bern1's Profile
Dumpling Empire in south city
eaten there twice. lamb dumplings are the standout, but my coworkers were also very impressed with a pork dumpling that is 'soupy' inside (i.e. super juicy, you have to make sure they don't pierce when picking up with a chopstick). great vinegar side dip too. i also thought the vegi dumpings were good, though perhaps not the standout on the menu.
Commonwealth SF Report
anyone else see the irony of stuffing an invertebrate with marrow? besides presentation and taste... this is genius.
Tribeca/West Village - Dinner: Need romantic, hip, great wine list, food and service
Try Forgione on Reade Street in Tribeca. The food is fantastic and can be paired with an extensive wine list. Reasonably priced for the quality of food and service. Exposed brick and low lighting make this place an excellent choice for a date. Their is also outdoor seating on Reade Street if that suits your fancy.
Best Places for Malbec in Manhattan
I haven't tried the Malbec here, but I'm partial to Ardesia as a great place to sample some wine and eat a few small bites.
http://www.ardesia-ny.com/menu.html
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Ardesia
510 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Bouley Market has closed
their croissant will be greatly missed as will the soft shell crab sandwich and their smoked turkey.
wonder why it went down? perhaps it could have been in a place half the size (like the old location)
Azabu recs?
I'm heading to Sushi Azabu tomorrow night for the first time. Any recommendations for the best dishes? What shines at this place? What is unique and/or best for the season?
How are the set menus vs ordering a la carte? Are the set menus still mostly chef's choice?
Thanks.
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Sushi Azabu
428 Greenwich St (basement), New York, NY 10013
Ramen for Pescatarians?
Sobaya on E. 9th street around the corner from Ippudo has hand made noodles (often made in front of you) and plenty of pescatarian-friendly dishes. Well worth checking out.
Way Downtown, Way Special for My Foodie Mom's 70th Birthday?
i would recommend the tasting menu at forgione on reade street. in my opinion it was leaps and bounds better than my meal at bouley which left me underwhelmed (perhaps an off night?)... this place is decidedly more laid back and less of an affair, but very memorable and i believe they just got a michelin star. shouldn't be more than 5-10 min by cab.
Solo take-out in Hell's Kitchen, $5-$10?
Azuri Cafe on 51st and 10th fits the bill. Great soup and falafel (get the platter, it comes with more salads that are the real shining stars).
Cheap uni
Excellent uni lunch at soba ya on east 9th street. Freshly made soba noodles with a small serving of uni on top and some sides for ~$20. Well worth it and the quality was high... sweet, delicate, and gooey...mmmm.
Japanese restaurants for someone who does not like sushi.
Sobaya on 9th st betw. 3rd and 2nd ave is currently one of my favorite lunches in manhattan. Any of their noodle dishes or lunch boxes are worth the visit. They hand role their own soba and udon in the restaurant. Bona fide.
Ramen in NYC
I was highly impressed by Sobaya on E. 9th St. The soba are hand-rolled at the front of the restaurant while you wait for a seat and were out of this world good. I had mine with fresh uni and was certainly not disappointed. In my opinion much better than Ippudo, also smaller and less of a 'scene'.
NYC dining out with infant?
One place with plenty of space and a laid back attitude is Centrico in tribeca. Many of the restaurants in this neighborhood are kid friendly.
Downtown Manhattan - Dinner for 2 this Saturday
prices are reasonable at David Bouley's secession on Hudson. Dining room is gorgeous and IMO the food was much better than 'upstairs' and they take reservations.
recently enjoyed my meal at Harrison's too.
Downtown olive oil and balsamic goods?
I'm looking to buy high end olive oil and balsamic from a shop who can tell me about the product or allows samples. I would like a knowledgeable source who can explain their product. For eating, not cooking... taste test would be a plus.
Fleur de Sel vs. Bouley
Fleur de Sel is noisy, the tapas are average at best, and it's not cheap either.
Downtown dumplings or potstickers for freezing
I hadn't considered pierogis but that fits the bill too! thanks for the tip
Downtown dumplings or potstickers for freezing
Wondering if there is a good restaurant or purveyor of dumplings or potstickers downtown suitable for freezing and cooking at will... vegetable or shrimp would be a plus.
Best Seafood Markets/Stores in Manhattan/BK?
You will be hard pressed to find fresher (or more local) seafood than from the Saturday Tribeca farmers market. I forget the name of the stand, but all the fish and shellfish is from eastern long island. we had mussels for dinner on saturday night and they were fresh and delicious (and at $2.50/lb we paid more money for the herbs which went into the wine/garlic broth). The same fisherman is at Union Square on Wendesdays.
53st/7th ave- lunch suggestions
Azuri Cafe on 51st near 10th ave. Best falafel in Manhattan... be mindful that the place is tiny and the owner is surly.
Murray's Cheese: All that?
