unturtlesoup's Profile
Good Food in Hamilton?!
Perhaps refocus on restaurants in the Greater Hamilton area, special to this locale, that will generate good restaurant ideas? I'm thinking that comments about chains are okay, if they represent a particular local flavour, or do something different in the Hamilton area, but the emphasis should be Hamilton restaurants, not restaurants that just happen to be in Hamilton (and everywhere else).
Rapscallion-Welcome to the Neighbourhood
This is a review of my dining experience at Rapscallion Rogue Eatery.
I had cycled past this place for weeks on my way home-finally peering in, in the former "Street Meat BBQ" digs, I saw the words "foie gras" reflected, like strange mirror-writing, on the window & chalkboard menu. Excitement all around.
Given the restaurant's "Sunday dinners only," reservations proved a bit hard to come by. Owners and reservationists were welcoming, cheery, not snobby or "holier than thou." This can be a problem in other tiny, chef-driven places. But not here.
Our party of four were cheerily greeted by Erin, Rapscallion's co-owner/server. She sat down at our booth to explain the lovingly-crafted menu, and to offer helpful suggestions of wine pairings. There are few pretensions about this place. The finest points about this restaurants, besides some of the issues with food and a new menu detailed in this review, is the fact that Rapscallion tries new things, bravely, generously. It's a new way of doing Hamilton restaurants.
Menu items shared by our party included the following:
Rapscallion Trio- a double portion of well-seasoned beef tartare, and a portion of chicken liver brulee. If you've ever wanted to eat chicken liver mousse with the candied brulee top of a custard dessert, here is your chance. Heavenly, though not too rich/heavy on the butter.
Rapscallion charcuterie plate- ambitious of a restaurant this size, in Hamilton, to do charcuterie. But I guess this restaurant has guts, literally. From a chef's perspective I can totally see the appeal of venturing into this type of cuisine. The trick is, I think we'll need a bit more time in Hamilton to help something like this stick-maybe even written descriptions of what the house selections include, would ease people like my less-adventurous dining companions into trying the meats. And the garnishes-more garnishes, please.
Deboned chicken wings with glass noodle stuffing and mango-mint salad-now maybe it's just me, but I am totally grossed out by the little claw piece that is not removed from chicken wings. The stuffing was ambitious, but a tad too oily owing to the way that rice noodles suck up oil and stick together. Mango-mint salad could use more chilli, and the use of ripe sweet mango, and not green mango, was a bit unusual and not entirely successful. Wings could use a spicy-sweet dip, perhaps, to up the flavour contrast.
Pork belly tacos-a lovely riff on pork belly. The meat was skillfully cooked, soft, yet with a crisp exterior. Fatty-crispy goodness. Taco shells could be kept more moist-as it were the edges were dry, not sure if it was an attempt at "crisp." Radish slaw and lime wedge garnish was just perfect.
Tongue in Cheek-braised beef cheek and beef tongue slices. This place has a thing about meat-in case you missed that. The beef cheek was lovely, supple and full of beefy flavour. The tongue could have benefitted from a gentler preparation-perhaps a longer braising with spices or sous-vide-to bring out the flavour. Tongue needs de-veining, also. Don't serve veiny tongue, that is weird. The dish, overall, could use a bit more brightness/acid/earthy balance-perhaps more peppercorns, or something.
Simple salad-
Salad made me sad. For $5, the plate consisted mostly of romaine heart/red leaf, but the salad was tossed whilst wet, and the resulting balsamic dressing was a bit of a wet mess. It was a large portion, good enough for two to share, which would be a plus. Maybe the availability of local greens will spruce this item up a bit come summer. But hey, there was more room for dessert/meat dishes/dessert masquerading as meat dishes.
