fulminating's Profile
Chef Yasuda is leaving Sushi Yasuda
yep, this is true. masa's (shimizu) master trained with i believe both jiro and mizutani (the other 3 star michelin sushi restaurant in tokyo). mizutani had very nice things to say about masa's master when i ate at his restaurant 2 years ago.
BEST FOOD I'VE EVER HAD AT A WEDDING??
we had our wedding reception at waters edge in lic 4 years ago and it was really fantastically done. the total package was great: champagne ferry ride from manhattan to lic; the best wedding food any of my friends had ever had (as my friends continue to affirm to this day), amazing view of the manhattan skyline, flawless service, and a great value to boot. i had never heard about it until i asked for suggestions on ch and boy did it come through.
i would probably describe the food as classic/modern nyc food like a gotham grill or river cafe. an emphasis on seafood but overall pretty versatile.
Shinbashi - Best Sushi In NYC?
definitely second the recommendation for shinbashi. based upon sushiman's reports, i went and tried it out for my birthday a few months ago. very impressive, definitely deserves its ranking among the elite (yasuda, kuruma, 15 east). very japanese, authentic sushi - no worries about accidentally running into a spicy tuna roll here. nakajima-san is also quite friendly, informative, modest, and fluent in english. i would definitely go back--there was really nice variety of seafood, including some preparations or items that i hadn't seen before.
tw, everybody at the sushi bar (but us) were native japanese hence the wonderfully un-adulterated cuisine and of course, extremely attentive service. they were also pretty reasonable about the corkage fee ($20) when i brought in a nice bottle of italian sparkling wine.
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Shinbashi
7 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
dbgb brunch-have you been?
excellent food and value. the blueberry pancakes are as my wife contends are the best of their kind. ever. it's kind of hard to argue with because they're perfectly tender in the center yet have a nice crisp edge. the chicken matzo ball soup has the most intense chick soup i've ever tasted (it's a double/concentrated stock). the charcuterie plate was also quite impressive and a good amount of food. all of these were reasonably priced ($10-15 or so) and you could easily get by $20/person before drinks. while i liked their sausages/bugers, none of them were actually as good as (merguez, piggy) i hoped but others items still look appetizing.
that said, the drinks are where they clearly aim to make their profits and are priced accordingly.
all in all, for brunch, it's slightly superior to cookshop. cookshop has more variety but dbgb's best dishes are best of class.
note: for young parents, the wait staff are quite accommodating to crying babies in the front room.
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DBGB
299 Bowery, New York, NY 10003
Where can I get fresh (or frozen) duck legs?
yes, citarella does have them fresh and they're from the hudson valley. i purchased them next to the meat counter and they were about $4-5 per leg (drumstick and thigh). each leg is enough for a good single serving.
amazing dinner wanted--price is no object
Blue Hill, Village or Stone Barns location. I really can't imagine a restaurant that could do vegetables better than them. You would think from all of the press that Barber receives (the Obama date night, Time mag, etc.) that this would be some hippy granola place. But no! Blue Hill is like Chez Pannise but with technique and flair of the very best in NYC. Definitely in the same class as Per Se and Le Bernardin.
Best Omakase in City?
kanoyama is excellent and should have been included. i'd say that they're at least at the same level as azabu and have had excellent and unusual fish there. kanoyama also has some excellent sushi prix fixe deals. i think it was around $55 or so for a set menu that had a pretty good level of variety and quality (maybe 12 pieces?).
also, if i remember correctly, you could even order a tuna rib bone and then carve off the very fatty rib meat with a spoon. it was looked like a higher quality but caveman equivalent to sapporo east's old special tekka don (which they don't seem to offer any more sadly).
man, i can't wait to break my sympathy sushi fast!
Top 10 Manhattan Sushi
what category you omitted is tonkatsu. while katsuhama in nyc is not great tonkatsu like anything in japan (i only tried maison in harajuku), it's so much better than your typical tonkatsu in the states that it should be recognized. my analog would be in'n'out to mcdonalds. anyway, i don't know the equivalent tonkatsu place in la
and btw, exile kiss is really spot on with his reviews in japan, so i'd trust his opinions on food in la. i ate at many of the same places as he did in tokyo in 2008 (mizutani, ryugin, menya kissou) and they were truly amazing places.
