adorable hostess sat us immediately; fortunately, I had made a reservation since there were a number of patrons waiting to dine.

On my first visit, we were waiting for a friend to arrive, so we ordered edamame. Service was kind, but inefficient, and tables were passed over and forgotten, particularly ours. When our delayed friend finally did arrive, it took over an hour for our water and green tea to be served, our bottle of wine to be opened (oh, did I mention Genji is BYO? Very appealing... but after what felt like hours - ok, minutes - of waiting, I finally asked the waitress for her corkscrew and opened the bottle myself), for glasses for the wine to arrive and for our order to be taken. The edamame certainly didn't hold us over, nor was it that remarkable.

When we finally did order, we began with the sea urchin (uni) tempura, which surprised me because the sea urchin was still relatively raw (which most restaurants cannot get right) while the tempura was crispy, a bit heavy, and not greasy, but the ratio of batter to sea urchin was disproportionate, and the sea urchin flavor was lost in the mess of batter. Next we received the Mountain Fuji, a cucumber roll, topped with a heaping dollop of spicy tuna sprinkled with tempura crunchies, which was the perfect appetizer to share. This was followed by a piece of nigiri salmon toro (belly), which was delightful and fresh.

We waited for our next course to be served; in the meantime, the table next to ours was seated, served multiple courses and finished before we even saw our entrees. The restaurant did recognize this and apologized, and we were served a complimentary appetizer (the same Mountain Fuji that we had just finished), but it just left us hungrier for the rest of our food.

My three dining companions shared a number of Genji’s special rolls, including the Genji Roll, a shrimp tempura roll, the Special Roll, as well as a yellowtail-jalapeno roll. I ordered a la carte sashimi of ama ebi (sweet shrimp), baby yellowtail, striped bass, scallop and uni (sea urchin) as well as a spicy tuna roll. Everything we ordered was quite good; the rolls were less imaginative than you’d hope for “special” rolls. Service, despite the diminutive size of the restaurant, continued to be terribly slow; we had to ask for tea and water multiple times before receiving any.

This feeling was just enforced on my second visit with two friends, where I tried the dish similar to the Mountain Fuji, but with spicy real crabmeat on an avocado roll. However, my spicy crabmeat, which was sparse, unlike its spicy tuna counterpart, was served over a cucumber roll by mistake. I didn't point it out because I didn't want to wait another hour to eat. The a la carte fish was of the same freshness, although salmon toro was not available on this visit.

Although displeased with the service, we certainly were not displeased with the bill. With tip and tax, the total on each visit were both around $25 per person. Of course, being BYO helped. Next time I'll just be sure to invite a friend who I haven't caught up with for a long while.

The Stanton Social

99 Stanton Street between Ludlow and Orchard Streets (Lower East Side)

New York, NY 10002

(212) 995-0099

Subway: F/V to 2nd Avenue; J/M/Z to Essex Street

Bus: M14A/15 to Houston Street; M21 to Allen or Essex Streets

I love to plan dinners with friends, and with the new year upon us, I thought it would be a fortuitous 2007 to begin the year with a close-friend dinner. I chose The Stanton Social because I had heard good things, I love sharing and tasting, and I figured it may not be too expensive for a group. Also, the reservation was easy to get for a group of 8 on a Wednesday at 7pm (using OpenTable).

Although I arrived 15 minutes late, I was still the first one there, but my dining companions followed soon after. The restaurant was also incredibly accommodating when my table of 8 became 10. A modern loungey entrance greets you as you enter on the main floor of the restaurant with comfortable banquette-like seating on your right, although this sleek look was hampered by a makeshift coat check and coat rack on this cool January night. We were seated on the second floor where a full bar sat in the center surrounded by a dining room. When side-by-side, the chairs at our table, although incredibly comfortable and inviting, didn't allow space for one to be seated at the table without pulling the entire chair out and letting everyone on that side in; I found this annoying and therefore, didn't want to get up the entire meal in order to avoid disturbing my fellow diners.

Everyone at the table was starving, so we decided to order three dishes for every two people; we could always order more as needed. When I asked our server what he recommended, he told me that the French onion soup dumplings were the most popular item on the menu. This annoyed me. I didn't ask for the most popular item; I wanted to know what HE recommended. Strike one against the waiter. (Aside: one of my friends there had tried the French onion soup dumplings before and didn't feel they were worth ordering again.)

