I think their burgers are tasty - and the shakes even better - but I don't think either is good enough to justify spending 30 minutes in line for.

I certainly would not list a SS as a top NYC restaurant though.

I almost forgot: DBGB on Bowery - excellent beer list and great food.

You've got 2 of my favorite spots for a quality food/beer combo! Markt doesn't have as much sheer quantity of choice as Resto, but it's also a different vibe type of place - depends on my mood which one I'd choose in a pinch. I think places with good beer are increasingly featuring US craft beers and less of the Belgians - not a bad thing IMO but when in a Trappist mood I find my choices shrinking.

I always seem to mention Cafe D'Alsace on east 88th - they do a great job on the beer front and the food is good too. It's roughly similar to Markt food-wise, but with a wider beer selection (but not as much as Resto).

Spitzer's Corner on LES also has a great beer selection and good food - more US centric though.

Probably not what you're thinking of, but Eleven Madison Park has a pretty darn awesome beer selection too. I wouldn't go there just for the beer of course, but still...

How about Blind Tiger on Bleecker? Definitely a pub (more than a restaurant) but I think their food is decent, given their beer selection.

Another honorable mention for me is B Cafe on East 75th - not a ton of beer, but they have Tripel Karmeliet on draft and that is something special!

I went last night, and they were doing some of the new "stuff" - for example, I got the on-table-clam-bake thing. The host said they want to bring the sounds and smell of a NY beach clam bake to your table or something like that.

Other tables were given a dome of smoke, which when uncovered unleashes a BBQ-like aroma, which you can smell from a few tables away (and you can see the smoke pluming up). At first whiff it smells great. After that, I started thinking "ah, another table got the smoke dome..."

I found this tacky, and it distracted me from the best parts of EMP - the food, the service, the subdued elegance of the room - and made it feel sort of... whimsical.

Just my humble....

Prohibition Punch! It's not really my usual style but they're easy to sling back.

+ on Cannibal - their pig's head Cubano is awesome (as is a lot of their other fare)!

My wife and I just came back from Maialino tonight - had a good meal for the most part (tripe and sweetbread apps were excellent, the salumi/olive starter was delicious, I had the anchovy pasta which i gushed over, my wife had one of the guanciale pastas which she loved) - we both ordered the Maialino primi - frankly, I thought it was grossly oversalted. I have a pretty high tolerance for salt too, and I love pork in all forms, but neither of us could finish that dish. I told our waitress about it, and she said that is just how they do it. They were cool about it (and I wasn't rude) and they comped us the cost of one of the plates (and a round of drinks) - which was very classy of them, but it left a bad impression for me.

I don't think I've ever not finished a dish at a restaurant because of saltiness, until tonight, FWIW.

Antonucci maybe? That's 81 between 3rd and Lex, south side, just off western edge of 3rd. I've never been but it seems to fit your description.

I've seen it at Epicerie Boulud near Lincoln Center, and at Cannibal on 29th (at the deli kind of towards the back, behind the bar area). Even the Fairway on 86th had it once (and better than I thought it'd be!).

I'm going to have to try Depsana asap!

Hi Benila,

That's a tough one. If I could only choose one, I think I'd go to the butcher though, as I love casual lunch type places. I'd get the muff with a side order of boudin, and a beer, and I'd be a very happy guy.

(Of course then I'd try to go to Cochon for dinner that night...)

That's great - thanks, bmoskowitz!

I guess that says a lot - that they're still delivering, on the whole. Did you try any of their cocktails?

Sounds like a very well planned, well-spread-out trip! And what a good call on renting a car and getting out and about. I'd like to do the same on my next trip down.

What are some of your other "go-to" places for a RB poor boy, aside from those you hit this time?

Envious on your catching Kermit too! He was playing during my last trip too, but I couldn't make it on that particular night (though I have seen him in NYC, which I'm sure isn't nearly the same thing).

Well stated, FoodChic! And I agree, it felt rather amateurish. I find it curious that in a city like New Orleans one would run into starstruck restaurant staff so easily - I would think they'd be used to that sort of thing and would handle it gracefully. But as you said with your experience with Le Petite Grocery, we won't be going back to Lilette and I won't be recommending it to anyone. Plenty of other places to try out, or to enjoy again.