Best Omakase in City?
for $100 or less, Sushi Azabu in Tribeca is probably your surest best for sticking to the price limit for a very high quality meal.
Yasuda, 15 East, and Gari are definitely better and could be done for $100 but probably closer to $120-$140 depending upon how much you can eat. if you're a bit more flexible on price i would recommend any of them; the first two are classic whereas gari is more 'nouveau' think tangy glazes and lots of blowtorch searing of fish.
ushi wakamaru is around the same price as azabu but i would say the quality at azabu is definitely better.
mind you all of these prices are before tax and tip. with drinks, we usually roll out of 15 east for about $400, all included for a couple.
Momofuku Ssam - Bo Ssam, will I ever have it?
you have to pre-order the ssam a couple of days in advance. they also sell out for particular days, i.e., call on a thursday and there are no ssams left for saturday.
the one positive is that you get to have a reservation if you order a bo ssam.
anyway, i completely understand your problem. i can never seem to get enough ppl to order a bo ssam. either too many (like a bday) or two few (normal saturday). but now i feel a renewed interest in making it happen!
seeking: dark, sultry, and oishi!
i second that rec for devi. the food is quite impressive--more flavorful and interesting to me than tabla. fancy but not as much as devi, is tarmarind. it's polished but probably not particularly sexy, imo. devi about $70-85 for 5-7 course tasting menu. tamarind about $20-25 per entree.
for japanese, 15 east's sushi is amazing and they have a nice dimly lit dining room that's good for dates though there are big round tables there as well. that said, i prefer eating at the sushi bar b/c the head chef masa makes it a very welcoming and convivial spot. default omakase is around $75 and up per person; true omakase at the sushi bar will run you about $100-140. (all prices are for food only not inclusive of wine, tax, tip.)
Le Bernardin or ?????
go to le b. best restaurant in nyc not named per se. would not say it's very romantic though--more biz meeting-oriented. alternatively, convivio (meaty) and marea (italian equivalent to le b) are excellent but pricey. maybe blue hill in west village? apparently romantic enough for the obamas!
Big Apple BBQ Suggestions
fyi, the reason why different stands ran out of meat is due to the supplier NOT the pitmasters. the pitmasters have no control over the supplier (usually a festival sponsor like smithfield in previous years) so don't blame them for running out of food; their hands are tied behind their figurative backs.
Big Apple BBQ Suggestions
big bob, 17th street, and the pit are really all that you need. i don't even understand why ppl even bother with salt lick, i've tried it two years in a row and think that it doesn't compare to the moist brisket at hill country. according to some of the other pitmasters, their product is much better at their restaurant than it is at the block party. plus, their line is usually terrible because of the additional time required to slice and serve the brisket.
Rome Trip Report (2 of 2)
great write up. my visit to rome and the south was near the same time as yours. also, i had similar restaurants in scope though my final choices were all different this time. heck, i even contacted maureen at the last second regarding a visit to the markets, but no luck--perhaps because of may day?
Piedmont-Le Langhe: Alba and around--report 4/09
erica, i'm glad you liked della posta. it really is a true gem. i can only say that your enjoyment would be even greater if you came during truffle season!
naples - amalfi - rome
it's very encouraging that the consensus is that you can't eat bad food in the area. that's very different than rome or venice where you can easily eat at a terrible tourist trap/disinterested restaurant.
anyway, still have the reservation at rossellini's because the food combined with the view at dinner is supposed to be amazing. that's something i normally don't care about but given ravello's views, i'm leaning towards it.
oh and a paranza should be open for lunch.
now, still need to figure out where to eat in capri (hopefully with a nice view).