We divided the table in half to make ordering and sharing easier. Our side of the table decided on red snapper tacos with mango & avocado salsa, duck confit empanadas, "old school" meatballs with herbed ricotta crepe manicotti, charred squid lettuce wraps with three sauces, braised short rib soft tacos with refried white beans, manchego and tomato relish and finally the dry-aged grilled hanger steak served with pillows of blue cheese. Dishes were served as they were ready and were slightly difficult to share amongst five people, but each person was more considerate of the next, and we made do. What the waiter did not explain was that it's possible to make each dish to serve the number of people you're with (strike two) -- so if the dish generally serves 3, you can ask for a serving for 5 at an additional cost.

We received the red snapper tacos and duck confit empanadas immediately, and I thought the tacos were fresh, flavorful and delicious especially with a squeeze of lime which added a brightness. The empanadas were dry, including the filling, which was disappointing. This could have been remedied, or at least helped, by the blood orange sauce that accompanied it, but one of the busboys took the dipper away before I was able to decide either way.

The charred squid were wonderful, a touch spicy, tender, not chewy or rubbery at all, and had been seasoned and marinated well. Each of the sauces that came with the lettuce wraps added a lovely accent that piqued our tastebuds, and had us wondering what each flavor was (without peeking back at the menu). When we were out of lettuce, I was happy to just munch on the remaining squid. The short rib soft tacos was more filling than we expected, and it was a perfect dish to share amongst our group. I enjoyed the "mini-taco bar" feel that the accompaniments gave to the dish. The short-ribs had been braised well, so that the meat was tender and had the depth of flavor that you would expect.

Our final dishes, the meatballs and hanger steak, came out together. The meatballs were soft and quite good in a bold tomato sauce that almost hid the manicotti which it all sat atop. The manicotti were good, but I prefer manicotti in a more structured tube than the soft crepe that this one had. The hanger steak was also good, cooked medium-rare as requested; however, the blue-cheese pillows that were found in the dish threw off the entire flavor of the meal (and I like blue cheese!), and I wasn't able to get rid of it from that point on. Everything else that I nibbled on the rest of the evening was plagued with the lingering flavor of that rancid cheese.

Although we were all pretty stuffed by the end of it, we decided to try the cookie sampler, which was a disappointing end to a decent meal. The waiter did not indicate which cookies were which, and it was basically trial and error as we went through the plate... mostly errors.

We had some problems with our bill, where our server overcharged us, but he rectified the situation as soon as I said something. Service was slow, and a bit bumbly, but this seems to be the vibe that The Stanton Social tries to achieve. I never felt hurried by the staff; in fact, I felt that I needed to hurry the waiter a bit.

The Stanton Social definitely has things going for it: cool owners, some good dishes, a well-decorated great space (I loved the antique hand mirrors on the walls that gave a vintage twist to the modern look)... and most importantly, a rather inexpensive tab, food-wise: only $35 per person. Keep in mind, we did not drink (I had a raucous evening involving too much Jameson the night before), and there was no raw bar on this occasion, but if you're looking for a fun place to go with a group, definitely keep The Stanton Social in mind.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar
(Korean?)
207 Second Avenue at 13th Street (East Village)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500
Subway: 4/5/6/N/Q/R/W to 14th Street (Union Square); L to 3rd Avenue or 1st Avenue
Bus: M15/101/102/103 to 14th Street; M14A/14D to 2nd Avenue


I’ve been wanting to try David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar for what feels like ages, but since my husband is has an aversion to Asian food, I’ve limited my consumption since we’ve been married (coincidentally, his aversion began AFTER we were married; prior to saying “I do”, my husband would eagerly accompany me on my Asian food forays). Now that he and I are bicoastal, my goal is to eat everything that he wouldn’t eat whenever I possibly can.

That said, a girlfriend and I made plans to meet at Momofuku Noodle Bar one blustery Saturday evening; on my arrival, a crowd had already formed around the narrow front, and I was told the wait would be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. She and I were both famished, so when the hostess suggested the newly opened Momofuku Ssäm Bar around the corner (and also told us there would be no wait), we started walking.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar sits on a great corner, with a much more contemporary Asian feel than the rest of the block. The restaurant opens up to the street with no doors or windows, and was refreshing, perhaps slightly chilly. A long bar runs the length of the room, but it seemed no one was serving at the bar that night. It looked deserted besides a few lone diners. I looked around, hoping to be seated, but then I realized the place was entirely cafeteria-style. We walked to the steam bar kitchen, and I perused the limited menu of ssäm, which is Korean for “wrap”. The options include a flour wrap (which I’ve never seen before on a Korean menu), lettuce wrap, nori (seaweed) wrap or just a plain old rice bowl or chap chae (Korean glass noodles) bowl. A list of addable items are both written out and shown to you; as you walk down the line, you choose which items you’d like to include in your ssäm (options include a form of protein (pork, chicken, beef brisket and/or braised tofu) and a number of veggies (bacon black beans, red azuki beans, edamame, roasted onions, pickled shiitakes, marinated cucumbers, slaw, bean sprouts, red kimchee puree, white kimchee puree and whipped tofu)). Basically, it felt like a choose-your-own-adventure bibimbap (Korean rice mixed with vegetables and beef). There is one pre-planned “original” Momofuku Ssäm that is rice wrapped in a flour pancake with the pork, onions, edamame, shiitake and red kimchi puree. Also, an item from the Noodle Bar menu, the steamed buns, were also included on this menu.