On a separate note though, I get the feeling that at a place like Commander's, if someone "notable" walked in, you wouldn't notice a thing from the staff - you'd continue to be treated awesomely.

My wife and I were in New Orleans the past week (we live in NYC) during Final Four weekend, though we were there for a wedding rather than basketball. We had wedding stuff to do on THURS night and FRI night, so we didn't hit as many spots as we normally would, but we still made the food rounds, so thought I'd jot down my trip notes to pay back to the lovely CH community that is always so helpful. To wit:

WED Lunch: Green Goddess. We walked in just after opening, no one was there yet, so we grabbed a table outside. I had the bahn mi, my wife had the pork belly with egg and truffled grits. Both were very, very good, with distinctive and unusual flavor combinations. We had a few cocktails as well (natch) - they are very creative, and the ones I tried were delicious. This place has a great vibe - it is nice and relaxed, the outdoor seats are perfect to enjoy a nice day, and the people are friendly and accommodating. The food isn't "traditional" New Orleans, but the distinctiveness of it, and the FUN of it, fits perfectly.

WED Dinner: Lilette. OK I know this place gets a lot of props on these boards, but we were both disappointed. Part of it was that there was a well known actor/comedian sitting at the table behind us, so they weren't paying much attention to us, nor the delivery of our plates. I found the food quite... boring. It wasn't bad, it just didn't do anything for me. We split a bunch of appetizers, and we each had a main. I was really looking forward to the boudin noir app - but found it bland and unremarkable. The truffle parmigiano toast was pretty good though. I see no reason to go back though, for the food or the service.

THURS Lunch: Parkway. This place also gets a lot of props on these boards, and I'm glad it does! This was an awesome poor boy place - nothing fancy mind you, just good bread and good fillings. I had cold roast turkey and my wife had the roast beef and gravy. I thought they were both awesome, and can't wait to go back next time. The potato salad was rockin' too.

FRI Lunch: we liked Green Goddess so much that we went back! What more can I say? The people are great, the food is delicious and just so INTERESTING, and did I mention the cocktail list? My wife had the belly again, but I went with the Cubano sandwich (not the veggie one) - I wasn't sure what to expect with the pineapple and pickled peppers and all but: wow. Just an enjoyable place all around.

SAT Lunch: My first trip to Commander's Palace (actually the first trip there for all 4 in our party). We did the jazz brunch, and we didn't get the Garden Room, but I don't care. This was probably the best meal of the trip. We dressed up properly, suits and dresses and all that. There were several people there considerably more casual (a few jeans, shorts here and there) which was kind of disappointing. But the food... I had the shrimp and tasso Hennican, the Islander eggs, and pecan pie. I can eat a LOT, and I couldn't finish this meal. I force fed myself the pecan pie, which was REALLY good, but I just couldn't finish it (I devoured everything up until that point though, quite happily and probably too quickly). My verdict: excellent service, cool waiters and waitresses, and very well prepared, very well presented, memorable food. I'd go back without hesistation. They have really nice cocktails too. The Saint 75 was delicious (thanks to Mary and Marek for a great experience).

SAT Dinner: Herbsaint. Our last meal of this trip. Part of me is sad that I did Commander's and Herbsaint on the same day. My appetite still hadn't fully returned from lunch, so dinner was a bit tougher on us. But. I like this place. I'd hit Cochon and Cochon Butcher on my previous visit, so I knew the food would be good, and it was. Service was a bit cold, but the food was very good. I had the chicken/andouille gumbo (nice and dark and nice bit of kick) and the fried oyster special, plus the duck confit (which I had decided on WEEKS before). The meal was worth the while, but I think I'd go back to Cochon before Herbsaint.

Hope this helps some others out!

+1 on on Cafe Ollin cemita!

I'm also quite a fan of pretty much anything on a hero from Ottomanelli on 88th/Park
Whitefish bagel from Ess-a-Bagel (either one)
Savory crepe from Bar Suzette in Chelsea Market
Grilled chicken hero from Fat Sal's on UES (low 80s on 2nd)

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Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Ave, New York, NY 10010

Ess-a-Bagel
831 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022

Fat Sal's Pizza
1603 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028

Cafe Ollin
339 E 108th St, New York, NY 10029

Bar Suzette
425 W 15th St, New York, NY 10014

I'm in NYC - found them at Fairway on the Upper East Side. They were pricey though - the packet was around $17 I think (and about a pound - maybe a hair less).

