steakrules85's Profile
Gotta give Perla some love
I was there early but there were 4 or so other tables around me and I didn't find it loud at all. But then again that sort of thing does not bother me.
5 Day NYC Trip - Fine Tuning Itinerary - Suggestions please!
Eh, to each his or her own I guess. I don't eat the crust really so that doesn't bother me if it indeed was bland. I thought the pizza was great and they are using top notch ingredients and have lots of choices.
Gotta give Perla some love
I went to Perla last night, the new restaurant from Michael Toscano, for an early Memorial day dinner. For those who don't know, he was the chef at Babbo, then Manzo, and now he has left the shadows of Batali and opened up what I believe is one of the top Italian restaurants in the city. Yes, I said it. In a city full of some of the best Italian in the country, the meal i had there last night was on that level. I don't know if I can say it is on the same level as Babbo yet, but it was definitely better than Manzo (which I also liked but that was after Toscano had already left).
Before I get to the food, the restaurant is situated on the small quiet street of Minetta Lane right down the block from Minetta Tavern. If you aren't looking for it you probably would not even know it existed. And honestly, even though I am giving them big time props I am hoping it stays a secret. But I know it is only a matter of time before it blows up and becomes the "next big thing". The press has actually already discovered it and I think the NY Times gave it two stars.
I was greeted warmly by the staff and shown to a table in the small, yet cozy and warm dining room. The tables near the bar are quite close together, but then there are some red leather banquettes towards the back of the restaurant where the open kitchen is. I really liked the decor and atmosphere. Very laid back, with some eclectic types of music playing throughout the meal. The crowd varied from older couples, to families with younger children. Basically, this is a place where anyone and everyone is welcome.
Every staff member that I came in contact with was super friendly and attentive. My water was constantly refilled along with my bread plate. The waiter came over to check on me periodically (in a non-annoying way) and even engage in some friendly conversation throughout the meal.
Alright now onto the good stuff. The menu is quite large, meaning if you like great food like myself it can be daunting narrowing down your choices. I saw a lot of Babbo and Manzo in the concept of the menu and in many of the dishes. The cavatelli with duck ragu and foie gras soudned identical to the fusilli with the same exact ingredients I had at Manzo earlier this year. After questioning the waiter, he confirmed it is the same dish but just the different pasta. Except for one minor detail. They shave frozen foie gras over the pasta at the table and let it melt into the pasta. Sounded pretty crazy! But since I had the dish at Manzo (and it was great), I wanted to try something new from the menu
It is divided into antipasti, pastas, entrees, and contorni. Going for broke I had to try something from each section as usual.
My first plate would be the seared foie gras with cherries and crispy pork testa.This was so incredible! One of the best foie gras dishes I have ever had. And this was right after I had another amazing preparation at Dovetail 2 days ago. Seared to perfect, pink on the outside and it had a nice sauce that I forget what was in it. The kicker was the crispy testa, basically a pork head croquette. Sinful, fatty, goodness, Fat on top of fat and so delectably delicioso.
Agnolotti al sugo d'arrosto - Little pillows of braised short rib love. Ten to an order. There was also a little escarole inside to cut the richness. Sitting in a sauce of beef drippings. Sprinkled with some pecorino romano. Sounds simple, but the ingredients sing and stand on their own wonderfully. Nothing left when I was done with this pasta. Another similar dish from Manzo I believe.
Saba glazed duck with persimmon, cabbage, pancetta- Such a wonderful dish! It was perfectly executed. The breast was seared rare with a salty crispy skin and the confit leg fell off the bone and managed to have a wonderful crust on the outside in its own right. There was lots of chunky bits of pancetta dispersed around the cabbage. The saba (grape must) added a beautiful and intense sweetness that I love and is the perfect pairing to duck. Very similar to the outstanding duck dish at Babbo. Not surpring since Toscano used to cook at Babbo.
Polenta with asiago and ricotta- Homey, comforting and cheesy bliss. I love polenta and this was the perfect accompaniment to the duck. I will never ever pass up polenta, and the asiago (think Italian blue cheese) and ricotta added a different twist on the classic.
At this point I could have left happy but since the meal was so perfect I solidered on for dessert. More polenta!
Polenta upside down cake with apples and figs- This was a very nice dessert. Think the bottom of a corn muffin baked with the apples and figs on the bottom, then they flip it over after baking like a traditional upside down cake. Then it is topped with olive oil gelato (I subbed it for the vanilla) and caramel sauce. It was remarkably moist, with a sweet corn flavor. The apples and figs were nice and the olive oil gelato was super fresh and also acted as a palate cleanser to cut through the sweetness. Great ending to the perfect meal.