I went simple with the Bibb lettuce Ssäm with beef, red kimchee puree, shiitakes, cucumbers, bean sprouts and whipped tofu. The other additions just didn’t seem to sound as though they’d mix well together. We also chose an order of the steamed pork buns, since they were carryover from Momofuku Noodle Bar.

I find it curious when a chef leaves the diners’ fate in their own hands. A wrong combination and a meal can go completely awry. In my case, it was fine, but I felt that the beef could’ve been shredded or cut smaller to be easier to wrap in the lettuce. I loved the whipped tofu, but it required a healthy dose squirt of Sriracha. The pork buns were delicious and perfectly balanced, and I know now why people rave about them. But everything else was just fine, and unfortunately, nothing was memorable.

I’ll definitely try to get into Momofuku Noodle Bar again sometime, and perhaps even stop at the Ssäm Bar again, as they have grand plans to extend their hours, and I hope change or add to their menu. But for now, I’ll stick with good ol’ Koreatown for my ssäm cravings.

Seoul Garden
34 W. 32nd Street, 2nd Floor, between 5th Ave/Broadway (Garment District/Koreatown)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 564-8200
Subway: B/D/F/N/Q/R/V/W to 34th Street
Bus: M2/3/4/5/6/7 to 34th Street; Q32 to 6th Avenue/Broadway


Although I have a favorite restaurant in Koreatown (Kunjip), I am open-minded when it comes to food, so when a good friend recommended that we try Seoul Garden, I was game. Also known as Natural Tofu, this second floor establishment has a great location amongst the Korean restaurant biggies (Kum Gang San and Kang Suh). To be honest, I’m not quite sure how she found Seoul Garden; walking down 32nd Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue, you’d be surprised to see how many Korean restaurants can be crammed into one small block. To try each of them (and to be disappointed, mostly) is an endeavor.

As I climbed the stairs with a rickety railing to enter the restaurant, there were a number of people climbing up or down, crowding the staircase. The stairway had a damp moldy smell and was dimly lit, but this did not deter me.

A table for two was hard to come by, and similar to Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, we were asked if we would mind sharing a table. The restaurant décor was definitely lacking; tables almost looked as though they had been set up cafeteria-style, which would benefit large groups or families. We were seated at a table for six, directly across from a waiter station, and a bit too close to the bathrooms (guarded and blocked by a screen).

We were asked twice within minutes of sitting down if we knew what we’d like to order. I wasn’t expecting stellar service, but this was ridiculous… we hadn’t even received menus yet! Since this restaurant’s other identity was Natural Tofu, I thought it wise to at least try one tofu dish on the menu. My friend ordered a combination plate of soon dubu (spicy soft tofu soup) and kalbi (beef short ribs). I had a very homestyle dish of kong biji chigae (ground bean stew with pork). The menu was relatively expansive, covering a fair number of Korean dishes. After we ordered, another twosome was seated at the other end of our table.

The kalbi was unfortunate: overcooked and sliced too thin, this was obviously budget kalbi (perhaps because it came with the well-priced combination dish?). The meat also had not been trimmed well, so bites consisted of chewy fat and gristle. It also tasted as if it had been cooked earlier, reheated and then served… perhaps, their method of getting people in and out quickly.

The soon dubu soup was unnoteworthy. My friend commented that the soup tasted like instant soup with MSG. And that was exactly how my kong biji chigae tasted, very MSG-laden. It also had a very murky color, which isn’t the way it’s supposed to look. When I had kong biji in Seoul (the best I’ve ever had… in Seoul they have places dedicated to one specific dish, like kong biji), the color was bright, and the finely ground beans still maintained an even color.