Bacon Bread Pudding and Pie Duo-
Bacon Bread Pudding was an old-fashioned, southern pudding, somewhat stodgy, with a proper southern white gravy, likely laced with bacon drippings. I would order this for breakfast, perhaps, but as a dessert-so, so heavy. I've had bacon desserts at restaurants like WD-50, and Alinea-both of which were more subtle on the bacon. This is BACON and BREAD front and centre. I definitely preferred the more conservative Pie Duo-a sugar pie and a chocolate pie. Both pies were lovely, with a flaky, toothsome crust, and thick, sweet filling. Lovely.
Finished the evening with lovely conversation at a neighbouring table.
Reviewing my thoughts and dining experience, what I think I need to do is soak up the fact that this isn't just a "better than driving to Toronto" alternative. This is a place with roots down the street-providing Hamiltonians with the culinary ambition and hospitality that true restauranteurs like Matt and Erin offer so generously. The feeling of eating here, far beyond the cumulative effects of individual dishes, is excitement. Excitement for the present accomplishments, and the ones to come.
Dinner for 4 with a bottle of wine was about $160, with tax and tip. That said, I could easily stop by and eat one or two small dishes, for under $20. I look forward to the changing menu and continued evolution of Rapscallion. Curious diners should, nay, must try Rapscallion to experience it.
Thank you, Rapscallion, for being rogue, and one-of-a kind. We look forward to many more meals with you!
Note: On the Sundays-only dinner-the current business model was to start up a nice place where restaurant industry folks could grab a nice bite to eat. Plans to expand to Friday-lunch and dinner, and Saturday-Sunday dinner service are in the works.
Desserts or bakeries in Hamilton?
Yep; from what I remember, many of the cakes are from Roca bakery. Not even Dufflet's-I'd pay for Dufflets. Coffee and service also iffy at Bean Bar, I'd go elsewhere.
A few more notable bakery items: savory muffins at My Dog Joe & Mulberry Cafe. Plied with cheese, bacon, vegetables, and things that generally make muffins better. Does anyone know if these are both made in-house? IMHO worth the trip for both.
Where to Breakfast on a Saturday-Yonge/Bloor
Thanks for the suggestions! I did some rooting around for opening times, since "breakfast" (aka not brunch) is the objective. Here they are to help future planning...
Saturday Breakfast begins...
Patachou-8 :30 am.
Le Petit Gourmet-7:30 am
Caffe Doria-8 am
Rebel House-10:30 am
Lola's-10 am
Fire on the East Side-10 am
--
Yorkville grab-and-go suggestions including Whole Foods, Lettieri, and Pusateri's are also helpful-probably will be the way to go Sunday morning when we're in a hurry for breakfast, with time to eat a proper lunch/brunch at 1:30 pm! Thanks!
Where to Breakfast on a Saturday-Yonge/Bloor
Fellow CHers,
I need to plan a few breakfasts in the environs of Yonge Street central. Looking for a good patisserie, or even a consistent downtown Toronto breakfast place-but, having never stayed in this part of the city, I don't know where to bring my early morning belly!
Requirements:
Open before 10 am
Consistent, good breakfast
I'm good for Yorkville, Church, Cabbagetown places, I'd rather be close by. Staying at the Delta Chelsea for a conference (meh meh meh) but wanting to take advantage of eating. Too bad DB bistro isn't open yet!
Meals for 2 days will be expensed at a moderate rate, so I'm open to trying new things! The night before, will try to catch a meal at either Guu or somewhere with soft-shell crab-Malena, or Scarpetta.
Thanks!
Desserts or bakeries in Hamilton?
Cake and Loaf cupcakes are amazing. They also make a variety of artisanal breads.
For some really lovely, classic cupcakes, also try Let Them Eat Cakes, on James Street South. Delicate sponge cupcakes and some lovely seasonal flavours with the most wonderful icing I've ever had on a strawberry cupcake. http://letthemeatcakes.com/ The owner has serious creds as a pastry chef, though her business focuses mainly on wedding/custom cakes.
The Bitten cupcakes are a bit sweeter, American-style, but feature quirky flavours.