FWIW, they turned out well - but for the price, probably not worth using again.

I'd say they are a little larger than other white beans, maybe pushing about an inch long. I hear you on the "controversy" aspect! Frankly, for my purposes here - as long as it tastes good and doesn't turn into mush (because of the bean I mean, rather than me screwing it all up - which is still very possible!) - I'll be happy with it.

The substitution info on the New Spanish Table is encouraging. For the sake of "research" I'll think I'll give them a try, and post my results!

Cheers!

Justin

Hi there - thanks for the reply. Yes, I had read that these beans were used in that dish - which is why I am hoping they'd make for a good substitute. Thought I'd ask though, to see if anyone had given it a try.

Hello all -

I was just rushing through the market looking for various ingredients for cassoulet, which I am planning on making for the first time. I grabbed a bag of beans that I mistook for Tarbais beans - they are actually fabes de la Granja (I misread the "Fabada" written in fancy script on the label as "Tarbais" - too much wine for Xmas, it seems!).

Would they be an acceptable substitute for the Tarbais beans? They weren't cheap!

TIA

Justin

Right on, Diva. Glad you enjoyed it.

Ooh, lengua - I might follow Mr. Diva's lead on my next visit!

Funny how people have so many different impressions of papalo. So flavorful that it reminds people of so many things. To me, it's almost cinammon-like, but like you said - earthy and woodsy..

Totally agree with you on the sausage & rice cakes - very different, and very good. Very filling too, which I was surprised by (from the description, I didn't think it'd be all that heavy). Maybe because I couldn't stop stuffing them in my mouth!

I also quite liked the tripe.

I had dinner here 2 weeks ago - I enjoyed it. As the reply above stated, it's a nice, cozy neighborhood place. I thought the food was above average too - and everything seemed very fresh. I had the seafood chowder main - it was very tasty - and the duck confit appetizer, also good.

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The Place
310 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

I stopped by Cafe Ollin today, on 108th between 1st and 2nd, after reading several posts here about it, and their cemitas.

I ordered 2 cemitas - one Milanesa (breaded beef) and the other chorizo. They were out of chorizo, so I went with spicy pork instead. Wow - what an excellent sandwich, particularly the Milanesa!

They are on the spicy side, and definitely on the large side. I found the Milanesa to be a spicier than the spicy pork - perhaps the breading on the beef soaks up some of the pepper and other flavors and helps concentrate it. They have slivers of avocado, bean paste, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, chipotle pepper, some papalo, and warm, stringy cheese, all sitting inside a soft sesame seed bun. The papalo makes the sandwich, IMHO - it, along with the chipotle, gives a smokey flavor, offset by the sweetness from the tomato and onion.

The people are friendly as well. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit!

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Cafe Ollin
339 E 108th St, New York, NY 10029

+1 on ICE. Last year, I did the 5 week Fine Cooking I and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to taking the next level in the series.

+1 on Craft, I'd take it over Luger's.

There's Patsy's, on 117 and 1st, if that's a doable distance.

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Patsy's Pizzeria
2287 1st Ave, New York, NY 10035

Thanks for the review! I went to WD-50 last night - my first time - and loved it. Others in my group had mixed reactions, though everyone left satisfied. If one is expecting/desiring a "traditional" meal, it may prove a let-down, but I found the experience to be awesome. Creative, fun, delicious, and good service. I also like how the kitchen is visible from the dining area, and Wylie pokes his head out often.

The eggs benedict appetizer was killer! I also enjoyed the cold fried chicken. I had the Iberico pork main - delish - and my wife had the wagyu - also awesome.

I should note they also make some very tasty cocktails.

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WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002

How about the bar at the Mandarin Oriental? Not cheap, but a nice spot.

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MObar
80 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10023

Great beer - but I've never seen it or any of their (Russian River) other offerings for sale in the city. Their closest wholesaler is in Philadelphia, apparently.

I keep looking as well, though!