The best perk of Korean food is the banchan, the small plates that are served with your meal. Almost like a meal in and of itself, banchan accompanies all Korean meals, and they’re always free (unless you go to some of these new trendy Korean spots that will charge you for them). Unfortunately, this banchan was no perk. One of ours was a leftover cold chicken cutlet sliced. It tasted old. Nothing was exciting, nothing tasted good.

Overall, this was probably the worst Korean restaurant I’ve been to in America. Although our food was brought out quickly, we didn’t receive menus upon sitting, yet were asked to order. None of our banchan was replenished. And after we finished, we immediately received our check. We let it sit, in order to continue our conversation, but the waiters hovered over us, ready to clear us out and let the next twosome in.

The only compliment I can give Seoul Garden is that their busboys are well-trained. Our dishes were cleared immediately after we finished, and they continually refilled our water throughout our meal, a less common trait amongst Asian restaurants in general. And if that was the best part of the meal, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to try Seoul Garden.

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.

Peasant
194 Elizabeth Street between Prince and Spring Streets (NoLIta)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-9511
Subway: 6 to Spring Street; N/R to Prince Street; B/D/F/V to Broadway-Lafayette Streets; J/M/Z to Bowery
Bus: M1/103 to Spring Street


After attending a birthday dinner here last month, Peasant has been fresh on our mind, so when it came time to have dinner with my husband’s friends before he leaves for the West Coast, Peasant was at the top of the list.

Coincidentally, I lived above Peasant for two years back when NoLIta was just beginning its surge in popularity. Although we had dined there once before and enjoyed it, it was slightly out of my budget for everyday eating. We would, however, enjoy drinks at the bar (and the delicious bread and fresh ricotta cheese from DiPalo’s) as regularly as we could afford. The vibe was always good, and the dimly-lit, sexy restaurant still brings in the same trendy beautiful people that is perfect for people-watching.

On our last visit, we fell in love with this inexpensive ($35) bottle of sparkling red wine (Ermete Medici Solo Lambrusco 2004), and I enjoyed it so much, that I was unable to write my review based on that meal because I wasn’t sure if it was me, or the Lambrusco, talking. We actually had the same waiter on our 2nd night there (Costantino from Australia), and after ordering two bottles of the Lambrusco, he immediately recognized me from our recent visit.

The menu is in Italian and requires a translator (aka the waiter). Do not hesitate to ask many questions or have them repeat selections. Also, everything is cooked in the wood-fire oven (basically the only electricity is the lights and music) so it takes time.

Bocconcini (mozzarella bites wrapped in prosciutto, then baked in the wood-fire oven), brought oohs and aahs to the table during translation and tasted just as good (although not mind-blowing) when ordered. Polpi in Purgatorio, octopus in a spicy red-chile, garlic oil was amazing with each perfectly-cooked tender delicious tentacle. The sardine appetizer is loved by many, just not me; three sardines cooked whole were just too bony for me to enjoy without getting my hands dirty. The black chickpea soup (zuppa di ceci nero or something like that), a special of the evening, piqued my interest, but enough food had been ordered so unfortunately, I was denied.

The pizza margherita, which we ordered for the table, had amazing crust and sauce, but there wasn’t enough mozzarella to balance the crust and sauce. Next time I will try the one I wanted: pizza speck e rucola (pizza with speck & arugula), but Costa thought it best that we try the margherita if we hadn’t tried their pizzas before.

My husband had a special for the evening, a sugar pumpkin risotto, which was perfectly cooked, but tasted nothing of pumpkin. A delicious chicken broth-flavor resounded deeply, and hints of the nutty grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese were obvious, but pumpkin was lacking.

As usual, I couldn’t decide (I really wanted the lamb served over polenta (agnello con polenta), but after discussing with the waiter, I chose to have the suckling pig again (porchetta arrosto). He was right: if I didn’t have the pig again, I would continue to fantasize about the dish until I had it again. Fortunately, it delivered again; it really was as good as I remembered. Under the crispy skin was deliciously juicy meat, slightly gamy, in a good way, served with creamy tender potatoes. Since I don’t feel comfortable enough with my husband’s friends to share, I was only able to try one other dish, the gnocchi, which was light, but gummy.

Peasant isn’t going anywhere, considering the high-end clientele they entertain. On our previous visit we saw Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes and Elijah Wood (he’ll always be known to me as “Frodo”). Someone thought the guy from Chumbawumba was there, although it was debated whether it was him or the guy from Smashmouth. So many dishes on the menu sound wonderful: the lamb, the arugula & speck pizza, the pasta with clams, the grilled orata… and if nothing else, the chewy bread with DiPalo’s ricotta and olive oil will bring me back to Peasant.