Pino

With no signage, it took me foreverto figure out the name of the new wine bar in my neighborhood.  I finally learned it was called Pino when I got close enough to pick up a menu from one of the tables.  I put my bag down while I was reading what they had to offer and by that point there was no turning back.  When the big work tote hits the floor, I've settled in for the evening.

It was a long day.  The kind where the emails didn't stop til after my bedtime.  I wanted wine.  I deserved wine.  That's their jam at Pino so I had plenty to choose from.  My only critique is that no glass was less than $11.  I would have loved a nice $9 glass...then I would have probably ordered three instead of two.  The only other downside was the meat and cheese plate.  Just not up to snuff.  I was a little concerned about how the rest of the meal would be, but my complaints end here.  I felt like I had to order the shrimp after the bartender said "the sauce is fucking unbelievable."  He was right, thought I wouldn't call it a sauce so much as a slightly spicy tomato broth filled with corn and heart of palm.  I also loved the turkey meatballs in red wine sauce.  I tried to see if I could get the chef to admit to putting pork or veal in there because I thought there was no way that could just be turkey.

I love how intimate this place is.  You can't get away without having a conversation with the chef and bartenter because everything is kind of on top of each other.  The tables are spaced out enough but the bar feeds right into the kitchen area and everybody seems to pitch in where needed.  The ease of striking up a conversation is what makes it a neighborhood spot.  The guy next to us at the bar was all too eager to chat about our common 'hood and when the bartender was disappointed not to get a girl's number before she left he responded "no big, they're here every week."  People want our Murray Hill to become a place where people want to stay instead of the transient area it has a reputation of being and Pino is doing its part to help.

ABC Cocina

My meal at ABC Kitchen did not disappoint, so I had high hopes for ABC Cocina, the latest and greatest restaurant from the group.  I am happy to report that Jean-Georges has done it again.  And I should know because I ate half the menu.

We started with two of the waiter's recommendations, the spring pea guacamole and the cured salmon with yogurt and crispy potato strips.  He has been at the restaurant since it opened a year ago so he has tried everything they have to offer and was able to point us in the right direction.  One bite of the guac and we knew he would not lead us astray.  He became our ABC Cocina spirit guide.

The guac was still primarily avocado, but small touches like pea shoots and sunflower seeds made it better without alienating guacamole purists.  The salmon was also wonderful.  Not too salty and the extra yogurt was a great dip for the leftover tortilla chips.  Our spirit guide next told us to order the shrimp in "agua diablo".  It was a spicy ceviche style dish with the most interesting addition of banana.  It's just such a crazy pairing that it works (I think because it was just a touch of banana).  For our next dish we went with something our waiter did not directly point out - how dare we!  Thankfully, the calamari with ancho chili glaze (not pictured) was still a winner for our table.  That's definitely because the glaze had something like blackberries in it.  It didn't drench the squid and was enough to make a believer out of me, a gal who prefers not to order calamari as often since it's served just about everywhere.  Back on track with our waiter's recos we ordered the arroz con pollo, served family style like paella.  It takes 40 minutes to prepare so I suggest you put your order in when you sit down because it is the perfect dish to break up all the other tapas items.  The next round of dishes consisted of tacos (crispy fish and short rib - not pictured) and asparagus.  All were delicious though the asparagus felt a bit small.  I also thought the short rib tacos had some extra unnecessary spice.  For dessert the waiter told us not to order the "impossible" flan, as intrigued as I was.  He said it was the worst one on the menu and instead suggested the vanilla fritters and rice pudding.  He had been right throughout the whole meal so we stuck with him for dessert.  I didn't think the fritters were anything special (like a more liquid profiterole), but the rice pudding with raspberry preserves and (I think) candied orange peel was great.  I was pretty shocked by how much I liked it since I'm not really a rice pudding person.  I think I said the same thing about ABC Kitchen's sundae so I continue to be surprised by the ABC desserts.  Surprise is almost always a good thing when it comes to dining.

Alder

Have you ever been disappointed in something when the outcome wasn't even that bad?  That's how I felt about Alder.  The restaurant had been #1 on my list for about seven months and for good reason: it earned a 2-star review from The New York Times, is currently on at least three "Best of 2013" lists, and it is an attainable avenue to try the food designed by molecular gastronomy master Wylie Dufresne.  With so many important people pulling for it, it seemed highly unlikely it would be bad.  And it wasn't bad - let me be clear - I just didn't have the culinary epiphany I thought I would have.