Bakery: For portuguese baked goods and bread that will set you back only pocket-change, try Cafe Ola on James Street North. You can walk in at any hour of the day and request hot-out-of the oven portuguese breads, tres leches cake, and flans of all sorts.
A favorite Saturday ritual is to wander over to the downtown Farmers' Market, to pick up a couple of really lovely pastries from Karlik pastries including custard-filled chocolate eclairs (owner used to be a pastry chef at the Royal York in Toronto), a cup of lovely, aromatic Colombian medium roast from Julia's, and to wander where the wind takes us!
Foodies Coming to Winnipeg
So, I've been trolling this review, and i've decided to pipe up!
I'm currently balancing a choice between Fude and Mise for a dinner tomorrow night with about 8 colleagues.
Fude's menu looks more interesting, and a friend who ate there abotu 5 years ago remembers it fondly. However, many online reviews of late seem very dissappointed with the service. Mise's menu, on the other hand, says "fusion" a bit too much for my liking-but in the end, I'm looking for flawless service, and a good time. Segovia is out because of the no-reservations policy, and the fact that tapas amongst 8 can be awkward.
Another place I've heard good things about is the Peasant Cookery-is that on anyone's radar?
Thanks for the recs and the good discussion on food in Winnipeg!
-----
Mise
222 Osborne St, Winnipeg, MB R3L, CA
Winnipeg-Peasant Cookery, Mise, & where to go now that Alycia's is gone?
I'm also able to probably fit in one "traditional" european meal, and knowing that these are quite different, am trying to choose between Gasthaus Gutenburger and Bistro Dansk!
Anyone been to the Thursday lunch buffet at the Gasthaus?
Winnipeg-Peasant Cookery, Mise, & where to go now that Alycia's is gone?
We're headed to Winnipeg tomorrow, and I've amassed a rather large list of "to eats" and "to dos" based on past board posts.
Recognizing that restaurants change, I was hoping for some up-to-date assistance in making restaurant choices; I am also gearing this dish towards places that either have a history in Winnipeg/Manitoban food, as well as places that use local products in their offerings.
Blufish Sushi-near our hotel, sounds reasonably decent for a lunch
Bistro Dansk-dinner
Mise-dinner
Choice between Infernos' Bistro or Peasant Cookery (seem similar in terms of bistro cuisine, but I could be wrong!)
Choice between Baked Expectations, BDI, and Eva's Gelato (travelling with a dessert hater, so I imagine I'll only be able to get sweets in once!)
Where to go for Ukrainian "soul food" now that Alycia's is closed?
We're good with bakeries, market stalls, and greasy spoons, as well as with finer dining-it's more about the experience and uniqueness of the meal!
-----
Mise
222 Osborne St, Winnipeg, MB R3L, CA
Yet another visitor (From Toronto) looking for Rec's
Coincidentally, I'm also a Toronto CHer looking to plan my Chicago trip, meticulously scouring the boards/trolling :) The "dim sum brunch" at the James was actually quite a memorable Chicago experience. Don't be fooled, its not actually dim sum, which we pretty much rock in TO. On our last trip, we were too lazy to leave the hotel in search of food, and the brunch pretty much had a taste of their menu, including mini-burgers made with good aged beef, and a carved prime rib. A mini dessert tasting is included, and featured tiny creme brulees. I know that if you go to the bar for drinks, you can often pick up coupons for dinners/subsequent meals at David Burke's Primehouse. Honestly, the smaller tasting at Alinea is good value-compared to what you would pay for more upscale experiences in Toronto. And if you're comparing the prices at David Burke's for supper to Alinea, I'd so splurge for Alinea, and eat street mexican, hot dogs, and chicago beefs the rest of the time. Bongo room was also not insane in terms of wait times. Do report back!
