jamie2742's Profile
unpretentious outdoor drinks
Hotel Metro has been douch-e-fied as of last summer. They jacked up the drink prices 200% and put a huge awning over the space that block the amazing view of the ESB.
Took this place off of my list last year. And its a damn shame.
Bachelor party dinner - Peter Luger or Plataforma?
Had my bachelor party at the Plataforma in Tribeca. (Been to both locations, this one was closer to the bars we wanted to hit later).
Definitely did not regret our decision. Most in my party had been to Lugers a few times, but never to Plataforma. Maybe that had something to do with it.
Brooklyn hound fears the worst.....
Thats the one, Dave. And yeah it was good. It actually made it all the way to the airport without devolving into a soggy mess. Good stuff. And a lot better than airport food.
Brooklyn hound fears the worst.....
Just got back from our trip to the Bay area. Thanks to everyone for all of your amazing suggestions. Thanks to your input we were able to put together an awesome trip. Here are some of the food-related highlights....
Started the trip with a lunch at Fish in Sausalito on the way to Sonoma. Had some great Kumamoto oysters and grilled fish tacos. Washed it down with an Anchor Steam. The meal seemed to say, "welcome back to SF."
Dinner that same night was at the General's Daughter in Sonoma. Place was dead for a Thursday night. Perhaps, the smoke scared people off. Dinner was not particularly memorable: roast pork (kinda tough), potato and veg. Wine from Schug vineyard down the road was outstanding.
Two nights later we had reservations for both Ad Hoc and Redd in Yountville. Since the one meal price fixe was steak (had it the night before) we opted to go to Redd. Dinner was fantastic: sweet corn soup, yellowfin tuna tartare with avo and chile, and glazed pork belly with apple puree. Dynamite. Room was packed and uber-hip. Def go back here again.
Brunch the next morning was at Girl and the Fig in Sonoma. Hit the spot for 4 totally hungover wine snobs.
On to SF...
Dinner the first night was at Bong Su near our hotel. The new-Vietnamese menu was very similar to the Slanted Door (in a good way). We had a great time here. Both the food and the cocktails delivered. Perfect started to the evening's entertainment at the Fillmore that night, Lucha Vavoom.
Following day we had oysters and beer at the Hog Island Oyster Co in the Ferry Building or lunch. As good as I remembered. Bought some cheese and French desserts for later.
Later that night was dinner at Range. Started off with some house cocktails. Good stuff. Might have to replicate one or two of these at home. Starter was poached egg on toast over spinach puree. It was a lot more elegant than it sounds...delicious. Entree = california bass with corn, baby turnips, pancetta and parsley purée. My wife had the roast chicken with bread salad (similar to Zuni?). Both were very good. Dessert was a miss though...rhubarb tart was too tart (pun intended). All in all 8.5/10. Would def go back.
Last meal in SF was a carne asada burrito from El Fajardo (?) in the Mission on the way to the airport, natch.
Thanks again everyone! We had a great time. And if any of you are coming to NYC soon, be sure to ping me.
Cheers!
Brooklyn hound fears the worst.....
More awesome info!
Monday is shaping up nicely. Zeitgeist > Range > Amnesia/Double Dutch/Make Out Room
Anyone else have a good suggestion for something Asian (Vietnamese/Thai/Izakaya/Sushi) for Sunday night near the Fillmore?
Also anyone know how far Bourbon & Branch is from the The Fillmore? Worth going to for drinks after the show?
Thanks again for all the responses!
Brooklyn hound fears the worst.....
I knew I would get the straight dope from this crew. A16 (not A60) is out. Town Hall is out. Preppies/jocks from the marina also out.
Lots of love for Range. I'm sold. Range is in. We now have reservations for 8:30 on Monday night. Lexcre8: Thanks for the suggestions!!
And we love beer gardens. Should we hit Zeigeist before or after Range? Is it in walking distance? Any cool bars spinning music on Monday night in the nabe?
