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.

Ideya
349 W. Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts. (Soho)
NY, NY 10013
(212) 625 1441
http://www.ideya.net/index.html
A, C, E train to Canal Street; 1, 9 to Canal Street; W, N, R, Q, 6, J, M, Z to Canal Street (it’s pretty convenient to get to via subway…)

If you like no hassle, good service, a little noise, and can accept standard Latin American cuisine, Ideya might be the place for you. Unlike many of its West Broadway neighbors, Ideya somehow manages to keep a decent mix of young professionals drinking at the bar and eating casual dinners without overcrowding. For example, I planned a Friday night dinner for 19 people at 9:30pm and was able to get the reservation on Thursday evening, as in Thursday evening, the night before my dinner. That’s pretty impressive when I’m used to such New York-ness as calling a restaurant precisely one month in advance at the exact time the restaurant opens for a reservation or waiting around the block for over an hour for a table at a good but tiny downtown restaurant. Heck, New Yorkers wait an hour in line for a cupcake.

The menu at Ideya is very straightforward. There are about 10 entrée options and very few stand out. Out of the group of 19 of us, most got the Papaya-barbecued Argentinian skirt steak, a few got the Dorado a la Veracruzana (pan roasted mahi mahi with black olives and avocado salsa), and two got the Asopao de Mariscos (stew with shrimp, snapper, and mussels). For being barbecued with papaya, the steak was not sweet at all (I was pleased). It was a good size and came with french fries (but screw the fries and eat more of the yummy plantain chips they serve at the table in lieu of bread). If you told me that I was eating a skirt steak from a bistro, I would have believed you. It was $22. The mahi mahi was basic and I hate to say this, but the olives were definitely straight out of the can. The soup was the lightest of the three entrees I tried. It wasn’t outstanding, but I have no actual complaints.

If you must get sides, the rice and black beans and tostones are decent. DO get the pitchers of mojitos if you’re in a large group. They don’t seem like a great deal because of their hefty price tag ($60), but for a group, they are pretty cost effective. The mojitos are a 7 out of 10 taste and presentation-wise (I wasn’t expecting a fancy, Milk and Honey labor of love-type drink), but each pitcher fills about 7 to 8 large tumblers. If I were to choose a meal for my next meal at Ideya, I’d go with the free plantain chips, Argentinian skirt steak, the Banana Tres Leches cake for dessert, and a pitcher of mojitos.

For the location and the convenience, Ideya has great prices. If you can’t stand to eat just decent food, you may want to skip dinner here and just opt to sit at the bar for drinks. It may be the only place on West Broadway where real estate (read: a bar stool) is relatively cheap.

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.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Foreign Cinema
(Californian, Mediterranean)
2534 Mission Street between 21st and 22nd Sts. (Mission)
San Francisco, CA 941
415 648 7600
BART to 24th Street

Foreign Cinema seems to always creep into conversations with friends as the kind of place you have to go to at least once (film classics projected onto the wall during dinner, part outdoor-part indoor space, etc.), so I figured I’d give it a try for brunch this past Sunday while in San Francisco for the weekend.

To my surprise, there wasn’t a wait for a table for two for brunch at 12:30pm. A friend and I sat down immediately at a table inside, tucked into an area adjacent to the fireplace which is centrally located in Foreign Cinema. The menu is extensive for brunch, including an impressive raw bar with a wide selection of oysters. There are plenty of egg options, as well as heartier lunch-type options, like chicken or even carpaccio. And, they even have the light eater’s fruit options.

To start, we ordered a half dozen Kumamoto oysters and a red endive and little gem salad with buttermilk-herb dressing. The oysters were as good as the average good Kumamoto, and the salad, albeit tiny, was delicious. It was fresh, tasty, tiny, and surprisingly over $8. The dressing is lightly-tossed so if you like a zestier salad, be sure to ask for additional dressing on the side.