-----
Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Looking for a small & intimate restaurant wedding venue
A few suggestions off the top of my head:
-Photo set from Melissa and Brandon's elegant little shindig at Crush Wine Bar. An unusual pick, but amazing for the wine bar and intimate venue that is close enough to Grace. Plus, they have a very organized events planner. Good rates, also.
http://crushwinebar.com/gallery/?mode=simple#
-Auberge Du Pommier: could inquire into the booking of one private room. Not the same vibe as Grace, but classy/classic.
-Hart House: perennially popular but maybe booked by this late in the game. contact their planner at weddings.harthouse@utoronto.ca
-----
Crush Wine Bar
455 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1K4, CA
Good Food in Hamilton?!
I had the very same "drive by observation" of Rolly Rockets! Except that I cycled by it last summer, and was able to breathe in the enticing aroma of proper wood smoke...
The owners learned to pit-smoke with pecan and other woods in the South, and have set up a decent shop---with rather inexpensive prices to boot--
They do a more vinegar-based marinade, and have good smoked wings, as well as ribs, hush puppies, beef brisket, and smoked pulled pork. Accompaniments include a selection of draught beers, and deep fried Mars bars. It's worth checking out.
Good Food in Hamilton?!
Check out an older thread on Restaurants in Hamilton:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/514581
Hamilton Lunch?
I second Mex-I-Can for a family-friendly, delicious lunch within close distance to Hamilton Place. It's a close walk, through Jackson Square, or less than 2 mins. drive. Harbor diner is good, but can be busy and requires reservations on the weekend. Plus, its a bit of a hike to Hamilton Place.
If your little one likes hot chocolate, Mex-I-Can's is wonderful, with mexican cinnamon sprinkled on top, and fun finger foods like nachos, the chips made in-house, are sure to please.
You could also take a walk to the downtown Farmers' Market, and snack at various stalls. I recommend Latin Foods & Products, which makes tamales, tostadas, and sells neat soft drinks in the old school bottles.
Good restos in Hamilton (updates, please!)
I was craving a juicy, handmade burger to chase away the "is it STILL winter" blues.
I found the equivalent of the burger shacks' answer to a warm blanket on a freezing cold day---O'Neills on Upper Wellington (tag line-"Home of the 1 lb. Pugger Burger). Nothing on the outside is exceptional; except for the opening hours being listed as "feeding times," I would have passed this place by.
Inside, I found a gem of a burger shack, old fashioned, with milkshakes (made with real ice cream), hand-battered fish and chips, and burgers, ranging from the 1/4 lb.-1 lb. burger patty. I didn't want to get the smallest and cheapest burger, but alas, the 1/2 lb. burger looked daunting, and I had a supper to go to. O'Neils' on Upper Wellington exceeded expectations; a juicy, handmade patty, with ground beef, well-done as requested, with a side of onion rings, and a drink: $4.50. Topped generously with whole slices of smoked bacon and cheese, $1.00 more. The order came out in a neat little basket, and was perfectly cooked, crisp edged, while still juicy. The affable owner, Tom, who has run this place since the late 1990s, regaled us with banter. He told us that the burger patties are hand-made by his mother, who also keeps the place spic and span, and ornamented with plants. O'Neill's also delivers for a modest fee, and is open to the wee hours of the morning. Which means I might *just* have a hankering one of these nights...
Truly, a family-run homestyle burger place that should emerge as a "go to" spot amongst local Chers, delivering great quality for modest prices. Well, now you know.
Give 'er a go for St. Paddy's...
-----
O'neills 84
601 Upper Wellington St, Hamilton, ON L9A3P8, CA
A foodie brother's coming of age: restaurant suggestion needed
Dinner at Ame was memorable only for how ridiculous the entire experience transpired.
I shall begin with the good points: the lovingly-crafted, artisanal cocktails were innovative, and the bartender affable, flexible, with an almost clairvoyant ability to accomodate my likes, dislikes, and allergies. I made a bad Monty Python joke about elderberries, and he laughed. That made my day.
