koko85's Profile
How's the paella at Soccarat?
I have eaten at both Soccarat branches and while they are decent and at times uneven i have always loved every meal i have gotten at El Faro...the paella does not have the crust that many of you are looking for but nonetheless i find it still great...check it out if you are ever in the West Village area...
http://elfaronyc.com/
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El Faro
823 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10014
Marea -- lunch or dinner?
My two cents on having eaten there in December and again in mid - February is go with dinner and do the full tasting (I have not done lunch btw)...that being said the menus were very similar with a dish or two difference but amazing and worth it in every way - left full but not bursting at the seams...regardless of what you decide I dont doubt for a second you will love it in either way! Enjoy!!!!
Clio Recently
I was wondering if anyone has eaten at Clio lately and if so how is it holding up? I am from out of town and have a reservation Saturday night - any info would be much appreciated - thanks - Jay
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Help - PLEASE!!
Hi all - I have an upcoming dinner to Blue Hill at Stone Barns and I have a question regarding the dress code. Are jeans (nice ones. darker, etc), a collared shirt and a jacket acceptable? Or are slacks the way to go. Any input would be HUGE as I have dinner coming up and am not sure what direction to go in. Thanks so much - Jay
Thyme in Yorktown
Anyone been to or heard anything about Thyme? The co-chef is Neil Ferguson who earned a Micheline star while at Allen and Delancey. He also worked at Soho House and cooked at Monteverde. Anyhow was just looking to see if anyone has been yet and their thoughts.
http://thymerestaurant.net/
Food Recs For St. Lucia
ok - back and will give some much needed St Lucia feedback! we stayed at Anse Chastenet...first night there we asked some hotel staff for some recommendations as we didnt have reservations until friday and saturday night. more than a few told us Dasheene at Ladera so thats where we went. the view was nothing short of spectacular and the food was pretty good. there wasnt a fish special that really did it for me so i went with the lamb (slightly overcooked) and my wife went with the Shrimp Dasheene...her dish was excellent...the next night we had reservations at Rainforest Hideaway in Marigot Bay...pretty cool cause you get to take a little boat across the inlet to get to it...the food here was very good and i would say its worth the drive from Soufriere and the very short boat ride. we both had seafood (salmon filet and the chili infused shrimp and scallop), the cold thai spiced pumpkin and coconut soup was fantastic and my desert - espresso pot au chocolat was killer...the following night we had reservations and Edge in Rodney Bay and it was excellent - the best meal of the trip hands down...we did the tasting menu and since i dont have it in front of me and since it changes i wont bother with a breakdown right now, we also ordered some tuna sashimi and it was perfect but go there if you can or if its not to far away for you...for me it was well worth the cab ride...the only complaint is that it was a bit rushed and they have no wine pairing to speak of but i was ok with that as i got to do my own and the pours were full glasses (no complaints over here!)...the last night we stayed in and had dinner at Anse Chastenet - they have several restaurants but all of them serve any menu you wish...we had the Treehouse menu...i hate to say this but i cant recall what we even had...not that it was that terrible but it wasnt all that great or memorable...maybe after Edge is why - i dont know but we werent blown away by it...if youre staying at the resort than of course i would say go for it but its not worth a special trip...sorry for the uneven and not too detailed report but to sum it up in order:
Edge (hands down the best by far)
Rainforest Hideaway
Dasheene
Treehouse
as for Anse Chastenet it is a beautiful resort with some of the nicest staff i have ever encountered on a trip...any questions or any specific details ( i know i left a lot out) just ask...koko
Food Recs For St. Lucia
Thanks Chris - will report when i get back as there is not a ton of info out here for St Lucia diners...thanks again...also - the above link did not work but thanks for the effort - koko
'Private' online wine sales and limited time sales -- are you buying?
i live in new york - westchester county and LOVE the sites you mentioned above - tillsoldout and cinderellawine in particular...the posted reviews help a ton as does checking out cellar tracker for some "real" reviews...be aware that on tillsoldout some high rated wines from jonathan newman frequently appear--not that they are bad wines just that he is the importer and tends to score them on the high side...but all in all fantastic way to buy wine that may be out of your budget normally or to try new stuff...cinderellawine has a great msg board for reading what others are thinking about the nights offer...worth it imo...