Afterwards, my friend enjoyed a Croque Monsieur with cornichon and salad, and I had Dungeness crab from the raw bar. The sandwich was everything a Croque Monsieur should be, nothing further, but nonetheless, a good sandwich. A Croque Monsieur is what I like to call grilled cheese with ham in my non-fancy lingo. It was a large sandwich considering what I was expecting. The salad accompanying the sandwich was obviously the younger sibling of my salad. It was basic and tasty like my own but about the size of the cornichon sitting besides it.

The Dungeness crab, I warn you, is served as-is. You crack, you search, you find your own food for this 20+ minutes of eating. If I had known that the restaurant wasn’t doing any helpful cracking beforehand, I would not have ordered such a messy and intense dish (intense = focused = no conversation with friend for all 20 minutes). Basically, it was like eating all the tiny legs of a lobster without the satisfaction of a claw or a tail. A piece of meat about the size of my pinky nail was grounds for rejoice.

Alongside our meal, we had fresh-squeezed lemonade and pink grapefruit juice. The pink grapefruit juice was stellar and the lemonade would have been, too, if it were not for the seltzer added to dumb down the tartness of the drink. The bread basket is generous and with great fortune since the bread was delicious and the portions were smaller than I had anticipated.

Overall, Foreign Cinema met my expectations. It was a reliable brunch, the menu had great options for even the fussy diner in your party, and it was a pleasant venue. Be warned: the price tag isn’t pretty for an I’m-hungry-in-an-hour brunch.

The Ethiopian Restaurant
1582 York Avenue between 83rd and 84th Streets (Upper East Side)
NY, NY 10028
(212) 717 7311
4/5/6 trains to 86th Street, Bus M15 to 86th Street

Would you like to hear a sentence that sounds more like a contradiction? The Ethiopian Restaurant serves good ethnic food on the Upper East Side.

Finding good food on the Upper East Side has been a challenge. Food is more likely to be described as overpriced, just okay, or reliable (when an expletive is not used, that is). Finding good ethnic food has been a challenge squared. So, when I found The Ethiopian Restaurant, an unpretentious gem in Yorkville, imagine my glee.

A group of friends and I went on a recent Friday night. We made a reservation ahead of time which was unnecessary. At around 8:00pm, the restaurant was about half full – young couples occupied most of the tables. The dining room upon entering is about 8 tables and there is an additional room in the back which wasn’t being used that night. The service is laid back but not in a bad way – just don’t expect a waitress doting on you because it will not happen. The décor is minimalist.

We ordered Tibs Wot (strips of beef cooked in a brown sauce in traditional spices), Yebeg Alecha (chunky lamb stew seasoned with garlic, turmeric, and ginger), and the Ethiopian vegetarian combo. The combo consisted of Shiro (chick peas in a spicy sauce), Misr Wot (lentils stewed in red pepper sauce), Yater Kik Alecha (split peas mildly flavored with garlic, ginger, and turmeric), Yabesh Gomen (collard greens cooked with green pepper and garlic), and Fossolia (string beans and carrots cooked with onion and garlic). All was presented atop injera bread (unleavened sourdough bread that is communally shared with the table).

Both meat dishes were great. If you like a seasoned, stewed meat, you will love the lamb and beef. The lentils were awesome – spicy and delicious. Although the Shiro is sold as Ethiopian hummus gone spicy, it really takes nothing like hummus. It is much more ground up and much spicier. The restaurant’s version was very good. The string beans were good but not nearly as good as the string beans at Meskerem (I’ve been to both Bleecker Street and W. 47th Street Meskerems and the food is quite good). Injera is always delicious although this time it was flimsier than I am used to. But, if you love Injera like I do (and crave it like I do), you will settle for the semi-translucent type that the restaurant was serving.

We ordered a bottle of Shiraz off the minimal wine list. It was $30 and a decent bottle.

As a huge fan of Meskerem, I will say that the food at The Ethiopian Restaurant is not as delicious, but a very deserving option on a night where you are on the Upper East Side and just don’t feel like trekking to one of Meskerem’s three Manhattan locations (the third one is on W. 67th and Amsterdam) or on a night you just want to try someone else’s take on Ethiopian.

I am very excited I found this place. You can bet I’ll be back there soon. Like I said, I have cravings for injera...