Overall, miniscule portions and frigid service. Despite having emailed the owner to clarify dinner reservations could be had at 5:30 (he said yes), I was not phoned the day of to confirm; when I called to confirm, I was told by a disinterested hostess, "we don't open 'till six." I asked if there was a bar or lounge, and she reiterated, "we don't open our doors "till six." When I arrived at 5:45, I attempted to open the massively heavy doors-a hostess peered up from behind the glassed-in windows and generally ignored my attempts to open the doors. We found that the doors were actually unlocked, but just Mofo heavy, and walked in. No greeting. Nothing. I walked into the lounge area to find one of our dinner guests already seated, reading a magazine. She had not been offered a thing, not a menu, water, or a drinks menu, for the entire time that she had been waiting. We sat together, actually thinking that we had been seated for dinner service in the lounge, all for the empty restaurant. About ten minutes later, we were asked, "are you ready to be seated at your table?" (What table? Had anyone asked my name, or the number of my party?) This was strange, but we agreed to be seated in the empty restaurant. We were not given a drink menu for 20 minutes following, which was disappointing considering the fact that I was quite excited to try their cocktail program. I did the schmoozy thing and approached the bar myself, which turned out to be a good idea.
Fast-forward to the ordering part. We asked the waitress what she suggested for a group of 5, and explained plaintively that the chefs had requested that all orders be put in together. We took her suggestions, and ordered well over the quantity mentioned (two more "mains" and an extra rice). The market price striploin was miniscule, such that it was embarrassing to share. The fluke sushi was fresh, and contained an interesting pickled vegetable mixture, and was decorated with a nice mix of grated wasabi. Other dishes were not memorable. The actual table service was pleasant enough, but it was hard to get her attention. By the time 7:45 rolled around, all of the order had not yet come out, and so we left without tasting the duck or the quail or the second bowl of $9 rice. Our party left hungry, and generally underwhelmed for a $300 meal.
Would I return to Ame again? Maybe if I wanted a kick-ass cocktail (I'd have to gear up to put up with the clubby, fake sceney atmosphere), but nothing more. And some more Monty Python banter; that's priceless.
-----
Ame Cuisine
19 Mercer St, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6, CA
Whole beast dinner
Are the plates in your photos sharing portions? I can hardly imagine a rabbit large enough to provide so many courses, save for in sharing form...thank you for the report!
I sooo wish I'd gone for this option instead of the truly terrible birthday dinner experience at Ame, Nov. 22nd. Too bad Beast does not have an updated website, or we would have jumped at this.
A foodie brother's coming of age: restaurant suggestion needed
Ok, the birthday boy is getting spoiled:
Pre-birthday lunch is at Splendido, to enjoy their $75 5-course prix fixe "european lunch" (on Fridays now till mid-December)
Pre-birthday dinner, we'll try for the Black Hoof, or some other place that requires me to wait in a line...
Birthday dinner is at Ame (his choice, I'm not terribly exicted, too sceney with bad food for me...)
I agree that something like Colborne Lane would be ideal...alas, there are more birthdays to be had...
And thanks, estufarian, for the Blacktree rec. I've been meaning to try this place for a while, but I never quite make it...
Thanks everyone!
-----
Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA
Colborne Lane
45 Colborne Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1P8, CA
Blacktree
3029 New St, Burlington, ON L7N, CA
The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
Quatrefoil, Dundas-Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada
Admittedly, some of us in the humble town of Hamilton (to which Dundas is *technically* attached) get rather excited over such praise....Air Canada's en route has the word "Canada" in it after all, meaning some national press, which might mean the start of something to address the badly executed, mafia-run, overpriced Bistro cuisine that passes as "fine dining" over here.... not to mention our municipal identity crisis....will report back when I have the chance!
Good eat-in Chinese restaurant (not buffet) in Brampton?