The only funny thing that happened really was not a fault of the restaurant at all. At one point you could feel the ground below you shaking as the train came through! Everyone in the restaurant kind of looked at each other like what is happening? Some out of towners at a nearby table really got a kick of it. They must think that is a norm in New York.
The kitchen is turning out some magical dishes. This is in the running for the best meal top to bottom I've had this year. It has immediately joined the list among my favorite Italian restaurants. Prices are reasonable but can add up of course depending upon how many dishes you order. With all that I ordered the bill came to just over $100 with tax and tip. A relative bargain for the quality of food and service that I encountered.
Need help with Sunday dinner.
There are millions of incredible restaurants in this city. Can you be more specific about what kind of food, atmopshere, and price you are looking for? That way people will be able to give you more specific recommendations.
5 Day NYC Trip - Fine Tuning Itinerary - Suggestions please!
One other pizzeria that is great but doesn't get much press is Luzzo's.
5 Day NYC Trip - Fine Tuning Itinerary - Suggestions please!
I had a terrific brunch at ABC Kitchen this weekend. The maple bacon biscuits were incredible and the scramblled eggs with fried oysters and hot sauce butter was one of the most unique and outstanding brunch dishes I've ever tasted. The flavors in the dish kind of brought me back to New Orleans, which I have a soft spot for as one of my favorite cities.
I also highly recommend the NoMad. Humm and Guidara are doing things right just like they are at EMP. A lot of the same dishes but a much different, more relaxed atmosphere. If you go during the day, the atrium if a wonderful place to eat with the sunlight shining through. As for the food, the tagliatelle with king crab (holdover from EMP) is one of the best pastas you will ever have. Saying a lot for a chef who doesn't specialize in Italian food. And I loved the lobster dish as well. As always, the service from this team is top notch and superb. Both ABC Kitchen and the NoMad were two of my favorite meals of 2012 so far.
The New Acme- a Delightful Meal which will make you smile and wonder...in more ways than one.
I had an incredible meal and Il Buco Alimentari a few weeks ago. The short rib dish is not to be missed. Easily one of the best dishes I've had this year.
Dovetail or Picholine?
I honestly couldn't tell you. It could be that they see I make a lot of reservations on Opentable. It could be because I am rather young and they wouldn't think I would be interested in such restaurants. Not really sure to be honest, but it has happened several times. The first time it happened I thought it was kind of cool but then it started to get tired and bothersome. I'm not one to expect or want special treatment. Just want to enjoy my meal like everyone else. Like I said earlier, I totally appreciate the General Manager coming overm, introducing him or herself, making me feel welcome. But after the in depth questioning, it starts to feel like you are under a microscope for the rest of the dining experience.
Best Pasta Dish of 2012
One pasta dish that just did not live up to the hype was the Tajarin alla Carbonara at Dell'Anima. They change some of the ingredients according to the season adding ramps in spring, etc. Now they are serving it with summer black truffles. Sounds delicious right? Well it was very disappointing. Had to send the first plate back for being too cold. The second plate came back with almost no truffles. The taste was fine, but nothing special. Nothing I couldn't get at home from my mother. And yes hers is better =). In all fairness this was during brunch, which really shouldn't be any excuse but maybe they have less experienced chefs working at that time since it was virtually dead.
The price was jacked to $28 to account for the truffles (non-existent) and I just felt like I flushed my money down the drain ughhh.
Best Pasta Dish of 2012
The verde means they used pasta sheets made of spinach. Was it green? And it had a traditional bolognese meat sauce filling. This is what I had.
Last Minute Anniversary Trip to NYC
Second Tocqueville. It is so underrated and undermentioned it is comical.
Dovetail or Picholine?
I've often considered it honestly. I should try it next time to see if i get any perks.
Hmmm what would I be? A food writer? Critic? Chef?
Dovetail or Picholine?
Last night I actually had dinner at Dovetail. Mainly because I could not secure a reservation at Picholine for my desired time, and secondly because I had an Opentable gift certificate that was close to expiring. I figured since DT has been on my list why not give it a shot, even with many saying they were unimpressed on recent trips.
I have to say I didn't care for the room and overall atmosphere. Even after the remodeling, it seems to be very boring, drab, and lacking energy. Still, if a restaurant can deliver great food and service I have no problem overlooking my surroundings. As I has mentioned earlier, I had an Opentable gift certificate to use and therefore decided on the tasting menu. For $135, it is not cheap but you get 10 courses which sounds like a very substantial amount. Overall, it really isn't which I will get to as the review goes on. There were some outstanding tastes, but some were boring and unnecessarily added to pump up the price. I have to admit the service for the most part was terrific. They let me make a few swaps for the tasting menu and one addition. My server was friendly and the bus boys were incredibly warm and attentive. Clearing plates, refilling water, and checking on me over the span of my 3 hour tasting dinner.