In keeping with the American theme from Saxelby's, I have been buying most of my cheese from Valley Sheepherd Creamery at the Tribeca Farmer's Market on Saturdays... they're also up in Union Square and a number of other locations (just google). The cheeses are predominantly sheep's milk, although some are blended with cow milk. Many interesting varieties and flavors and different aging techniques, etc. They are not cheap ($20-25/lb), but the quality is high and its supporting a small, local outfit (NJ-based, about 1 hour outside the city). This stuff is legit.
Life-changing Indian food
I'm fairly well-versed in Indian cuisine and look forward to trying the Devi rec above... agree with the Saravanah's post below as the best Dosa this side of Madras... however, disagree with the above poster's knock on Indian food in London... yes you can find an average Indian restaurant there, but there's no shortage of those in this city either... a place called Simply Indian on the South Bank of London in Borough, is my current standard by which I would compare other Indian meals... simply delicious!!!
Downtown Kid-Friendly Early Dinner / Drinks
Wondering about the best downtown locations for early dinner / drinks / happy hour which would accommodate young children... off the top of my head I'm thinking about City Hall... other recs?
Tribeca, Financial District, SoHo, or perhaps West Village.
LA Hound going to NY - need all kinds of recs.
hey suga... just moved from LA about 6 months ago... no problem walking near church and chambers at night, but you'll be hard pressed to find a decent slice in this neighborhood... i highly recommend the previous poster's recommendation to check out saravannas on 26th and Lex for a dosa lunch... and the falafel plate at Azuri cafe shouldn't be missed... just be careful to go when he's open.. (i.e. not on shabbat!!!)
Le Bernardin - Dinner
I was very impressed to experience my first meal at Le Bernardin last Saturday night joining my wife and in-laws in celebration of their 35th anniversary.
The setting is very welcoming... the carpet adds a warmness to the room and kept the noise down, while the flower arrangements and artwork were stunning.
I started with the geoduck ceviche (peruvian style), finished in front of me with some freeze dried sweet corn... this was my favorite dish, but barely edged out the next... a risotto with sea urchin... very rich and delicious... i would have liked a little more of the slimy orange goodness though.
my main was a baked lobster (out of the shell), which i felt was a little too chewy... compared with my other dishes this was a low-light of the meal... my father in-law liked his though, and claimed that the lobster was perfectly undercooked which led to its chewiness... to each their own. the lobster was served on a bed of white asparagus...
to finish i chose the yuzu ice cream... a perfect wrap-up to a great meal... there were some other small desserts brought to us after this... all in all a memorable meal. can't wait for a return visit
Dinner for 8 in Tribeca on a Saturday night
So, overall my Fresh review would be positive but not effusive. The ambiance is very nice with a wide open dining space that's pleasant on the eye. The service and staff were professional and polite. They accepted an 8pm reservation for 8 of us on a Saturday night (see the orig. post), which was difficult to come by. Although they made us wait a little to take our order, I had some Oysters to start with and I can say that they were excellent, but 'sourced' and not really prepared. Next I had the roasted halibut which was good, but not great, perhaps overcooked. Somehow I was underwhelmed. My father complained about his chowder appetizer as being 'lousy', but he enjoyed the parmesan encrusted bronzini. Overall, they competently serve a fresh seafood menu, but I would agree with other posters who have complained that it's missing that 'zing or wow moment with dishes at that price.
Dinner for 8 in Tribeca on a Saturday night
Just made a reservation for 8 of us at 8pm at Fresh. Thankfully they will allow us to make a reservation, many of other places wouldn't take a group that size at that time (offering 6 or 10pm) (Duane Park Cafe, Landmarc and Harrison's)... oh well, i'm excited to try some of your other recs, but will have to make that with a smaller group... btw, has anyone eaten at City Hall? Thanks again.
Dinner for 8 in Tribeca on a Saturday night
Wondering about recs for a somewhat large group in Tribeca on a Saturday. I just tried one restaurant on Greenwich, but got the 'no groups that large on a Saturday night' spiel.
Does Bay Cities Italian Deli have fresh pizza dough?
Yes, Bay Cities has premade pizza dough sold in the freezers just past the cheese counter. They also have frozen dough pre-rolled into the pizza shape. I have used this dough at home with excellent results... on a high light the dough turned a golden brown! Leave the dough at room temp for ~3 hours before you roll it (have flour around to help this). Rolling cold dough is not a good idea as its too elastic.
Visiting CA hound (ethnic food)
Best hole-in-the-wall falafel: Azuri Cafe on 51st and 10th ave. You can get an amazing falafel plate with many different salads which are the freshest and zestiest to be found. The proprietor Ezra is quite gruff, so don't try to make substitutions, etc. 4 tables for eating inside and a couple more outdoors if the weather is nice. This is the place by which all other falafel plates should be measured. Closed from Friday Sundown till Sunday lunch.