For a pleasant change, my family has decided to head to Grand Chinese Cuisine, located in the Doubletree Hilton Hotel at 655 Dixon Road. This is a bit of a jog away (technically on the edges of Malton/Etobicoke), but for fine dining Chinese, this is one of the best, and not too far to lure my folks from Brampton! Will report back!
-----
Grand Chinese Cuisine
655 Dixon Rd, Toronto, ON M9W1J3, CA
A foodie brother's coming of age: restaurant suggestion needed
I've had two very frustrating experiences waiting to be seated at the Black Hoof. Sure, I'll put up with it for the food, but I think the sib needs more good experiences before he'll sacrifice 3 hours of his time to wait for food...no reservations, no deal. but thanks.
-----
The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
A foodie brother's coming of age: restaurant suggestion needed
Toronto CHers,
This is a birthday restaurant search. But not an ordinary one. This is one sibling's quest to bring some sense of the refinement that good, foodie love can accomplish-the sharing of something dear to me, namely my devotion to, and sensual appreciation of food-to my younger, rougher-around-the-edges brother on the occasion of his milestone birthday.
Sometimes, going to the gastronomic temples can achieve this, but not always. He's been floored by a meal at Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm's precious NYC outfit, and the refined, generous, though thoroughly democratic vibe of the dining experience. Toronto is a bit different, I find. Sometimes, there is that haughtiness towards younger diners that has put him (and I) off of some restaurants, in the past, which I hope to avoid.
This time, I'm looking for something that will open up the chance for us to be wowed with inventive cuisine, but not serve a dose of attitude alongside.
Sushi, Chinese, and seafood places are out.
So while I'm open to fine dining, I am also wondering if there are any outstanding smaller neighbourhood places where this experience might be possible. And, a place where our party of 4 can make reservations beforehand. Also, I'd like to find a place worthy of my brother's appetite; he generally scorns any piece of meat smaller than 10 oz...
Ideas so far: (while some of these differ, I'm ok with that-am looking for something that will shine as an experience, though the content of this experience may vary)
Colborne Lane, tasting menu
Splendido
The Beast-menu looks interesting, though reviews are inconsistent
Frank's Kitchen on College
Local Kitchen
Weezie's (never been, but Googs' plugs have intrigued me)
Buca
Nota Bene-thinking of the reserve dry-aged meat selection, but the 'suits vibe is not exactly what I'm after.
Table 17
Any recs. are welcome... Thanks!
-----
Weezie's
354 King St E, Toronto, ON M5A1K9, CA
Table 17
782 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4, CA
Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA
Colborne Lane
45 Colborne Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1P8, CA
Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA
Good eat-in Chinese restaurant (not buffet) in Brampton?
Asian Garden is a smallish restaurant whose feel echoes Spadina Chinatown restos.. You can always order by asking what's fresh that day-which vegetable, live fish, etc., they can recommend. Although they rock the plastic table-cloth covers and strip mall vibe, they're charming in a way, though a bit dingy.
Kingsley is a banquet-style dining room with cart service dim-sum, live seafood tanks, etc., and a more extended menu. The clientele at Kingsley seems to draw from the chinese and non-chinese groups alike. It's an overall nicer "experience" (the only place my large, extended family will drag us in the city, for which I've developed an almost visceral aversion, mind you). I'd give Kingsley a try if you're set on eating Chinese in Brampton (and not driving to Missisagua or Markham/Richmond Hill.)
-----
Asian Garden Restaurant
24 Kennedy Rd N, Brampton, ON L6V1X4, CA
Quatrefoil, Dundas-Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada
Although the town of Dundas scarcely breathes a conscious word of its amalgamation into its grittier steel-town mega-mother, Hamilton-the news is in:
Chef-restauranteur couple Georgina Mitropoulos and Fraser Macfarlane's Quatrefoil has been named amongst the best new restaurants in Canada. If that doesn't put a spring in the step of Hamilton, Dundas, and area CHers, I don't know what will.