There were a couple of hits, the drink menu being one of them.  The Dr. Dave's Scrip Pad had the strength and earthiness I love from whisky with the tartness of yuzu.  It was a beautifully made drink.  I also like that they offer "shorts," half the portion for half the price.  It allows you to get a little taste of something which I like for two reasons: I didn't worry about committing to a $12 drink that I may not like and also because it gave me the opportunity to try several things on their well rounded cocktail menu.

I also really enjoyed the french onion soup rings.  From what I have heard about Wylie Dufresne, it seems his specialty is confusing the taste buds.  These are onion rings, thick, beer battered, and fried, just like at the best of sports bars.  But they taste like french onion soup.  If food could be a pun, this is the ultimate corny Mom joke.  My favorite dish of the night, however, had to be the dessert.  That's a very rare statement for me as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but the peanut butter cake was perfection.  The cake formed a thin shell around peanut butter and chocolate ganache lava.  I don't want to say lava because that makes it sound like just another molten lava cake from a chain restaurant which it sooo is not.  So let's call it magma.  Peanut butter magma.  When eaten with the sliced grapes, it was like a peanut butter and jelly that wasn't too sweet.

Now I feel required to warn you of the misses.  The fois gras was served on a graham cracker and was advertised as being served with pumpkin pie, pomegranate, and maple flakes.  The problem was that the fois was mixed with those ingredients to form a mousse.  It kind of ruined a beautiful ingredient.  Fois gras is very rich and therefore usually served alongside sweet ingredients, but if it's all just mixed together, you lose the richness and can no longer taste the liver.  When it comes to fois gras, I think you should get as creative and funky as you want with its sweet counterpart - just don't mix them together.  Another lackluster dish was the scotch quail eggs, which had a little too much marmalade,overpowering the sausage.

The other items fell in the middle - certainly not bad but not mind-blowing, either.  The pigs in a blanket were definitely better than anything you find at a tailgating party.  We tried the rye pasta with pastrami that bared a remarkable resemblance to a sandwich from a Jewish deli, just lighter.  We also tried the beef tongue, beets with coconut ricotta, and octopus with chorizo, sweet potato, and banana.  The octopus was probably my favorite, followed by the pasta.  Again, all was very good and worthy of multiple bites...maybe I just let all the good reviews put the restaurant on a pedestal.  Maybe I just need to stop doing that.  Pedestals are for sculptures, not restaurants.

Whitman and Bloom

When I walked by Arctica (a douchy typical Murray hill bar) and noticed it was now Whitman and Bloom I thought...oh good, Arctica 2.0.  But when Albert said that's what he wanted for his November pick, I couldn't argue.  You see, we're trying to establish a tradition where we each choose 1-2 new restaurants or bars each month to try - no vetoes allowed.  When he said that's where he wanted to go I made no complaints even though I suspected it would be overrun by Yankee frat boys.

I was floored with what they've done to the place.  You would never be able to recognize that it was once a place for sloppy make-out sessions over cheap well drinks...not that I know about that from personal experience.  The tables and chairs are dark wood while the walls are all white but in different textures.  Low lighting makes it feel romantic, not a word I would ever use to describe for the "love" connections made there.  Again, I don't know from personal experience.

The food is small plate style so Albert and I went to town.  We started with olives and then moved to a meat and cheese plate, followed by the mac and cheese, the roasted cauliflower, seared calamari, and the pulled lamb sliders.  We may have over-ordered a tad.  My favorite was the roasted cauliflower with homemade cheese though there was a bit too much of the tough stalk, even though it did make for a cool presentation.  Downsides were my overly sweet drink (the Smoked Pina) and that the waiter didn't really know anything about the cheese selection.

This is the kind of place I want to go to with my girlfriends before a night out on the town.  For the first time, I don't have to leave my neighborhood to do so.

Las Ramblas

Tapas tends to add up, which is why I was shocked that our bill at Las Ramblas was startlingly cheap.  Five of us went to this tiny West Village spot to celebrate Beth's birthday and even though we paid for Beth's portion of the tab (which included six dishes and a pitcher of sangria) it only came to $15/person (plus tip).

