vatl619's Profile
Watty and Meg
thought it only fair to chime in as well. stopped in this past friday for a bite and was really pleasantly surprised with quite an excellent meal. very fresh tuna crudo with a thick grainy interestingly complimentary mustard seed garnish. fantastic salmon dish, perfectly cooked and surprisingly dressed. nice bottle of red and a pleasant dimly lit but warm atmosphere made for a very enjoyable evening in all. would absolutely recommend giving it a shot.
Dinner with an old family friend...
A tricky dinner date next week with a close friend of my parents/my childhood boyfriend's mother. I havent seen her in a couple years, and she told me to pick a spot for a dinner next Weds.
She is a native NYer, but has been living in FL for years and only makes occasional trips back up here. She is older, but has always been sharp and savvy, so I don't want to pick anything too dowdy - she doesnt require something that would cater to a very non-New Yorky parent visitor. She can handle something with a small amount of edge, but she is still a woman in her early 60s. Additionally, since we have not seen in each other in a while, I dont want somewhere so loud that precludes talking, but that still has some sense of ambiance. As for food: I eat everything, she eats everythng except Japanese.
I will be coming from work way downtown and live in BK Heights, so would rather not go to the UES or UWS. She will be driving in from her familys house in NJ.
As far as price goes, I don't want to make this a top tier expensive meal, but still am happy to spend enough to find somewhere classy, delicious and relatively memorable.
Suggestions will be so appreciated!
Birthday dinner with Mom & SO
Next Friday looking for a biirthday dinner spot to celebrate with my mother and boyfriend. Originally it was just going to be the boy and myself, but mom is joining now as well. Don't want anything that exudes romance and coupleness, want something still upscale and celebratory, but would prefer to keep the tab not entirely exorbitant (no per se, no daniel).
We just went recently on my mom's last visit to EMP to celebrate my admission to the bar...something on this level or perhaps a small step down in terms of price and formality would be ideal. Also somewhere I can get a reservation for 6/19 (a Friday night) less than 10 days in advance. Location wise, anywhere in Manhattan is fine, and food-wise - as long as it is fairly flawless and delicious, we are game.
Thanks for your thoughts, as always...
Babbo - Need Menu Recommendations (TMW Night)
i was just there last week and went with a perfect combo of lamb's tongue vinaigrette, pigs foot milanese followed by themint love letters and goose liver ravioli, followed by the sweetbreads with a side dish of sweet peas and greens. we studied chowhound in advance and selected these known highlights very carefully. and everything really lived up to the hype, but the goose liver ravioli went above and beyond living up to its hype... it is the one thing i could not possibly imagine not having the next time i go back. it is decadent and perfect in every sense of the word.
a WD-50 review, in all its peculiar glory
i have had some excellent meals recently, certainly review-worthy, but have been fairly busy and have neglected posting. my meal at wd-50 last night was so curious that i felt i'd be doing a chowhound disservice not to share and discuss.
we arrived at 830 promptly for our 830 reservation. our table was not ready, we were seated at the bar to have a drink. boyfriend ordered a glass of red, i had a dirty hendricks martini which the bartender whipped up flawlessly. 845 rolled around, i could see boyfriend glancing at his watch, beginning to become impatient (this was a sunday night, mind you.) 855 rolls around, the maitre'd stops by to apologize for the wait and tell us our drinks are on him. table should be ready soon. after one additional apology about ten minutes later, we are finally, at around 915, a tad disgruntled but very hungry and appeased by our recent apologies, seated.
waiter promptly brings over an additional apology for our wait: some tasty sparkling rose. this too is certainly appreciated. we elect against doing the tasting menu, and i dont know if the extras we received were due to the waitstaff making amends for our 45 minute wait or if the extras were with everyone, but there were certainly plenty included a la carte that i cant imagine having gone for the tasting.
first they brought out the everything bagel ice cream with strange yet tasty slightly aerated, chopped looking, smoked salmon. the ice cream bagel is strange indeed, but the saltiness of the poppy seed and sesame seed on the icecream bagel manages to balance out somehow. it was not extraordinary, but it was certainly thought provoking.... what you will see turned out to be the theme of the meal really.
next came our two appetizers: the lamb belly and the eggs benedict. the deconstructed eggs benedict, known to be one of WD's signatures, was really a winner of the evening. the yolk doesnt cloy, and the hollaindaise that surprisingly oozes out of the croquette type concoction is seamless. the textures and flavors meld perfectly. the lamb belly didnt meld together nearly the same way...it required a lot more focus...what are the flavors here? somethings not coming together and i can't put my finger on it. i didnt know whether to focus more on the odd flavor combinations or texture combinations. i never reconciled the two.
