Mazzer's Profile
Elemental (Seattle) late
Quick question ... Elemental's website says it serves dinner until midnight. Our flight arrives late on Friday. If we get there between 10:30 and 11:00, will it have calmed down enough at that hour that we can sit down immediately, or will there still be a wait? And will we be able to have a full dinner, or will we be rushed to get out before midnight? Thanks!
Ramen in NYC
Another vote for Ippudo's akamaru modern. It beats the crap out of all of the other ramen joints in the neighboorhood. Not even close.
Blue Hill - Main Dining Room or Garden Patio?
I was under the impression that Blue Hill's patio was reserved for private events.
Lone Star Beer Rant
Shiner Bock is all over the city if you pay attention. I'd love to have some of the other Spoetzl Brewery output, though ... the seasonal stuff can be pretty good.
In need of B-Day Dinner Rec for friend in NYC - Coming up from Baltimore
Blue Hill is a great choice. It has a focus on ingredients that gives the food amazing depth in flavor, even if it might at first seem like simple fare. By all means bring a special bottle of wine, but the wine list and the sommelier, Claire, are quite good as well.
S'mac--Am I missing something?
FYI, I walked by the original location this morning and it is closed. They are renovating and it says that takeout is available two doors down (next to Una Pizza). So if you were going to try, now's not the time. I guess maybe they are expanding / splitting takeout and dine-in a la Caracas Arepas?
Whatever, I think it's lousy, too, and can't comprehend how continually slammed it is. People like a gimmick, I guess.
Best buttercream?
The pistachio cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine is about as perfect as cupcakes get for me. Let us know if you order a cake there and if it turns out as good.
best east village pizza
Another data point that deliveries (frequent!) have been fine.
Save Alfanoose!
I wonder if the "downsizing" relates to reducing hours and eliminating dinner service. The lunch lines are always quite long—so much so that I am often not able to wait—while dinner patrons are sparse.
Either way, long live Alfanoose!
Moving to the East Village
Your friend is nuts. Plump Dump is greasy and generally not-so-fresh.
But Chinatown is close by, so even Dumpling Man, while good, has limited utility.
Persimmon, neo-Korean on E 10th
Interesting .. thanks for the follow-up. I hadn't even considered the possibility that this was a Momofuku alum.
Thai Son vs. Nha Trang
Nha Trang is the best in Manhattan, IMO, and I agree that pho is an entirely separate category. Unfortunately the Vietnamese food here really pales in comparison to what you can get in other American cities. I've railed about this before. It makes me sad.
Nam Son is ok and you get a decent meal if you choose wisely. Bao Noodles is actually not too bad, though obviously a step removed in authenticity and price.
Persimmon, neo-Korean on E 10th
FYI, I walked by again, and I was mistaken concerning the price. There is only one set menu, and it is ~$35 for one person or ~$65 for two persons. Nice to see volume discounts in an upscale restaurant.
Persimmon, neo-Korean on E 10th
Persimmon. Walked by this place yesterday on E 10th between 1st and A. It must be brand new—there is zero mention of it anywhere. The tagline on the door says neo-korean kim chi café, or something like that, and seems to offer two set tasting menus, ~$40 and ~$60. Anyone been?
The thing that caught my eye is that the posted menu offers "bo ssam"—made with pork belly rather than butt (and presumably traditionally portioned). Now "bo ssam" is a pretty generic term, but half a block from the Momofukus, well ... it made me chuckle. There are some other quasi-overlaps, but nothing any Korean (pardon: neo-Korean) place wouldn't have.
I've yet to have a bite of the food, and this place definitely deserves an honest shot. But it does seem cynically positioned to attract Noodle Bar overflow and would-be Ko-goers ... or am I reading too much into it?
Momofuko Ko Reservations?
You can reserve seven days in advance, counting the current day. So today, at 10 a.m., you can reserve up to next Wednesday. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., you can reserve next Thursday. They are closed Tuesdays, so no reservations open up on Wednesdays.
The slots fill almost instantly, and you can click on a green check mark (representing an available reservation) only to find it has been taken already.
That said, it is possible to get a reservation. I did, and was there last night. (I'll probably post something later today about the dinner.)
Thumbs up to The Smith
I'm not sure any restaurant deserves this kind of review, especially from someone who's apparently only visited once. I've only been once as well, but it's pretty clear that it's just a neighborhood restaurant that will churn out some dependables along with some disappointments. Maybe visit again and give the schnitzel a try. Or don't.