The first dish to come out was the tortilla espanola, what they call an omelette with aioli.  It was like a giant slice of layered potato cake - a gratin held together with egg instead of cheese.  Based on the description, this is something I have always overlooked on Spanish tapas menus so I'm glad one of the girls made the executive decision to order it for the table.  It was my favorite for the evening and I will definitely gravitate towards it on future tapas outings.  My second favorite dish was the shrimp in a white wine and garlic sauce.  The shrimp were fine, but I would have just ordered the sauce for bread sopping.  The patatas bravas were wonderful as always.  I'm not sure why people forget to order this at Spanish restaurants.  Perhaps it is because it is often listed under sides instead of with the other dishes, but the pimenton aioli that is always drizzled on top makes these potatoes anything but ordinary.  Calamari is a crowd pleaser, and these were not overly breaded, though they didn't stand out.  The chicken empanada was good but not as special as the other dishes.  Finally, we ordered a spinach dish that was basically the cheesiest creamed spinach I've ever had...which means it was some of the best.

It's rare to get out so cheap at a tapas place.  Rarer still to manage such a feat in the West Village.  Las Ramblas may not be as good as someplace like Boqueria, but the deal factor makes it zoom several spots up on the tapas list.

      

Silk Rd Tavern

New restaurants could learn a lot from Silk Rd Tavern.  When you're new to the neighborhood, stellar service is a great way to cement your stake in the foodie community, especially when you have the food to back it up.  Steph and I arrived at the new Flatiron restaurant ready to sample the menu that looked so yummy online.  After a Spicy Thai Margarita (tequila, tamarind, chilis - YUM in that sweet/spicy way) we were ready to design our plan of attack.

The number one thing I wanted to try was the everything duck eggroll (with fois gras and apricot mustard).  Though I was most excited about this dish, it fell a little flat for me.  The wonton was a little too thick/fried and the duck was a little dry.  It wasn't bad, but it wouldn't be a dish that would keep me coming back to the restaurant.  Immediately after, our meal took a bright turn.  Our waiter must have liked our enthusiasm while ordering - when deciding between two sides, we asked us to "surprise us."  He certainly did by bringing out both, one of which was on the house.  The first was a giant root vegetable chip that almost had the consistency of a rice chip.  It was light and airy - I think it would be a great replacement for the bread basket that most restaurants put on the table, but seems more like the type of dish that comes complimentary.

Here's where the meal gets interesting:  the mac and cheese made with rice cakes and Vermont cheddar is Asian fusion in its truest form.  An all american dish gets a serious Asian twist by replacing pasta with mochi.  This mochi mac had a gummy, creamy consistency that was something totally new to my taste buds.  Next we tried the eggplant fries.  The sturdy eggplant held its own within its tempura casing and light sweet sauce.  This was my second favorite dish of the evening and by this point we were telling our waiter how much we were enjoying our meal and drinks.  The praises soared after trying our final dish, the short ribs with kimchi, brussels sprout leaves, and a large sunny side up egg.  Everything about this dish was perfect.  The sweet Asian bbq sauce must have been marinating with the short ribs for a long time because it just fell apart.  The kimchi gave it a kick but it's not overly spicy thanks to the creamy egg and sweet short ribs.  It's the most expensive dish on the menu but it's worth it.  I recommend going with a friend and sharing this dish along with some of the smaller ones for a filling meal.

By this point, we'd become good fans of the restaurant, making friends with our waiter, and contemplating a return.  That return visit was solidified when our waiter came out and told us the chef wanted us to sample a few of the desserts on the house.  No way!  Way.  He brought out strawberry shortcake in an elderflower soup with shortbread and whipped cream that were legit.  He also brought a creme brulee (my all-time favorite dessert) with a serious brulee topping and caramelized peaches.  True it's fusion, but I don't usually expect great desserts from Asian restaurants.  This dispelled that [self imposed] myth in a beautiful way.

With drinks like the spicy thai margarita and dishes like the short ribs and eggplant fries, I would have liked this restaurant regardless.  But it was the jovial and attentive service that took it to the next level for me.  If they keep this up, I predict a packed house nightly.

Casa Mono For the Win

There was a ton of pressure associated with Friday night's restaurant pick.  It was my Daddy's birthday and he had high expectations.  He left the picking entirely up to me, but I knew there were a few things he was hoping to get out of dinner.  My father loves game but doesn't see it all too often at restaurants in Savannah so that was on the list.  I also knew he wanted to eat at a celebrated restaurant and taste the food of a chef who was big in foodie circles.  Finally, I knew he was leaning toward Spanish flavors or at least something on the heartier side.  Tall order, right?