next we had an order of the aerated foie...we had planned to share just one before moving on, but they brought a plate out for each of us to have our own. i am a foie lover at all times, and rarely pass it up on menus. while i enjoyed this incarnation, i found the focus on smoothing the texture of the foie to compromise the meaty richness that makes foie so delightful and decadent. i felt it had been so whipped (aerated apparently) that the texture had been reduced to something a bit too much like temptee cream cheese and the bold flavours slightly dulled down as well.
our next bonus was the cold fried chicken from the tasting menu with ricotta, hot sauce and caviar. i was intitially put off by the very conspicuously raw appearance of the chicken, but was pleasantly surprised by my first bite and enjoyed the contrast of the salty caviar with the pungent tabasco.
for his main, boyfriend ordered the halibut with chinese mushrooms and some sort of white brothy consomme i believe was said to have sausage in it, but i dont recall a sausage flavor jumping out at me upon trying it. this was a visually simple, yet very aesthetically pleasing dish and one with just enough flavor to make you savor your bite, without making you overthink it like much of the menu. this was certainly one of the stand outs of the night. for my main, i got the appetizer portion of the shrimp noodles with zucchini, mushroom, and chammomile yogurt. this was good, and interesting because the noodles were actually made out of shrimp, but it was not terribly nuanced. perhaps this was my fault for ordering something that may not have been one of the more ambitious options on the menu. that being said, it was enjoyable, but not extraordinary.
a pre-dessert of vanilla icecream with some sort of slightly cloying jelly pocket inside was brought around next... there was a crumble around the icecream ball, however, which redeemed the unnecessarily syrupy insides. it was something i didnt feel compelled to finish.
for our desserts: bf chose the cornbread pudding, which he was happy with, but i did not try, and i went with the hazelnut tart with coconut, chocolate and chicory. this was a rich, good, satisfying nutty and well-thought out end to my meal.
because we certainly received a number of free bonuses throughout, we wound up getting an impressive amount of food for the total amount of our check. if we had elected to do the tasting menu and had spent 350-400 ourselves, i don't think i would have left as happy as i did last night. i enjoy thinking about my food, but i don't want to just enjoy thinking about it...i want to savor exquisite flavors as well. wd-50 managed to strike the balance on some of the dishes we had, but certainly not on all of them.
i'd be very curious to hear what other peoples recent experiences at wd-50 have been as well...
Daniel Dish Recs?
Will be there on Friday for my first excursion and want to plan accordingly...
what are the dishes that really should not be missed?
Thanks all for your thoughts...
Fun place, really good food and service, downtown, for my daughter's 23rd birthday. We'll be a party of about 8...
lure has been a good choice for me to bring both my parents and friends out together for dinner. the crowd is very mixed age-wise, chic enough for the kids, classic enough for the adults.
buddakan and mercer kitchen would be other good please-all suggestions.
Babbo or USC or ??? for 10 year anniversary
i would definitly nix the OIBL TIBS suggestion. ambiance is cute, but classic ambiance does not a good meal make. for a compromise between USC and babbo, i would consider gramercy tavern.
River Cafe Lunch?
Have been before for lunch and dinner...enjoyed both but not sure I was blown away.
Has anyone been recently for lunch? Deciding if I should consider it for an upcoming celebratory lunch or should just go into Manhattan instead...
Also, what is the price of lunch there - is it only prix fixe or is there a la carte as well?
Celebratory Weekday Lunch Suggestions?
I'm getting admitted to the NY Bar in 2 weeks, and will be looking to go out for a little celebration lunch with my mother and boyfriend afterwards. Admission ceremony is in Brooklyn Heights, but don't feel compelled to stay local.
Would consider River Cafe, but hesitate because I'm sure more than a few of my brethren of other new lawyers will descend there as well.
Delicious, serious food, with a less serious unsuity atmosphere somewhere below midtown would be preferable. EMP? Perry Street? Other thoughts?
Thanks, as always, CHers.
Daniel, Aureole, Craft, or L'Atelier de JR for a bday date
the toms tuesday dinner suggestion was a great one, i cant believe i hadnt thought of it myself. a great way to make the craft experience more luxe and special occasionish. however, i called on sat and they were already booked for the 4/28 dinner. i booked aureole for the saturday before his birthday instead, but might possibly still try for the 5/12 tuesday dinner.
at aureole - would you recommend the 3 course or the 5 course tasting?