So that leaves Sunday night. We have tix for a show at the Fillmore (Japantown right?). O Izakaya has been suggested. How does this compare to Kiss? Anything else in the area? Drinks with a view?
Thanks again! You guys kick ass.
Brooklyn hound fears the worst.....
Please fellow hounds, help a brother out. I've done a lot of digging on this site and others, but am unable to find the info I so desperately need. Here's the skinny.....
My lady and I are coming to SF for our first visit in a long time. Unfortunately, we will be there only Sunday and Monday night (which I'm guessing are probably the two lamest nights to got out in your fair city).
The only nighttime commitment we have so far is Lucha VaVoom (Mexican wrestling + burlesque, who knew?) at The Fillmore on Sunday night. Here's where you come in....
We need recc's for cool spots for both dinner and drinks, that won't be totally lame (or closed) on Sunday or Monday night. Ideally, we would love to have dinner in a lively environment with great food and then hit a nearby bar for drinks and music, possibly dancing.
Sunday night we'll be in Japantown, Monday we'd like to be in the Mission.
Ideally, all places would be comfortable, outstanding places that we would not ordinarily have access to in NYC. FYI, we're both in our low-30's, love dive bars (and fancy cocktail joints too), indie rock, backpacker & 90's hip-hop, and organic grinds. Some of our fave resto's in NYC and BK include Dumont, Applewood, Zum Schneider, Frank, Yakitori Totto, Little Giant and Azul. Fave bars include Motor City, Studio B, 119, No Malice, and Hi Fi.
Right now we have A60, Zuni, Range, and Town Hall on our list. No ideas for bars. We need serious help (in general, but specifically with this).
Tempo: Was I there on a bad night?
Went to Tempo for the first time this past Friday night (Feb 15) to celebrate my wife's b-day. Arrived on time for a 9pm reservation and was sat around 9:20 in spite of it not being particularly crowded.
A request via OpenTable to be seated in a cozy spot went unheeded (as did any mention of my wife's b-day, also noted in the reservation). On to the food....
First course: Farro Salad was probably the highlight of the meal. However, the fresh mozzarella special tasted like something from Key Food (required a knife to cut).
Main Course: Garganelli Con Zucca was salty to point of being inedible. Orata was OK.
Dessert: Assortment of gelati was solid.
So what's the deal? Based on the reviews here (which are usually dead-on), I was led to believe that Tempo was in the same league as Applewood and Al di La. Can't say I get that at all. Was I there on a bad night?
To end on a positive note, I will say that the room is very nice and the wine list very well put together.
Pete's tavern good for a beer but that is it.....
Agreed. Thankfully, both Old Town and Molly's are within spitting distance.
What and Where is the BEST mushroom dish in town?
The wild mushroom dish with pistachio cream at Momofuko Ssam Bar gets my vote.
Lento's Style Pizza is Back in Brooklyn
Peppino's on 3rd Ave and 76th St. in Bay Ridge is my go-to for thin crust in the hood. Always eat-in, take-out winds up soggy every time.
the east village rut.
Azul Bistro for steak (LES)
Kuma Inn for BYOB Asian tapas (LES)
Kasadela for izakaya (EV)
Spitzers Corner for beer/gastropub food (although that latest report has me nervous) (LES)
Molly's for burgers (UnSq)
stumped for dinner tonight/downtown nyc
Are they serving the "off the menu" baked fish yet? Supposedly the prep consists of covering the fish in sea salt, brushing with egg whites for a "cast" effect, and then painting the whole thing in bright colors. Sounds cool, but wasn't available when I went there a few weeks ago.
Also, how was the service? When I visited the service was really scattered, with nervous waiters sweating and running around aimlessly. Weird.
A good Indian restaurant in Brooklyn?
Not sure. But the manager waited on us. Should've gotten his name for future reference. Oh well. We'll be back.
A good Indian restaurant in Brooklyn?
Seconded. Ate there this w/e and enjoyed samosas, tikka masala, tandoori chcken, naan and some Indian lager. Good stuff. All Indian staff and predominantly Indian clientele. (Always a good sign.)