I seemed to find everything he wanted in Casa Mono.  The Spanish tapas restaurant is owned by the Batali/Bastianich team and is consistently ranked on the Top 101 Restaurants list.  There is also an extensive game selection on the menu.  Jackpot.

Every dish was wonderful.  Simply wonderful.  The scallops with parsnip puree and cherries was about as close to perfection as you can get.  My other favorite was rabbit with anticuchos and habanero cuajada.  That cuajada is a yogurt, so you get the heat from the habanero and the cooling factor of the yogurt all emulsified in one sauce that I slathered onto the carrots and rabbit that was served fried and [I believe] braised.  The squash gave the mole sauce that was served with the duck a different kind of sweetness that you don't get with the chocolate alone.  The waiter warned us that not everyone loves the squid ink rice and scallop dish because they find the strong ocean flavor overpowering.  I appreciate the heads up, but he didn't realize he was dealing with a Lowcountry family who regularly pulls dinner up from the river.  Salt water is a beloved flavor to us, and this dish only reminded us of that. 

Each dish was a winner.  Casa Mono came through as the perfect restaurant to celebrate my Daddy's birthday.  Now I just need another reason to celebrate so I can go back!

Scallops with Parsnip Puree and Cherries

Quail with Tomato Raisens and Baby Romaine

Pork Croquetas with Porcini and Cider Greens

Confit Goat with Creamed Kale and Pepitas

Rabbit with Anticuchos and Habanero Cuajada

Duck Confit with Winter Squash Mole

Squid Ink Bomba Rice with Taylor Bay Scallops

Boy Talk at Boqueria

It had only been three weeks since I saw Marcy (aka: Brutus), but in that time enough transpired that we were in desperate need of some cocktails, a good meal, and some good old fashioned boy talk.  I was in the mood to check out someplace new so I sent Brutus a long list of restaurants I hadn't tried yet.  One of the places on my list was Boqueria, a tapas bar and restaurant that's been around for a while.  Brutus had been before and loved it so she immediately made it her top choice.  They don't take reservations so we decided to take our chances and meet at their Flatiron location at 8 PM.

The wait was only 30-45 minutes, so we put our names on the list and walked next door to Flatiron Lounge.  I have always loved the Art Deco aesthetic, so I like walking into this bar with it's arched ceiling, blue lights, and velvet booths.  This setting, with the soothing sounds of Jazz in the background, is perfect for enjoying a true cocktail just as they did back in the day.  There is a long list of drinks and each liquor seemed perfectly paired with fresh flavors to match the season.  I don't usually go in the gin direction, but there was a cocktail on the menu made with gin, ginger, cucumber, and a few other ingredients.  I wish I could fully remember it or at least find a menu, but trust when I say it was crisp and delicious.

Art Deco lights above the bar at Flatiron Lounge

We headed back to the restaurant and only had a few minutes to go before our table was ready.  Unfortunately, that additional time did not help us narrow down our choices because everything on the menu looked amazing.  We ended up ordering six dishes, including dessert and all but one came from the [long] specials menu.  Boqueria is named after a famous market in Spain where patrons can pick up the freshest of seasonal ingredients so it seemed only fitting that we order the special dishes that were of the season:  

• Crostini of shredded salt cod with tomato, pickled shallots, and black olive oil: Wonderful, light, and not at all fishy
• Pan roasted brussels sprouts with Hudson Valley braeburn apples, dijon mustard, pine nuts: The sweetness from the apples played well off the dijon - I wish they gave us a little more of those sweet braeburn slices
• Housemade flatbread with sautéed wild mushrooms, serrano ham, idiazábal cheese, caramelized onions, and quail eggs: The quail egg is similar to a regular egg just tinier and seemed to me to have an even richer yolk.  In this case, richer = better.
• Braised veal cheeks with potato purée, caramelized pearl onions, and red wine jus: Good, but probably the least memorable.  The flavors didn't jump off the plate like they did with the other dishes, though the fatty cheeks cut like butter.
• Dates stuffed with almonds and valdeon, wrapped in bacon: This was the only regular menu item and it was delicious.  I loved the surprise crunch of the almond in the middle and the crispy bacon on the outside.  The dates were super sweet, so I wish the valdeon was a little stronger, but overall it was great.
• Whipped fresh cow's milk ricotta cheese, honey, candied walnuts, berries, and strawberry coulis: Were they milking the cow while we were eating our dates?  This ricotta was thick and dreamy with just enough honey and coulis to sweeten it and plenty of berries to keep it light.