TOP "essential" New York Restaurants $ to $$$$
this sushi chef genealogy tree is very amusing. the only one i really know is that Masa Shimizu of 15 East trained in Tokyo. His master in Tokyo trained alongside Mizutani (of Sushi Mizutani) who trained under Jiro (of Sukibayashi Jiro). Mizutani and Jiro are generally considered the two most famous sushi chefs in Tokyo and both are 3 star michelin--and both will cost you +$400/pp!
knowing that genealogy can be helpful when you're talking with the chef. when we explained to Mizutani that we had been recommended by a former pupil of his old colleague, he definitely warmed up to us!
naples - amalfi - rome
ah, too many choices. i just noticed that some of the thread participants live in nyc (as do i). given the restaurants that we discussed how would you liken them to nyc equivalents? i like analogies, so when we were discussing trattoria della posta in monforte d'alba, i'd say the closest equivalent in nyc would be a voce (when andrew carmellini was still there) while osteria francescana as an italian version of per se (ok, not exact, a heckuva lot cheaper, but the playfulness and technical proficiency are similar).
accordingly, i'd like to try any restaurant that are don't miss like lupa and convivio from the reliable but not special like max in east village. i'll pay to eat at sorrento's le bernardin but not at its version of tavern on the green!
naples - amalfi - rome
thanks all for the input on amalfi. we're spending two days in amalfi and three in sorrento but each day as a different area to explore, hence, amalfi, ravello, positano, capri, sorrento (or pompeii).
the mix of restaurants is meant to try a combination of high and low. at the end of the day though, i just want to eat the best food. in my previous visit, i sometimes found that at the fancy and modern (osteria francescana) and other times its the humble but perfectly executed (osteria dell matto) and somewhere in between (trattoria della posta).
looking at my amalfi sked, i might switch la caravella with A Paranza to go for something a bit simpler. ah, only so many calories to spend!
naples - amalfi - rome
katie, thanks for all of these great recommendations.
i think i'll check out matteo or trianon for pizza. as for sit down meals, i think it'll be napoli mia and either ciro or da ciccioto. i'd lean toward da ciccioto but it's pretty far from my hotel in decumani. according to google it's more than a 20 minute drive away. how much would that cost to get there and would it be worth it?
as for rome, taverna dei fori sounds fantastic. i love the forum and the capitoline is my favorite museum in rome. as for jewish, you like nonna betta and piperno better than paris?
re: checchino, i'm leaning against it just because we were there last time and while it was good, i wasn't blown away. admittedly, i was completely jet lagged but i was expecting the pajata to change my life. it did not. the buon ricordo plate is very cool though!
re: al ceppo, i'wasn't a huge fan of the food of marche. stayed 3 nights in urbino and i really don't remember too much of the food other than a disappointing truffle meal.
naples - amalfi - rome
hey all,
i've been wading back into the italian 'hound community and after reviewing the existing literature, this is what i have so far. please let me know your thoughts and/or specific recommendations to order. budget is not so much a concern so much as a balance between gluttony and mild overeating. i only want food specific to each location (e.g., no need to eat piedmontese food in rome) but modern interpretations are fine. my wife and i are our in ealry 30s and she's pregnant so unfortunately, only i can consume vino, crudo, and salumi. i've made reservations at a few places already.
4/23 - Naples- arrive from Rome
- Lunch: Da Michelle
- Dinner (post-opera @ 9 PM) : Da Dora or Hosteria Toldeo?
4/24
- Lunch: maybe di Matteo or Sobillo for more pizza?
- Dinner: Napoli Mia or George's in the Grand Hotel Parker?
4/25 - Amalfi
- Lunch: Open
- Dinner: La Caravella (r)
4/26 - Ravello
- Lunch: Cumpa Cosimo
- Dinner: Rossellini (r)
4/27 - Positano/Sorrento
- Lunch: Open
- Dinner: Il Buco (trying to r)
4/28 - Capri / Sorrento
- Lunch - Open - a lighter meal with nice views
- Dinner - Open - Don Alfonso / Caruso / Taverna del Capitano
4/29 - Sorrento / Pompeii / Open
- Lunch: L'antica Trattoria
- Dinner: La Torre del Saracino (r)
Rome: this is my second time. last time i ate at dal checchino, matricianella, armando, remo, and la rosetta. this time, i really want to eat roman jewish food esp. fried baccala. this time. we'll be staying around via veneto again but are willing to travel all over.