I'm excited about what this might bring to up the game of chefs around town. This is a gift in celebration of the lovely bounty that this region has to offer, which, at long last, has succeeded in turning some heads.
Congratulations!
Amazing Mexican Joints in Ontario?
I would have to second Mex-I-Can in downtown Hamilton. The restauranteurs, Angel and Veronica, are some of the two most generous souls in the business. The kitchen of Mex-I-Can turns out nothing short of home-cooked love, plate after plate. Items like slow-cooked beef barbacoa are made with chile arbol and other peppers skinned and seeded by hand, while salsas, corn and flour tortillas are made in-house. Definitely worth inclusion as part of a Mexican food tour of Ontario. Note: Ilovefoodlongtime refers to a "growing pangs" period, in which Mex-I-Can went searching for their identity following some renovations and a desire to expand their clientele to the "Art Crowd" burgeoning in the James St. North 'hood. Democratization of food often means hipster-izing it. if you ask for what you want, i.e. specify your preference for queso fresco over mozarella, "picante" sauce over "mild," you will get what you want.
Scarpetta Review
Addendum to my first review: since I had to return to Scarpetta to fetch our umbrellas, We figured a quick meal was in order despite being soaked through and rather under-dressed in comparison to the suited midweek crowd that had gathered 'round the bar.
Ordered: soft-shell crab with fava bean purée appetizer to share, a bowl of spaghetti each, and a glass of red to split.
The soft shell crab app really redeemed two aspects of the Sunday dinner gone awry: the whole "peas and mint" experience with the rabbit cavatelli, and the bad deep frying with the fritto misto thing. In the soft shell crab appetizer, the mint practically sang through the entire dish, and the peas, rather than hanging around as a sludge, formed an ethereal and silky pool to contrast the lightly batterred crab.
The spaghetti tomato-basil was gorgeous as usual, and this time, there were no other items to distract between our faces and the bowls of noodles in front of us. Perhaps there is something to say about the particular moment that led us to revel in the comfort of it all, but it was really that good, spot-on following our wanderings in the bone-chilling rain.
Lastly, a note of thanks regarding the genuinely courteous and professional management and staff: this time, we walked in soaked from the rain, in rather bad shape, in jeans, and you were kind enough to seat us and treat us with such hospitality. Scott Conant's revisioning of fine dining, far from being merely conceptual, was shown in the absolutely distinguished service that accompanied our foray to recover our lost umbrellas at Scarpetta. Bravo.
-----
Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
Scarpetta Review
Just returned from an experience at Scarpetta, and wanted to post my two cents worth since it was trolling ChemWork's review and subsequent thread that led me to choose this restaurant as my first NYC dining experience this particular visit. Thanks for your review, btw!
First, we arrived for our 6:30 Sunday evening reservation and were offered a seat at the front "cafe" rather than in the main dining room. Seeing several families with small children in tow, we opted for a seat at the bar while we waited for a table in the main dining room. The architectural (not to mention toddlerless) quality of the space was worth the wait. My partner and I had the tasting menu, since it was rather too difficult to decide which dishes we wanted to single out based on the many positive CH reviews.
Service was spot on-informative and attentive, and particularly helpful with providing suggestions for exactly two glasses of wine, one red and one white for each of us lightweight drinkers, to pair with our meals. With some restraint, we sampled the bread course which included the famous stromboli, knowing that there was more to come. Definitely a bread basket that would make me come back for more had I not ordered a rather ominous tasting menu option.
The Tocai Fruilano by the glass was a spot-on pairing with the fish appetizer course, which consisted of the tuna susci, yellowtail carpaccio. The raw dishes were stellar; the pickled vegetables and truffled mushrooms adding just the right acidity and earthiness. This also came with a mountainous serving of fritto misto to share. The fritto misto was, sadly, lukewarm and quite salty; we searched for the alleged rock shrimp like, well, shrimp in a pile of battered hay. I ended up sucking on extra lemons afterwards to revive my oversalted oily mouth.