Now that I've [finally] been there, I can see why Boqueria is consistently filled with people and earned itself a 2-star review by the Times..  Everything we ordered elicited "mmm" noises and it came at a fair price.  The dishes range in price from $6 to $13 and having been to several tapas places recently where $13 is on the low end, this is a steal.  That price makes you believe you really are eating bar snacks in Spain.  And if the cost doesn't give you that authentic feeling, the seating will since every chair in the place is bar height.

 

 

Spanish at Salinas

Before heading out of town for the weekend, Steph and I met up for a dinner date on Thursday. We chose tapas restaurant Salinas because it was in a convenient location and the New York Times had given it a very good review on the day we were choosing where to eat. Even though the review was given by interim critic Eric Asimov [while we wait for the Times to choose and announce who will take over Sam Sifton's spot], I felt the 2-star review was well thought out and inspiring enough for us to give it a try.

It may usually be overlooked, but I was a fan of the crusty bread that was placed on each table. It was served with a white bean ancho dip that was velvety smooth. We decided to go with all small plates because the ingredients were more interesting than those in the entrees. First up we had the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower with mint yogurt. Next was a crispy flatbread with Mahon cheese and honey. Both dishes were very good but a little small. They got bigger (and even better) as we went on. The veal cheek and wild mushroom croquettes were a great representation of the Spanish Basque regional cuisine they were trying to nail. The croquetas were large and amply stuffed. Next we tried the octopus because I remembered it from the restaurant review. Octopus and potato is a typical pairing in this cuisine, but never have I seen it done like this with the potato puréed and the octopus sliced thin in crudo-style coins. Because I'm not afraid of any food, we ordered the tripe, which was served in a tomato based stew with chorizo, ham, paprika, and crunchy chickpeas. I don't know how they created crunchy chickpeas, but they were a great match for the slimy tripe. If you can get past the texture and idea of tripe (stomach) this was a very good dish. We also ordered the potato side dish. I thought the waiter was going to lose points for this one, but then they arrived and were so perfectly crisped and covered with a spicy brava sauce. I thought it would be boring, but it turned out to have all the flavors I was looking for.

I don't want to fail to mention the non-food elements of this dinner. There was a great wine list and a very attentive waiter who helped us choose one that ended up being perfect. I would try to go on a nice night when they pull back the retractable roof in the back of the restaurant for a nice indoor/outdoor experience that will only enhance the food. It may be a restaurant of the moment, but don't expect to find the trendy crowd here. The restaurant was filled with middle aged people who I assume we're Chelsea residents. That may not sound exciting, but it's a good indication this place will be around for a while since it is relying on people who follow food over fad.

Ask for Basque

When you allow yourself to forget that walking through Bar Basque makes you feel like you're on an episode of Deep Space Nine, you'll probably enjoy yourself and the food.  This crazy setting comes courtesy of Jeffrey Chodorow (Asia de Cuba, China Grill, etc.) who has a flair for theatrics.  Everything is black, red, and shiny, including the cold, metal toilets.  The inside may feel space age-y and robotic, but the outdoor lounge area is subtle and airy.  It juts into the Eventi Hotel courtyard air space and faces a giant screen that has been plastered on the wall of the adjacent building.  Sometimes, this screen features old movies but on Wednesday night, we got to watch the US Open as we enjoyed the crisp end-of-August air.

The Basque Country is a specific region that crosses Spain and France, but the culinary focus here is all Spanish.  Steph and I started with cocktails that were tasty but too sweet.  (My watermelon and raspberry martini tasted like a Jolly Rancher.)  We decided to switch to the all-Spanish wine list for drink number two, a wise choice.  For our first bite, we wanted to get an order of the croquettes and the waitress recommended the wild mushroom.  The mushrooms were very...wild (not sure how else to describe that strong flavor - I like it, others don't).  I thought that while the flavor was there, the texture of the filling was a little to runny.  The next dish was more mushroom, but this was a definite success: portobello mushroom fries with a cod roe dip.  I know seeing the word "roe" on a dish frightens some people, but trust me anyone would enjoy this slightly salty mayonnaise.  The fries were not too thick, not too thin and cooked just the right amount of time to maintain a sturdy texture.  We veered away from mushrooms for our third dish and ordered calamari a la plancha in a squid ink sauce.  The plump bites of squid were nicely seared and not doused in sauce.  Why squid is not served in its own ink more often, I do not know, but it seems like a logical combination.  I can now tell you it is not only logical but tasty as well.

