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.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

La Ciccia

291 30th Street at Church Street (Noe Valley)

San Francisco, CA 94131

(415) 550-8114

By Muni: J Church to 30th Street

Since I've been spending way more time in the Bay Area than in New York City recently, I've spent an inordinate amount of time on Chowhound.com. Because of my love for food and restaurants, I can spend hours and hours perusing the posts, and I've even started to post myself. But I take everything with a grain of salt, since I don't know these people, and similar to Zagat ratings and comments, I never know if I can really trust those who post and their food tastes. That said, there are some names on the San Francisco Bay Area Board that I'm beginning to trust after reading many, many of their posts, and upon one of those user's recommendations, I made a dinner reservation at La Ciccia, which he deemed one of the best new restaurants of 2006.

La Ciccia specializes in food from Sardinia, an island off the Western coast of Italy sitting in the Mediterranean Sea. I've never been to Sardinia nor Italy -- quelle horreur! -- but I imagined the possibilities to expect from La Ciccia with Sardinia's Italian and Mediterranean influences.

The restaurant is cozy with perhaps 12 rustic tables, and we were seated towards the back near the kitchen. There is a small bar where you can also sit, sip and/or dine. Most of the other tables were occupied, and with the cool breeze coming in through the front door, I was happy to be seated in the rear.

I tried to order "family-style" since a number of dishes on the menu plus the specials sounded excellent. We began with a special antipasti platter of prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto di San Danielle, housemade head cheese and pancetta. All of the meats were delightful, particularly the flavorful headcheese. My mom thought the pancetta was unbearably fatty (I ate the portion she tore off), and although successful platters like this are a dime a dozen, everything was fresh and tasty. Soon after, we received our next dish, a special white pizza with sauteed oyster and porcini mushrooms and shaved black truffles. The husband thought he'd be able to pick off the mushrooms, but since they were sauteed, the juices melded with the cheese and seeped into the perfectly chewy yet crisp crust. It was an amazing combination, although I felt that the black truffles were slightly subdued.

We followed these with a pasta course, housemade tagliatelle with crab, which we shared. This dish was memorable. Delicious, sweet chunks of fresh Dungeness crab in a slightly spicy tomato sauce enveloped each chewy noodle... this was exactly what I had imagined, but better.

Our main courses included a whole dorade baked with salt, pepper and fish stock and a ravioli special stuffed with butternut squash and orange zest. The orange zest threw us off a touch, since the flavor hit as you swallowed each bite, and I think it overpowered the delicate flavor of each ravioli. The delicate dorade was perfectly cooked and absolutely excellent. My mom had never had dorade before, and she was amazed at the light flavor of this local Mediterranean fish.

We finished with dessert, a poached apple dish with vanilla gelato both of which were heavy on spice particularly clove (my husband actually felt like he was "eating a clove cigarette"). However, we certainly did not let the less-than-successful dessert bring down our elation on the overly successful dinner. Additionally, the service was prompt and more homey than formal. The waitstaff were more like friends who made excellent suggestions and brought what you needed without being stiff.

I know it'll be hard to get back here since a) I don't live in San Francisco (yet), and b) there are so many amazing restaurants in the area, but my goal is to try La Ciccia again at least once a season to truly get the local, seasonal flavors in excellent, well-priced dishes.

‘inoteca
98 Rivington Street at Ludlow (Lower East Side)
NY, NY 10002
(212) 614 0473
www.inotecanyc.com

For some reason, our large dinners with friends are always on the Lower East Side these days. The fact that Lower East Side restaurants are generally quite small is why I find this awfully ironic. On a recent Wednesday night, my 13 closest friends and I shared a table in the wine cellar at ‘inoteca. I hosted a dinner party in the same space a year and a half ago and was generally pleased with the food, the wine, and especially, the space. The wine cellar is a scrappier version of Oceana’s private wine cellar and a great deal for anyone looking to have a large dinner party on a budget. The cellar is reserved for large parties and both times I used the space, there was another large party set up adjacent to our table in a pseudo shout match fashion, table versus table. There is a slight catch to acquiring this relatively cheap party venue – the mandatory tasting menu. Although the set menu makes ordering, eating, and calculating the tab a much simpler procedure, it would have been sort of nice if the food was actually good.

Given that we also paid for one additional person’s 4-course meal (first course, second course, cheese course, and dessert) because a friend wasn’t able to make it to dinner last minute, as well as the number of people who were eating light that night, I figured there would be plenty of food, which ‘inoteca serves family style, for each person. This certainly was not the case. Plates were delivered from one person to the next, like a well-oiled assembly line running at top speed, with each person taking a small morsel and passing the plate on. I was starving, but there was no part of me that wanted the beets and orange salad and I knew from my first helping how bland the romaine, radicchio, and ricotta salad actually was. Since I do not eat pork, I skipped most of the charcuterie plate except for the bresaola which was decent.