Food Recs For St. Lucia
Hi all - will be heading to St Lucia in a few weeks and aside from The Edge can anyone recommend some good places to eat? Budget is not a concern and local cheap fare is welcomed as well of course! I have read a few things - all mixed of course about the following:
Marthas Table - more budget friendly
Gees Bon Manje - more budget friendly
Treehouse
Rainforest Hideaway
James De Bois
any info or personal experiences on the above or others not listed would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks - Koko
Yerba Buena Perry or Novita?
You could try the Yerba Buena on the lower east side...excellent food. although a bit small for 10.
Alinea, and Trotter set. Where else should I go?
Schwa, Schwa, Schwa!!! work the phones and be patient - it is SO worth it.
I am from NY and have done Ko and WD-50 - its right up there and more fun, a hell of a good time. Good Luck and enjoy!!
Northern Westchest/West Conn Steak?
Hey Wincountrygirl -glad Augies worked out. we ended up gping a bit further into CT and went to Carmen Anthonys in Woodbury exit 15 off 84 - really not a bad ride from the danbury mall at all - i was very impressed. Clams for apps were a knockout, the salad was the Berry Salad and it was terrific and my medium rare ribeye Au jus was perfect - a nice crust and very tender and flavorful. someone in our group ordered the 3 course prix fixe - $29.99 it comes with the 6 ounce filet mignon as the main and that was great as well. i also had a terrific creme brulee that blew away my expectations. i know when am jonesing for steak i will take the extra 20 mins and head to this place - although i do wanna try out Marc Charles in Armonk at some point. Thanks again - koko85
Northern Westchest/West Conn Steak?
Hi all - any recommendations for a place to get a decent steak in the area? Doesnt have to be a steak house - just somewhere you can get a decent steak if you wanted it. Been to Croton Creek twice and found if terrible both times. Thanks Koko85
Le Bernardin or Per Se
Thank You all - i appreciate all the info/suggestions and i will use all of it to make a wise choice! Thanks Again - Koko85
Le Bernardin or Per Se
thank you all for such great and thought out responses. Per Se is looking like it may be my choice! one question on it though - any concerns at all with head Chef Jonathan Benno leaving or is he gone yet? obviously if he is still there i have no concerns whatsoever. (ok just looked around - he's still there and i think will be in Sept - not sure?) also Thievery - or anyone else for that matter - as far as wine pairing or not how did it end up being cheaper not doing the wine pairing at Per Se (275 alone for the food) vs. doing it at LB (325 w/ wine)? how many bottles did you go through Thievery- i will be with 4 people. also - sorry one last question - per se doesnt list the price of their wine pairings - how do they do it?
Your 10 favorite Manhattan restaurants?
dont think 5pm would be a problem at all...i was there at 6:30 on a friday and it was just starting to fill...i would take the 5 o 5:30 if you can get it or just go as a walk in at that hour - black angus is AWESOME and get a glass of the french cider!
Le Bernardin or Per Se
Sometime in August i am looking to go to one of the two - I will be doing the tasting menu. The question is which restaurant (i am trying to take into account that Le Bernardin's lease is due in 2011 (i know thats a bit off from now) and Benno is leaving Per Se soon) and should i go with the wine pairing or by the bottle? thanks so much koko85
Top 10 dishes in Manhattan?
WD-50 = Eggs Benedict, Momofuko Ko = Fluke in buttermilk (too bad you cant order that at one of Changs other places), El Faro = seafood paella...for dessert go with WD-50 = hazelnut tart
favorite restaurants in St Maarten
Temptation is definitely worth the trip to the Dutch side - ate there 2 years ago Memorial Day Weekend and going back in 3 days! Cant wait!!
WD-50?
Hi all going to WD-50 next week and was wondering if I should go with the tasting menu or order a la carte? I have read several post out here regarding the restaurant and some are dated or plain confusing on the issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks Jay
Sushi Nanase
Thanks for the info Marge...it was a terrific experience and i cannot wait to go back! Worth the price for sure - I was stuffed when i left...and no not everyone has to order Omakase - but i was sure glad i did!! Thanks again!
Sushi Nanase
Hi all - new to posting and have a quick question...my wife and i are going to Sushi Nanase in WP on Sat night and i was wondering if i order the Omakase does my wife have to order it as well - like a chef tasting menu where the table must participate? or can she order off the menu while i get the Omakase? Thanks in advance - Koko85