We were celebrating Steph's birthday, so dessert was a must.  Steph immediately spotted salted caramel ice cream on the menu and what b-day girl wants, b-day girl gets.  Turns out the ice cream comes in groups of either three or six adorable mini cones.  We rounded out our trio with cream cheese and rice pudding flavors.  The cream cheese tasted basically like French vanilla, but the rice pudding was my surprise favorite thanks to the speckles of rice pearls.  The cones were paper thin crisps instead of mini versions of a regular sugar cone, which is good because that would have been too thick for these dainty desserts.  The dessert menu as a whole was very inventive, but we had to try the fried milk, which came as four building blocks of warm custard encased in a sugar crust.  I wish there was a little more of the passion fruit sauce on the plate but overall this was a great, fun dessert.  I don't even know what would happen if you paired this with Momofuku Milk Bar's cereal milk.  I might self combust.

My only complaint would be the service.  There are hostesses when you walk in but they pretty much stand their posts and say hello with a smile as you walk in, but finding a seat is all up to you.  Once you're sitting, it's rare for a server to walk by so acquiring your food could take some time.  Steph and I were in no rush, but if you walk in ready to eat, you may need bring along some sort of flashing light to attract the eye of a waitress.

Beauty's Best Match Since the Beast

I finally made my way to Beauty and Essex on Thursday night to see what’s been pulling the Beautiful people out of Meatpacking and into the LES.  We went from seedy to glam in time it took to walk through the pawn shop façade that fronts the restaurant (and yes, those guitars and sparkly brooches really are for purchase).  The décor was art deco in black and bronze with enough chandeliers and wall sculptures to keep my eyes bouncing from mirror to prevalent mirror.

The amuse bouche started the night off right – a beet marmalade on top of a lentil chip.  The table was split on this one but as a beet fan, I sided with the “pro” group.  The menu is small plate style and the waitress recommended two items per person.  For tapas, it seemed a little pricy, but once the plates came out, we realized they were larger than your typical tapas and we definitely over-ordered.  The food was so good we made ourselves try everything that came out of the kitchen, even as we crossed the line from foodies to gluttons.  Here’s the rundown:

• Kobe Beef Carpaccio: buttery paper thin beef topped with wasabi egg yolk, crunchy wontons, sesame nori.  This definitely ranked up there for me.  The crunchy wonton/nori topping was a new pairing for me when it comes to carpaccio, which I normally match with Italian flavors.  This was a great change.
• Yellowtail Crudo: with caramelized citrus yuzu, avocado, cilantro.  Very refreshing.
• Roasted Bone Marrow: served with toast and rioja braised shallot marmalade.  My dog, Chloe, would have gone APE for these giant marrow bones.  You don’t need to be a canine to appreciate this dish.  The sweet marmalade moderated the fatty marrow and deep meat flavor.  This one was one of my two choices and I gave myself a nice pat on the back for my pick.
• Kale and Apple Salad: apple cider vinaigrette, pancetta, candied pecans, shaved goat cheese.  I thought this would be the boring choice of the evening but there were so many layers of flavor it turned into a memorable dish.  The apples brightened up the intense flavor of the kale and the pancetta…well there are few pairings more appropriate than greens and bacon, right?
• Chicken Fried Oysters: apple & bacon braised spinach.  This was my second pick.  The batter was a little salty, but the spinach tamed that.  Fried oysters are a Southern fave, so I was right at home with this one.
• Salt and Pepper Shrimp with miso-sambal mayo: not the most exciting dish of the evening but prepared well.
• Salt and Vinegar Fries: see description of salt and pepper shrimp above
• Lobster Tacos: beer battered maine lobster, red cabbage slaw, jalapeno crema.  I’m a fish taco fiend and this was a new version.  I think this may be the first time I’ve ever had fried lobster.  I know this is a “what could be bad?!” situation, but in case you were wondering, me likey.
• Seared Nori Spiced Tuna: with wasabi parsnip puree, miso glazed asparagus & roasted shiitake salad.  The preparation was not what I expected after reading the description – it was better.  I would, however, have liked the tuna a little rarer.
• Charred Shishito Peppers with lime salt: Another first for me.  These Japanese peppers may replace edamame for me as an app next time I get sushi.
• Oven Braised Chicken Meatballs with sheep’s milk ricotta, wild mushroom, truffle:  These super moist meatballs made me re-evaluate my disdain for non-meat meatballs.
• Garganelli: spicy, creamy veal bolognese, whipped little italy ricotta.  This was a solid pasta dish that I would like to re-create at home.
• Heritage Baby Back Ribs: with tangerine barbeque glaze and tempura onion rings.  Fall off the bone meat always floats my boat.  A little weird to eat with my hands, but considering we’d already had 14,000,000 courses by this point, I didn’t even care.
•  We also got two desserts (molten chocolate bread pudding and the box of doughnuts), but they were nothing to write home about.  They were a little too rich for my taste.  I like chocolate, but it was too much in the bread pudding – the whole thing was like the inside of a molten lava cake.