The second course consisted of meatballs (polpette), polenta, a dish called lasagnette di melanzane which was halfway between lasagna and eggplant parmesan, and panini sandwiches, either sopressata and goat cheese or roasted vegetables and ricotta. The paninis’ bread to meat/cheese ratio was pathetic and a crime for anyone who would even consider doing the South Beach Diet. Although pathetically boring, the paninis were plentiful. The eggplant itself was tasty, but not nearly as good as I remember the $4 eggplant parmesan at Joe’s pizzeria in Mamaroneck, NY being during my teenage years. I treated ‘inoteca’s dishes like a takeout order of mediocre Indian curry and rice by mixing the eggplant and polenta to create a halfway pleasant meal.

If I had known what to expect of the cheese course, I would not have dared to call the panini pathetic and would have waited for the following course. There was barely enough fruits and cheeses to feed about 6 people and the entire table was starving from being underfed and overall dissatisfied with the skimpiness of each dish. Skimpy, as in its ability to satiate. A meal should always be satisfying whether it be exactly what you were in the mood for or not. Satisfaction isn’t only about no longer feeling hungry. It’s also about believing that the chef combined and balanced the flavors and textures of a meal well. At least well enough to leave you feeling content afterwards. Unfortunately, I was left with an overwhelming emptiness following my first three courses.

Things improved slightly once the bite-size nutella paninis were served – they were devoured in record time and only about one or two people had the fortune of having two and not just one panini. The best part of the meal, unfortunately (or fortunately), was the last thing served to us and it was delivered in a tiny shot glass – affogato, a mix of espresso powder with hot water, chocolate ice cream (or gelato), and whipped cream.

We didn’t have time to discuss the meal or even the affogato because before we knew it, the two hours we were allotted the table had expired. The check arrived wrapped up in yet another tiny glass, this time a drinking glass. The meal was less than $65 per person including the bottles of unremarkable wine we had drank to help forget about the even less remarkable food.

I guess you get what you pay for.

Limon
524 Valencia Street between 16th/17th Streets (Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 252-0918

After driving around and around and around on the hunt for parking remotely near the restaurant (allow some time to find a spot), we walked into the restaurant at 7:30pm on a Friday evening, and the place was packed and bustling.

We were quickly ushered to a cold corner table on the mezzanine level right by a waiters’ station. As we sat down, I eyed a delicious-looking dish at the table next to ours. My mom pointed out some food at another table. We were obviously hungry.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not an expert when it comes to Central/South American food. We chose Limon because Sister#1 (based in San Francisco) had been and highly recommended the restaurant. Plus, whenever we’re in the city, we like to bring my mom somewhere new and different.

We decided on a fairly inexpensive bottle of Grenache and some appetizers, but the waiter suggested we order everything (wines, appetizers and entrees) now, otherwise, we’d expect a long wait between courses.

We chose two ceviches, the ceviche Limon, a mixed seafood and fish ceviche served classic Peruvian style with giant Peruvian corn kernels and yam, and a crème ceviche with mixed seafood and a rocoto cream sauce. Both were good, although the shrimp in both looked limp.

Additional appetizers chosen included the fried calamari and the soup of the day (butternut squash). The soup was garnished with a savory cannoli-esque crouton filled with crème fraiche. Although a touch sweeter than I had hoped, the soup hit the spot in the cold drafty corner of the restaurant. We asked multiple times about the fried calamari and received the same answer each time: “I’ll check, I’m sure it’s on its way.”

When our entrees arrived, the fried calamari appetizer accompanied the lomo saltado (sliced sirloin with onions, tomatoes, French fries and rice) and picante de mariscos (mixed seafood in an Adresso cream sauce). I couldn’t resist the truffled macaroni and cheese that was offered as a side. Lomo saltado is a delicious Peruvian dish, but this one skimped on the meat and flavor. The seafood dish was quite good, served with a side of rice; it reminded me of Thai curry, but creamier. The fried calamari was probably the best of all, crispy, perfectly cooked and drizzled with a delicious chipotle aioli.

Unfortunately, at this point we were all stuffed. I took a couple bites of the not-so-truffled mac & cheese (perhaps Peruvian truffles are much more mild than Italian??), but I thought it best to bring it home and enjoy it the next day.

Despite the waiter’s advice and our proximity to the waiters' station, service was slow, and we obviously had a communication issue (i.e., fried calamari), but the food was decent, albeit pricey for what it was. I would stick with the ceviches and seafood dishes if I were to go back, but chances are… I won’t return.