4/30 - Rome
- Lunch: ?
- Dinner: Armando/ Al Ceppo / Paris - party of six
5/1
- Lunch: Open / Volpetti or something around Campo de Fiore?
- Dinner: La Pergoal (r)
5/2
- Lunch / Dinner: Open
- Options: Armando/ Al Ceppo / Paris / Antico Arco / Monti / L'altro Mastai
thanks!
ALBA-eating and food shopping in and around the city
yeah, the tajarin were pretty impressive. the only places in e-r that i liked better in comparison were caminetto d'oro and osteria francescana with caminetto d'oro, the best fettucine al ragu i've ever had.
oh i don't even remember the mediocre meal's name any more--just an agriturismo in piedmonte; it definitely was not ca de re. it was just a meal we had late at night at our b&b on the way from parma. that was the only restaurant that we didn't specifically research beforehand via chowhound / plotkin / gambero russo etc.
ALBA-eating and food shopping in and around the city
wrt carne crudo: i really enjoyed and it according to my notes: "with parmagiano-reggiano cheese. veal - very tender and flavorful. lighter than steak tartare yet very tasty." so yes, i thought that it was great.
i also remember liking the tajarin A LOT. actually, the tajarin were generally better than the fettucine al ragu i had throughout emilia-romagna, so definitely make sure to eat it everywhere. it's similar to a fresh egg pasta version of capellini (angel hair). the agnolotti del plin were good but not as good as the tajarin.
and yes, bagna cauda is a great dish. no place in nyc has come close to reproducing it in piedmonte. but, at the end of the day, it's still just crudite in hot anchovy dipping sauce, like is an nyc dirty water hot dog worth eating? it's classic and representative of the neighborhood, but is it transcendant? hmm.... i think the menu, including the bagna cauda and carne crudo, was was a pretty good way to sample classic piedmontese food though I did not get a chance to try famous onion dish (darn).
i did eat at a very mediocre agriturismo in piedmonte and the difference in quality between it and della posta was staggering. equivalent to italian food in boston versus italian food in nyc!
della posta also has a ridiculous cheese selection. i had the famous castelmagno cheese (a piedmontese staple) but truth be told, i still prefer a good parmagiano or pecorino or even piave over it.
for your reference, here're pics of the bagna cauda, carne cruda, the goose leg, and of the cheese cart.
fyi, the goat really was great at da cesare. my only food regret in piedmonte was not getting to try guido and or osteria del boccondivo in bra (3 forks and 90 and 3 shrimp, respectively, in gambero rosso).
ALBA-eating and food shopping in and around the city
i'm quite envious of you! i believe they offer a tasting menu, but in case they don't or you don't feel like it, classic dishes include:
antipasti: carne crudo (veal tartare; flavorful but lighter than the french version), bagna cauda (veg crudite with hot anchovy dipping sauce);
primi (pastas): tajarin (their version of talignoni) and agnolotti stuff with cheese.
secondi: braised or fried meats are classics. i had an excellent goose leg with foie gras.
those were what i ordered and they were amazing.
i now remember in hindsight that i was stuff going into della posta bc i had gone to piazza duomo for lunch! you will probably come out absolutely stuffed!
this link has pics and a good description of the food:
http://augieland.blogs.com/augie_land/italy/
i've also insert a snapshot of the agnolotti with the tartufi bianco. sorry you won't be able to try it!