Not to sound like a grandma, but the restaurant was a little loud  However, this problem was easy to overlook after tasting the food and receiving great service (the waitress even made sure my basil gimlet was less sweet, per my preference).  This is not a date place (especially with the noise level), but if you’re looking for a fun girls night, they’ve got you covered.  When you get bored of staring at the friends you came with, don’t worry; there is some above par people watching to be done.  There was a nice mix of 20-somethings in sky-high heels, finance guys who managed to pull themselves away from their usual Thursday night Midtown and Meatpacking watering holes, and cougars in some bejeweled, skin-tight, backless wonders.  And the pick up line of the evening goes to the 40-year-old who said he just got an iPhone and needs someone to teach him how to use it.  Sorry, Gramps, I’m not your girl.  

Leading upstairs - the walls are furry, like in "Get Him to the Greek"

Carpaccio - the best pic of the food I was able to get

Sweet Sorella

After yet another disappointing UGA game, I headed to a late dinner with Matt, Karina, and Karina's roommate.  I am happy to proclaim Sorella is a new favorite for tapas and pasta.  The wine list is supposed to also be great, but I was feeling just fine after downing several Jack and Diets at the bar during the [depressing] game, so I didn't sample any of the vino.  Oh well, just one more reason to go back.  But let's get back to the stuff I did try.

We started with a few appetizers:

• Anchovies with hazelnuts on flatbread - I know anchovies are the butt of all pizza delivery jokes, but this was quite tasty
• Meat plate - Particularly good because it included lardo 
• Duck fat english muffin bread topped with chicken liver mousse, egg, and candied bacon - unbelievable and a really good portion size.  Order this when you go; it's the chef's specialty.

We all ordered pasta for our entree.  The portion size of the pasta is not equivalent to a full entree, so I would do what we did and order some apps, too.  I ordered the ricotta gnudi with a sweet corn sauce.  The dough was incredibly silky.  It was my favorite pasta of the four with Matt's gnocci with brown butter pears coming in at a close second.  

I loved how the narrow bar area opens up into a glass covered garden dining room.  It was intimate but still spacious.  The desserts looked great - especially the gelato - but it was getting late and we were perfectly satisfied (not too full but zero desire to raid the fridge back at home) so we passed.  Next time.  And there will definitely be a next time.

Cute note sent from the chef with the check - every table gets a different one

Giving Friday Another Chance

I don't go out on Friday nights.  I'm too old for that.  After a long work week, all I want to do on Friday night is go home, slap on some pajama pants, and pass out while watching my DVRd episode of Real Housewives of New York.  However, due to the fact that this Friday was Rocio's birthday, I made an exception.

The birthday festivities were set to kick off at 10 at Los Feliz, so Matt, Jen, Richard, and I went to one of my top picks, Kuma Inn, for dinner beforehand since it happens to be right next door.  Kuma Inn serves Asian tapas for a very reasonable price with - wait for it - BYOB.  BYOBs are the jewels of Manhattan.  They help keep spending in check and usually come complete with a ready-to-have-fun type of crowd.  Kuma Inn is located in a Lower East Side tenement (there is no sign for the restaurant other than the name lightly spray painted on the doorpost).  It seems a little sketchy to walk up the grimy stairs, but once at the top, you will be pleased to find a very cute little restaurant.  We came hungry, so we got 2 orders of the pork buns (a must at Kuma Inn), Chinese sausage, coconut rice, grilled octupus (crispy on the outside, tender inside), tuna tartar, pork belly, and the steamed and fried rice crepes with kuma bolognese (a new fav).  After all that and the corkage fees for 3 bottles of wine, our bill only came to $30 a person with tip.  Diners, take note: it's cash only.