The second primi course included the truffled polenta, which was creamy and sublime. The intensity and smooth texture of this signature dish sent me to myco-orgasmic heights. I wish the lidded porcelain service bowl could be kept tableside, however, as the dish could have been a tad hotter. Maybe the mise en place to table service was just having an off night, perhaps, but many of the courses seemed to be served just a tad later than I would have appreciated. Mozarella in Carozza tasted like, well, fried cheese and also suffered from the same temperature issues. Beef short rib on farro risotto was delicious, the meat moist and flavourful. My partner commented on the perfectly chewy pearls of farro and the lovely vegetable dice, which lent a refreshing lightness to an otherwise wintry and heavy dish.
The trio of paste included the cavatelli with braised rabbit and mint, the duck and foie gras ravioli, and a pile of that perfect spaghetti, which, on a return visit, I will definitely devour by the bowlful. Perhaps I am an oddball, but the spaghetti was really the standout pasta for me. I am sorry not to have had the genuinely transcendent ravioli experience that Pan documented. The duck and foie gras ravioli, instead of being plump and juicy, seemed scantily filled, and the duck seemed more preserved and proscuitto-like (read: gamey, shredded, and salty), and swam in a pool of butter too ample for its contents. My partner noted, "as a duck, I would not die for that dish." The cavatelli, mushy and covered in what seemed like parsnip and overcooked peas we took home, since we felt it would be rude to just not eat the dish.
Mains were the sablefish on fennel and tomato, and the roasted capretto. Perhaps it was just being stuffed by this point, but we could have gone home perfectly happy without the entrees. Fish on roasted fennel was a bit too fishy, and, agreeing with Kathryn, the capretto was a wee bit gamey side. The roasted potatoes, rather than balancing the dish with textural contrast, were so covered in meaty jus that they seemed heavy and soggy. Both dishes could have used a lift of acidity, or an additional sprinkling of fresh herbs to balance the fattiness/fish/game flavour.
Agree with Pan about the rhubarb tart-it was practically rhubarbless, sugary and dry, and detracted from the otherwise sublime pineapple sorbet, muscato gelée, and crisp pastry rings. Being incredibly full by this point, and not wanting to overdo it on so-so tart, the rhubarb pastry went in the same take-out bag, ice-cream licked clean.
Overall, a lot of fatty mouthfeel, gameyness and fishyness (and perhaps an off-night in the kitchen) that didn't really work for me on a dish-dish basis, a bit expensive for the overall experience, but still, an overall pleasant dining experience.
Post-script-upon realizing that we had forgot our umbrellas at the restaurant tonight, we have planned to return later in the week. This time, for just the spaghetti and a glass of wine.
-----
Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
Best neighbourhood to stay/eat in during visit to NYC
thanks for the food-sleuthing! We're also from Toronto, headed to NYC, but for a month in June, so I may make good headway on that map of yours...love the concise notes on each location.
Alas, I need to improve my googlemap skills :)
Ethiopian Food in NYC? Preferably Manhattan?
Kudos for the redirection to the other thread; I'm going to definitely visit Zoma, and The Ethiopian (for proximity reasons). Thanks, hounds.
Ethiopian Food in NYC? Preferably Manhattan?
As a die-hard ethiopian food fan (well, the best neighbourhood resto where I live in Hamilton, Ontario, is an ethiopian place), I'm looking for a reliable place in NYC when we visit for a month in the summer. Staying on the UES, I've noted The Ethiopian, which looks suspiciously a bit Americanized (mimosas and lobster benedict brunches? confused...), and too upscale for what I'm used to here in Hamilton/Toronto area. Specific criteria include injera made with %100 teff flour, and a combination vegetarian platter. I prefer tasty food and authenticity to ambiance. Which restaurant, with the departure of the SoHo Ghenet, is the best in NYC?