ALBA-eating and food shopping in and around the city
trattoria della posta in monforte d'alba was my favorite restaurant and i want to rave about it to one and all. highly rated by both gambero rosso (49 cucina in my '07 copy) and michelin (1-star) but an outrageous value at around E45/pp.while it is a bit fancier than a typical trattoria, that's mostly because it's the perfect execution of piedmontese food.
della posta was recommended to us by our B&B's owner Giulio (a friend of Lou DiPalo of DiPalo's Cheese in Little Italy, NYC). Giulio begged the owner to squeeze us into a table during the truffle festival and i'm still appreciative 2 1/2 years later! della posta was also, hands down, the best place for white truffles during my month long visit (i had 4 white truffle meals in italy over a month). finally, i thought that it was better than da cesare (jeffery steingarten called da cesare one of the ten best restaurants in the world)--even though da cesare was the original reason why i came to piedmonte.
as for piola, i didn't try but i did eat at its sister/flagship restaurant piazza duomo. at piazza dumo, i bought a whole white truffle and had it served with my meal. unfortunately, the white truffle had almost no flavor (esp. compared to my subsequent blizzard of truffles at della posta) but that was the only (but expensive!) drawback. the rest of the food was fantastic though probably more modern than your preference. to put in nyc terms, it's more upscale and inventive like per se than classic like a voce or lupa.
Naples: Were we ripped off at Da Dora?
da dora is mentioned in every guide book and it was in the 2007 copy of Gambero Rosso. It received a score of 70 (44 Cucina), 1 Fork, but it received a 'svantaggioso' rating (not great value for the money).
that said, i'm interested in trying it out since it's been well received here.
the "best" of Northern Italy?
i agree about piedmonte. i didn't realize how good the food would be--overall better than rome, florence, emilia-romagna and venice. stylistically, it's almost like a frenchified italian--but in a fantastically good way. piazza duomo in alba serves high end modern food while trattoria della posta was amazing classic piedmontese food. both were outstanding.
della posta is a particularly good value for a michelin starred restaurant. when i order white truffle on my taglioni it was literally a blizzard of shavings. my reaction went from: 'that's a nice serving' to 'wow, that's a lot' then to 'holy crap how much is this going to cost!' thankfully, they're just very generous with their truffle portions! to put this in perspective, i'm 100% sure that a similar amount of white truffle in the us would have cost at least $250 and be shared over 5-7 courses compared to what i got for a $40E plate of pasta!
the other must go place is osteria francescana in modena. hands down, best italian restaurant i've ever been too. perfect combination of classic modenese cookery with molecular gastronomy. cutting edge technique without ANY compromise in flavor. i love batali and all, but babbo is a candle compared to the bonfire of flavor at francescana!
this is a great article summarizing the debate between the two great regions. fyi, bruni knows his italian. he used to be the rome bureau chief for the times before moving back to the US!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/dining/25ital.html?pagewanted=all
leaving in 2 weeks. Husband thinks i have travel o.c.d... have made a list a mile long and would love any feedback, good or bad on my "rough list" and any obvious wonderful spots I am missing for Venice, Rome, Tuscany and Florence. THANK YOU!
in florence, i would absolutely go inside the mercato centrale for the sandwiches at perini. inexpensive, fantastic, and an incredibly friendly and welcoming experience. il cibreo is probably the most famous foodie place. i ate at the casual sister restaurant and none of my party really liked it to our surprise.
i would have recommended the restaurant at banfi vineyard in montalcino, but looks like they closed the formal restaurant. it was a 1-star michelin and one of the most romantic venues.
rome: armando is great; i plan on going back in a couple of weeks. also, the cafeteria at the vatican museum is actually surprisingly good. my pasta with mussels was actually one of the tastier things i ate in rome. la rosetta is nice if you're willing to pay +100E/pp for very fine seafood. i will be trying la pergola on my upcoming visit. matricianella and dal checchino were good but not transcendent.
5 Days in Umbria: Need Suggestions.
i highly recommend visiting spoleto and trying osteria del matto. extremely friendly and funny (if slightly wacky) owner with fantastic food cooked by mama in the back. after a month honeymooning throughout central and northern italy, this was my favorite osteria! it even compared well to the fanciest and famous places like la rosetta in rome, osteria francescana in modena, and piazza duomo in alba.