We were full and tipsy; in other words, we were ready to party.  Los Feliz was solid, but we didn't want the evening to stop there so after a few drinks, we headed to The Back Room for some speakeasy action.  Speakeasys are all the rage in NYC right now.  Everyone wants to feel like they're a cut above the riff-raff, and what better way than by securing access to a secret bar?  Walk through what seems to be an abandoned building that opens into a large, velvet wallpapered, mirrored room.  To provide the full Prohibition experience, beer is served in brown paper bags and all other drinks are in tea cups.  The vibe was nice, and it's always fun to go somewhere a little different...though I don't know that I would want to balance a saucer every single weekend.  There is a second, "secret", and highly exclusive bar within The Back Room and my goal is to one day hob-knob there.  Wish me luck.

So I guess going out on Friday night isn't so bad.  I may have to re-evaluate my mandatory Friday night chill policy...

Drinking from a tea cup.  Don't worry, it's still a Jack and Diet, duh.

Help Me Ronda

My friend Podz is crazy and runs marathon after tiring marathon.  She was sore from her latest 20 mile practice run (weenie), so I decided to give her leggies a break and headed to her hood for brunch on our day off from work this past Monday.  When I said I was in the mood for eggs, Sarah knew exactly where to take me.  Located on Columbus between 71st and 71nd, Cafe Ronda, specializes in Argentinean tapas, but as I said, I had eggs on the brain so I skipped the tapas/lunch portion of the menu. 

At first I was disappointed because I'm not big on omelets, and that seemed to comprise the lion's share of the egg menu...until I realized that all eight of the egg dishes could be prepared as omelets OR baked eggs.  That hooked me.  I'm on a big baked egg kick and they're not as prevalent as the benedicts of the world, so this was a treat.  Podz got one with asparagus and goat cheese and I chose the sausage with onions and peppers.  I ate everything on my plate, including the toast and homefries.  It wouldn't be brunch without bloody marys and mimosas, so we each had a couple drinks and stayed to chit-chat.  The staff was nice and didn't rush us out when we were clearly done with our meal and drinks.  I'm not in the UWS often, but if I ever travel back up there for brunch, I'll know a good place to go.

Heya Paella

I love the new trend of specialty restaurants: places that only serve mac & cheese, meatballs, and now a paella restaurant.  Socarrat Paella is a tiny Chelsea restaurant with one looong table seating about 26 people.  They don't take reservations, but the attached Socarrat Bar is a great place to wait with a glass of sangria while munching on some tapas. 

We started with a few items off the tapas menu: fried artichokes, roasted pepper stuffed with a creamy cod mixture, pan tomaca (toast topped with tomato and garlic), and hanger steak that had been marinating in something magical.  Then it was onto the main event: the paella.  We ordered two for our group of three, which was most certainly too much, but with a list of eight paellas, we found it impossible to narrow it down to just one.  We picked a vegetarian one (filled with snow peas, artichokes, beans, mushrooms, zucchini, and tomato) and [my preferred] meat option (packed with pork, chicken, duck, chorizo, and mushroom sofrito).  They also have fish/shellfish, meat/fish combo, and rabbit/duck versions.

When the waitress set down our plates, they gave us the rules (Rule #1 of paella club: you don't talk about paella club): let the dish sit for two minutes before digging in, when serving, only take from the top so the bottom continues to cook in the special paella pan, and when you get to the bottom, scrape the now crunchy rice dish for a new flavor.  This crunchy, carmelized rice is called the socarrat and is what separates paella from a normal rice dish. 

We couldn't leave without a little dessert.  We tried the vanilla flan and a dish with a name I can't remember but that was described as a Catalan cheesecake.  It tasted like creamy cinnamon toast crunch flavored pudding with crème anglaise on top.  Yum. 

The food was delicious and the service just as wonderful.  The waitresses were very smiley and bent over backwards to scrape the socarrat for us.  Hint to all the fellas: if you want to take a gal to a cute date place and don't mind some sharing, I guarantee this one will be a hit.