Bachelorette Party Dinner in Gramercy Park Area
was just at a nice girls birthday dinner at ilili on 5th ave and 27th or so.
they did a variation of the restaurant week menu for our group, the wine flowed, and it also came to around $70pp. we had a table for 10, but the place is big, i would be surprised if they couldnt accommodate a larger party too.
Daniel, Aureole, Craft, or L'Atelier de JR for a bday date
Boyfriend's birthday is fast approaching...he narrowed down to these above selections for this year. Aureole and Daniel stick out as the two I've been most interested in. Aureole appears comparable to Picholine - a real favorite of mine- traditional, romantic, cozy, decadent.
I've been to Craftbar numerous times (though admittedly never Craft) and have been underwhelmed each time, but birthday boy enjoys CB and, more importantly, loves Tom C unconditionally. L'Atelier seems to have had more hit or miss reviews in my reading, so I hesitate....
What would you brilliant CHers say would be the pros and cons of each choice, and if you were narrowed down to these four, which would you pick?
Thanks as always!
Fragole, any good?
i actually do think fragole is really delicious. for classic hearty italian flavors, it is one of my faves not just in the neighborhood but in general. i dont think its worth a trip across the country, but across town - sure.
Vegan lunch in BH?
siggy's is wonderful! i am a non-vegan and i really enjoy their food. i absolutely recommend it. if you go for dinner - their acorn squash dinner is fantastic.
An old friend coming to town
for something nearby with some elegance and charm, i'd do cafe sabarsky at the neue gallery.
also, sticking to the neighborhood - etats unis came to mind, but i have heard more and more mixed reviews about it recently.
Illili vs. Olana
went with friends to olana a couple weeks ago and had a very pleasant experience. of the 4 of us - 2 did the prix fixe, 1 did the pasta tasting and the 4th diner did a la carte from the regular menu. i can't remember everyone else's exact preferences so i will stick with my own. Started with the mint tacconi - which was a hearty wintery, much appreciated, pasta with rustic flavors that were just nuanced enough, then i went for the trout with artichokes and shrimp dumplings. the fish was very good, as were the accoutrements, but the dish itself wasn't quite as cohesive as it hinted at. most disappointingly, i cant remember the dessert title, but i do remember enjoying it immensely...must have been the also enjoyable champagne cocktails i was imbibing.
the atmosphere was warm and red, but not cloyingly so as it could have been, probably by virtue of the large space and high ceilings.
main qualm with the evening was spotty service. but not so spotty that i wouldnt give them a pass for a less than stellar showing at 9pm on friday night during restaurant week. i would definitely make a return trip. plus the $35 prix fixe is certainly one of the more impressive ones i've encountered anywhere around town...it doesnt feel in any way sub-par to the rest of the menu.
i havent been to ilili, so i cant make a comparison for you... but at least you have some thoughts to go off of.
Anyone been to Gino on Lex (with the dancing zebra wallpaper)?
ahhh gino!
i grew up just a few blocks away from gino and even as a child felt the charm of this really old-school establishment. i mean come on - those zebras! as stated, the crowd is, and always has been, a bit older...but it was always a fantastically fun people watching scene from mafioso italian speaking gesticulating men, to recognizable celeb faces of the eldere variety, to couples who look like they've eaten there 3 nights a week for the past forty years, to more establishment types.
the food is nothing innovative, inventive or worth writing home about. stick with classics. linguine with white clam sauce was always my personal fave there. i'm sure its technically over-priced. i don't, nor do i particularly want to eat here very often, but my heart would break a bit if i knew it wasn't there anymore. so oh just go and enjoy, close your eyes and pretend you're in a 1950s movie set and enjoy those magical zebras.
Looking for top quality bakeries in outer boroughs
Baked in Red Hook is delicious.
Though I will put in votes for Sweet Melissa, Marquet & Almondine as well.
who's been to south gate at the essex house?
have a res. for v-day. dont know a huge amount about it though, beyond the reputation of chef heffernan.
has anyone had experiences here? worth it?
thank you!
Any cool restaurants for teens in NYC?
gemma is a great idea.
with a fairly similar menu concept...i also think otto is a fun spot. i enjoy it now as a 25 year old with a group of friends - always festive - but i think a group of 14y.o. ladies would be just as comfortable.
Cooking and/or wine tasting class in NYC?
http://nycwineclass.com/
if you want to do a repeat wine class - i've done it twice and loved it both times. have recommend it to a few other friends who all had great times there as well.
Good Haggis in Manhattan?
i was going to mention chip shop as well. funnily enough while most of the menu there is pretty classic, the deep fried haggis is not the traditional preparation, and while tasty...it is extremely heavy and greasy and difficult to eat more than a bite or two.
