cwarmi's Profile
DARK SEXY NYC BARS FOR AFTER DINNER INTIMACY!!
Raines Law Room is easily the sexiest bar I have ever been to.
Weekend Trip Report--Keste/Jean-Georges/Aldea/Alta
Reports on our meals this weekend, sorry I get wordy......
Keste--had to wait about 45 minutes... people watching on the street around 8pm on Friday, they brought out pizza samples during the wait which was nice and broke up the time. Very small and narrow room that made it feel very lively and louder than it probably was. Had the Fresca salad with arugola, tomato, parm....fresh and clean flavors. the Del Re pizza with prosciutto, mozza, mushrooms and truffle spread was much larger than expected so we split just one and it was enough food. the crust is the star here, perfectly blistered and toothsome with a little chew. the truffle spread was thankfully not overpowering and liked that the prosciutto was not cooked at all so texturally was a nice contrast. need to eat more NYC pizza to see if it really is #1 though.
Jean-Georges lunch-- beautiful room, not too oppressively formal but very calming compared to Nougatine right through the door. Amuse trio of poached quail egg with bacon/micro greens, corn and lemongrass soup, and watermelon with shiso.....all great. We had the Tuna Ribbons---some of the loveliest tuna i have ever seen but if trying to find something wrong, the ginger soy sauce was a touch overpowering. foie gras brulee with roasted strawberries was extraordinary and thought about ordering another one for dessert. Sweetbreads with pickled peach was subtle and beautifully simple. the sweetbreads had a perfect crunchy crust and wonderful internal texture and tasted like really good veal. the Halibut with chile foam was finally a time where a foam made sense and served a real purpose in a dish to me. all portions were much more generous than anticipated for the price. finished with "chocolate" and "cherry" with a nice vintage port. cherry was not a highlight, the tart was way too dry. never thought i would have $120 lunch (pre-tip) and feel like it was a total bargain. i understand the 3 Michelin stars
Aldea-- as good as lunch was, our dinner at Aldea surpassed it. beautifully decorated space, modern but subtle. we sat upstairs in a very private back room, the service was very friendly and seemed to be happy to be there. we both decided on the tasting menu with wine pairings.....an incredible steal at $75 plus $30 for the wine. it says 5 courses but you really get 6 with the large Amuse. i wont go into to much detail but here is the courses....Gazpacho, Foie Terrine, Shrimp, Cod, Arroz con Pato (duck), Strawberry. Each was paired with a very generous pour of spanish/portuguese cava/wine/port. Every bite was delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned just right. i could eat the Arroz con Pato once a week easily. all i can say is go!
Ess a Bagel-- had a plain with lox spread, perfect late breakfast to get you going. liked their bagels more than H & H.
Van Leeuwen Ice cream truck (Meatpacking)--- espresso and guiandujia (sp?) were both delicious and intensely flavored. really just throwing this in because we were in line behind Bobby Flay and his wife
Alta-- hard to compete with the last two meals, and it didn't come close but is honestly not fair to compare them. the tapas were all decent but not fabulous....by far the favorite was the Brussel Sprouts. Sangria was definitely not watered down but the flavor was a tad harsh. service was pretty slow. did enjoy the red dessert wine tasting though. on the whole so-so.
really enjoyed our time in Manhatten, and the combo of JG and Aldea in one day is gonna be hard to beat
What restaurants MUST I try in Dallas before moving?
off the top of my head....
Fine Dining--Lola, York Street, Stephan Pyles, Bijoux
Neighborhood--The Porch, Ali Baba, Bolsa, Tillman's Roadhouse
Sushi--Teppo, Tei Tei
TexMex--Escondido
Steak--Bob's
Restaurants near W Times Square
Sorry, guess that was a little open-ended. I will arrive around 9pm and have no problem spending $50+ per person if worth it. I definitely want to avoid TImes Square tourist traps. No cuisine limitations at all, but would love something that is only in NYC. Thanks.
Restaurants near W Times Square
Staying at the W TImes Square and not sure what time in the evening I will be arriving so I am looking for a good yet casual restaurant I can just walk into and get seated without reservations.
Best Restaurant in Fort Worth?
I have to respectfully disagree. For "Texas Cuisine", Lambert's and Bonnell's are WAY better than Lonesome Dove. There is a reason that Lonesome Dove in NYC and Duce failed miserably, the food isn't very good. Tim Love is all marketing, no chef.
Best Restaurant in Fort Worth?
I have only had the tasting menu/wine pairings once and that was their opening weekend so I don't think it was very representative of the experience now. The wine was South American focused and there was even a Mexican wine thrown in there...so so. I am kicking myself for not putting Lambert's on my list, especially if you will be around for Sunday brunch, their buffet is awesome.
Best Restaurant in Fort Worth?
Depends what kind of experience you are looking for. Some to consider.....
Bistro Louise http://bistrolouise.com/
Bonnell's http://www.bonnellstexas.com/
Lanny's http://lannyskitchen.com/
Nonna Totta http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97400&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&item_id=65712
Saint-Emilion http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97400&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&item_id=4812
Lyptus Cutting Board
Does anybody have any experience with Lyptus cutting boards? Boos makes them and maybe other brands are out there also. Are they similar to maple in performance, likes/dislikes...any info is appreciated.
Best Seafood in Arlington or Ft. Worth area
Saint Emilion on 7th for French, really fresh and sometimes hard to find fish, menu changes daily. Hui Chuan on Camp Bowie for sushi/Asian, Miso Sea Bass, salmon collar, and the sushi is great. Bonnell's on Bryant Irvin for Texas style, Redfish. Zeke's on Camp Bowie for Northern style fish and chips.