Momofuko menu change - livid!
Chang's office is at Ssam bar, but he shuttles back and forth. Obviously he is not cooking your noodles anymore. But both restaurants have always owed a great debt to other staff in the kitchen.
Bar Boulud - should it even be open yet?
I thought it was quite good. Much of the conversation here concerns the service -- which we found odd at times, but not bad -- while the food is described as adequate or uninspired. With the caveat that Bar Boulud is, in cuisine, a French bistro and nothing more, I disagree. I thought the charcuterie was excellent (we had the duck/pheasant en croute and the beef cheek compote). The mains, too, were well-executed (we ordered the lamb stew and the beef with carrots). One might argue that it's overpriced. Sure. It's across the street from Lincoln Center. But I encourage those who were disappointed with mitigating factors to try again.
East Village restaurant recommendations
I had one meal at Xunta, and found it a better bar than restaurant. Poorly executed tapas, in my opinion.
East Village restaurant recommendations
Agree with all but Orologio, and you're excused for never having been there. I have, and it's nothing worth recommending. You'd be much better off across the street at Westville East.
Momofuku "new" - does it have tables?
There are a pair of tables at the back, and one side gives you a wall to lean against. But that's only six or eight seats in the whole place.
True that Hearth has lost its luster?
I too have read the reports. We live close by but have not had a full sit-down meal in some time. We usually opt for bites at the bar, which have certainly been up to par. I at least haven't given up and hope to give it another shot soon. I'll report back if and when.
Quality Meat--Anyone Been Yet?
Being a midtown steak restaurant the clientele definitely skews corporate, but the crowd is younger. The place gets loud, and it's upscale without being stuffy -- though some might consider it scene-y.
The food is fine. The meats are quality as advertised, but are intentionally served with little seasoning or added flavor. Some may enjoy this focus on the natural texture and flavor, but with lackluster sides I was a little bored. It was a good cut of meat served simply, but for the money I felt I was paying a surcharge for the decor and location. Go without raised expectations and you'll be fine.
Help me make sense of my Blue Hill experience?
Beef is a rarity at Blue Hill. Lamb is usually on the menu, but I'm pretty sure it's not aged. I hope you can visit Blue Hill and discover what is meant by freshness, which at any rate applies more to its produce than its meats.
I believe I've said this before but Blue Hill is an often misunderstood restaurant. It does not hit the flavor crescendos of nearby Babbo (which I enjoy immensely) nor does it revel in absurdity like wd50 (ditto). Personally, I'm glad it does neither. What it does do is deliver ingredients of extraordinary quality in creative, almost symphonic arrangements. The intention is that each and every ingredient communicate its full depth of flavor without having to compete for attention. I gently submit that this can sometimes be interpreted by first-time visitors as limited execution or, worse, blandness.
This is not to say that this approach always makes Blue Hill the better restaurant. It's food, not religion, and if it doesn't fulfill a promise equal to the total on the bill then you should hesitate to return. However, the suggestion some have made -- in the past and not necessarily on this thread -- that the emperor is less than fully dressed implies, to me, a mismatch in expectation that perhaps warrants another, more attuned visit.
My Birthday Dinner at Degustation: Review
Degustation is always a sleeper for some reason, which is fine because the place is so small. One worries about its fate being tied to Jewel Bako, however.
Best East Village
Just to chime in, I think I throw my wait behind kathryn here. From the other suggestions, I don't especially care for Tree or Orologio. Both decent, but not worth crossing 5th Ave.
Nigerian food
I've done a search and come up with a couple options but not many opinions on them:
Skipper's in SI
Mirage in Brooklyn
Aziza in Bronx (possibly Ghanian?)
Any opinions on the above? Any others to add? Looking for some egusi, banga, ewedu, suya, or ogbono.
Hill Country BBQ -- Opening Tonight?
Please do share thoughts on brisket.
Blue Bell ice cream! I used to suffer through Carrabba's in Baltimore just for Homemade Vanilla! And Lone Star ... I've got some rebuses to solve.
I'm still convinced there's killer money to be made overnighting Salt Lick or Goode Co. and selling it at double price from a cart in Manhattan. Sweet mesquite I miss good BBQ....
I want to believe Hill Country is for real ... but something tells me it's just another in a long line of disappointments.