Lunch Options near 18th & Pk Ave. South
yesterday was first day in the hood - went with organique and was not disappointed. they had every ingredient i wanted and everything looked genuinely appetizing. i'm sure a part of that is the space, much more attractively tricked out than most of the madetoorder salad counterparts.
also:
walked by azuki sushi on my way back to the office and grabbed a menu, but saw that they were closed around 130 yesterday. does anyone know if this was because of the inauguration, or are they done? i assume lunch is or was a normal thing for them, since their menu includes lunch specials...
Elizabeth
after a number of failed attempts (and a post here) finally went to elizabeth last night and thought i should come back to all you lovely CHers with an update and my thoughts on the experience.
4 of us went for saturday night 9pm dinner. we were not seated right away and were told to grab a drink at the bar. the cocktail list is inventive but the bar area not terribly spacious, so we were left huddled together with our drinks dodging servers with 18 plates each. the cocktail list was inventive, which i appreciate in and of itself, but surprisingly i wasn't overly drawn to most of them. i ordered 'the midnight tea' - earl-gray infused gin with egg whites and lemon. they accidentally gave me the other gin cocktail on the menu with blueberries and pink peppercorns, which was tasty but a tad sweet and pink for me. one was enough. i went for wine for round two. my friend who got sangria seemed pleased with it, but maybe it was just that it was a considerably large glass.
when we were finally seated, we were put in one of the black leather booths, which are perfect for 4 people, but tricky on the coldest day of the year when everyone has giant coats with them. there appeared to be no coat check, so we piled our coats and other cold weather accouterments in between us on the booth.
myself and one of my dining companions both started with the beet salad followed by the scallops. the other two went with the onion soup and then the pork chop and the caesar salad followed by the cheeseburger with garlic fries. i really enjoyed the beets - there were golden and red and they were extremely fresh and vibrant tasting. it was served with a goat cheese mousse, which was a good complement, but its texture outshined the flavor...could have been a tad stronger to balance the flavor of the beets.
the scallops were very good. the entire dish was not entirely hot, but not cold enough to send back, so i dug in. there were 4 scallops, which was enough for me, but for some, might not cut it portion wise. they were served over what seemed to be a potato, cauliflower, brown butter puree which was sweet, smooth and delicious. on the side was small heads of cauliflower, an underused veggie in my opinion, which was pleasant served with something we couldn't determine...were they warm marinated grapes, were they green baby sized grape tomatoes, were they something else entirely different?? it remained a mystery, but a good one. i ate them all. arugula on the side didnt totally fit or interact with the rest of the plate, and seemed to be basically for show. cheeseburger seemed to be a hit - it was ordered medium and came much pinker than that, but got good reviews. garlicky garlic fries were thick and potatoey but with a strong good flavor. porkchops seemed to be a success as well - and the portions there were certainly considerably sized.
for dessert we all shared the rice krispie treats with peanut butter chocolate marshmallow fondue. the little pot of fondue to dip and place on the fingers of ricekrispie treats was delicious. the rice krispie treats themselves were just okay, hard, nothing to particularly write home about.
overall the food was solid -everyone enjoyed their options, their plates. our consensus was a B/B+ in the food department.
the service however was sadly below average. we had no idea who our server was, it seemed that every course or drink was brought over by a different person and every thing we needed, we had to work hard to find someone to ask. there wasn't any 'just checking in to see how your meal is going.' the time between the appetizer clearing and the entree serving was also a few minutes too lengthy, but we were engrossed enough in conversation to not particularly notice.
also, by the time we were finishing up around 11/1130 - the drinks only crowd had invaded the bar, which also meant crowding around the sides of our table, which started to get a tad claustrophobic.
the scene generally was a mix of mostly attractive mid 20s to mid 30s city people (read: not notably B&T) mostly in groups (though i imagine on a non-saturday night, it would be a good date spot too.) my friend said it looked like they could have been filming a scene from 'the city' in the back. the black & white aesthetic and cozy lighting was right up my alley and made for very attractive environs.
all in all, we enjoyed our evening and i think would make a return, though it wouldn't 't be a spot i would recommend without at least a few service related reservations.
BYOB in East Village???
glad someone brought up cube - i walked by 63 clinton the other week to try to head here for dinner and it seemed to be gone! has cube closed? i know the brooklyn location is still open. was i being blind and absent-minded, and did i just walk right by?
i ended up going to eat-pi-sode on ludlow instead for thai food and byob (small corkage fee).
Birthday Dinner in NYC for 6 People
how about la paella on 9th street?
its a small but festive spanish spot with lots of tapas and sharable dishes. good pitchers of sangria. should be able to stay within a reasonable budget.