Does anyone know if Red Lantern (E. 37th Street) is still open?
They moved from that location and are operating under a new name. Seems like a new chef too.
Here's the info:
Red Curry
399 Lexington Ave, b/w 39th & 40th Streets
212.682.2883
Quick Tabla Bread Bar Review
I too am a heathen that prefers Bread Bar to Devi. Good to know I'm not alone.
The Brigatine
Del Mar Brig = best fish tacos in SD
Living in NYC now. And I dream about these regularly.
Best Wine Shop in Brooklyn
Hendricks has gone seriously downhill since the owner moved away. Three kids seem to run the place and they haven't a clue about wine. Selection has been seriously lacking for quite a while now.
No wine knowledge + poor selection = lame
No if you want some Bacardi 151...
Nouvelle Chef Andy Yang
Good question. Nouvelle aint what it used to be. It used to be my fave restaurant in BR.
Mermaid Inn vs Black Pearl vs Sea Salt
Visited Sea Salt earlier in the week. And I would second the "finding their way" sentiment.
My table really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately the staff is unfamiliar with the menu and wine list. Moreover, they seemed very nervous (even a little sweaty) for a pretty mellow Monday night. Additionally, the signature dish which we were all excited to try is no longer on (or "off") the menu until "the staff is up to speed." Ugh.
My advice is to give it a month or two and see what happens. Lots of potential here. Fingers crossed.
Best black and white cookie in BK?
That's easy. Leske's in Bay Ridge (5th Ave b/w 76th and 77th). Trust.
A Voce or Little Giant?
Went to Little Giant last night and had a great time. Small bistro type feel, cool indie tunes in the background and delicous seasonal menu. Only uh-oh moment was when we asked our server for a wine recommendation and she clearly had no idea what to do. Strange considering wine is an obvious priority at LG.
That said the service, food and wine were all top-notch. Cost was $100+tip for one app, two entrees, one dessert and a bottle of wine.
Swine of the Week, the pasta dish with ramps and kielbasa were both great. The "Milk and Cookies" dessert was a nice finish too.
Hope this helps.
Wedding Location with Great Food
IMHO, I think a group this size may be dwarfed by the space at Capitale. While I agree it is stunning. It tends to suited to parties with a much bigger guestlist.
Wedding Location with Great Food
Abigail Kirsch seconded. Just had my wedding at Stage 6 @ Steiner Studios and the food was top-notch.
Olympic Pita Questions
Can't vouch for the Yemen Soup, but everything I've had there has been delicious. And yes, things do move quickly. Perfect for a fast bite before the show.
Have fun!
Any suggestion for an affordable Steakhouse in NYC?
Seconded. I went with a party of four. We all had steak, shared a bottle of malbec, and got out for less then $150. Beat that!
The search for great FISH TACOS continues...please help!
Sorry, but no self respecting San Diegan would frequent Rubios. It would be a like a New Yorker claiming that his favorite slice came from Rubio's (Steve Carell, I'm looking at you).
That said I agree with the other posters from SD in this thread. A true Baja-style fish taco is tough to find here. Oh well, it's not like we don't have tons of other options.
Of course, we could all move to SD and lament the paucity of decent Italian food. ;-)
Inexpensive option for large group in Eeast Village on short-notice?
Thanks for the replies everybody! We wound up going to Zum Schneider late in the evening (10PM or so) and had a great time. Many sausages, weinerschnitzel, and amazing German beers were consumed in a controlled frenzy. Highly recommended although certainly not news, since most of us (me included) have been there before.
I look forward to checking out all of your suggestions in the months to come. Cheers!
Inexpensive option for large group in Eeast Village on short-notice?
Would anyone be able to sugggest a worthwhile option in the East Village for a large group (12-16 people) that would be festive and inexpensive?
Ideally, this would be a bar that serves food or someplace where loud behavior is a bit more appropriate.
Thanks in advance!!