I was pleased to see that most of the dishes on the online tasting menu matched the actual menu. The exception being only the first course and dessert courses to be different. From the regular menu, they were featuring appetizers of a tempura soft shell crab and added a pork belly dish not on the online menu, Being lovers of both, I knew I wanted to include these in my tasting. After consulting with my server, I swapped in the soft shell crab for a vegetable consomme and added the pork belly as an additional course, making my tasting 11 official courses. After doing so, the server warned me and it a sort of condescending tone said "It is A LOT OF FOOD. Are you sure you want to add the additional course"? To which I replied OF COURSE. Let's just say I had a hunch that the additional course wasn't going to kill me at all.
After the order was placed, something that continally seems to happen to me when dining out occurred yet again. The dreaded "Are you in the business?" Code language for "If you are we would like to know so we can try and make ourselves look as good as possible". No I am not a food critic for the NY Times or someone looking to sabotage your business. I am just an everyday New Yorker who enjoys eating out.
The cheddar cornbread then arrived with a fried arancini ball and a cracker. No bread was brought, so as usual I requested it. My server agreed to bring it, but seemingly forgot as a good 5 minutes went by without the butter. As he reappeared into view with no butter in hand, I requested it a second time and it was then brought. I have to say the that "butter" had a very yellow hue, and upon eating I could tell it I suspect it to be margarine. Really? In a Michelin starred restaurant they are serving margarine instead of a good quality butter? I did not say anything to the waiter about it but just quietly spread it onto the cornbread and dug in. I have to say the white cheddar cornbread was delectable. I agree with my friend uhockey that cornbread should be in every bread basket. And no I did not consider this a proper bread basket, but rather a set of canapes. After devouring it, I actually requested more and managed to polish off three of the mini corn breads over dinner.
Then the amuses started to arrive. I was to receive three of them and honestly none really appealed to me. The first was a grapefruit gelee topped with caviar (not a fan of those flavors so it was a bit offputting), 2 mini oysters in a bacon broth (nothing terrific), and a smoked trout in a creamy yet acidic sauce (this was the best of the three). All were served cold and personally I am not a huge fan of cold savory preparations but I do not get caught up in loving/hating amuses as they are "freebies".
Then the tasting got under way.
First course- White provencal asparagus, shaved carrots, ramp sauce, and melba toast. This course arrived to the table and was a cold preparation. As I stated above, I do not have an affinity for cold food prepartions so this course was a waste for me. The vegetables had a sort of pickled taste and overall I could have done without this one. I can appreciate a simple plate of vegetables as a starter but this just didn't appeal to me. It seemed to be a filler to add a "course" to the tasting menu honestly.
Second course- Egg souffle, asparagus, green garlic. I love eggs and souffles so I was eagerly anticipating thise course to see what was in store. I was expecting something of a mini frittata with a souffle-like consistency. However, what was brought to me was an actual egg shell, filled with some asparagus custard on the bottom topped with an egg mixture that had a consistency between a souffle and a foam. I actually really loved the flavors in this little bite. The egg flavor was delicious, loved the consistency, and the asparagus surprise on the bottom had a great combination. I can truly appreciate the chef's finesse, presentation, and creativity with this one. However, again calling this a "course" was really misleading. This was more the size of an amuse bouche.
Third course= Tempura soft shell crab, cloe slaw, malt tartar sauce (swapped for the vegtable consomme). So I have to admit after the first 2 "courses" I was starting to get worried that I would be leaving DT disappointedly hungry. I did have 9 more courses plus dessert ahead, but from the size of the first two courses being merely a few bites I wasn't overly optimistic. This is when the soft shell came. I absolutely love soft shells, and tis the season! I've been trying to get as much of them as I possibly can around the city this month. So if I see it on a menu, you can bet I will be ordering it. The size of this course was better than the first two. Although, it was definitely scaled down some for the tasting because it was larger for fellow diners who ordered it as part of the three course. As for the taste, it was wonderful. As long as the soft shell crab is properly fried, seasoned, and fresh it is hard to mess up. This dish was all three of those things. Sometimes, places do not properly batter the legs and they tend to be hard to chew and swallow. At DT it was perfectly fried, fresh crab, and I liked the combination of the acidity in the malt with the creaminess of the tartar like sauce. Decent size soft shell and it left me wanting more. One of my favorite soft shell preps I have had. Thank god I swapped this for the consomme. There's no question in my mind the consomme would have just bee another throw away course to fill up space ont he laundry list of tasting dishes. If you order from the three course menu and this is an option I highly recommend it.
Fourth course- Ricotta gnudi, truffles, broccoli, parsley root- Another one of my favorite things is gnocchi and gnudi. The difference being that gnudi is basically like the inside filling of a ravioli and not made of pasta. I highly anticipated this course as well. It was presented with four marble sized balls of ricotta in a vey large bowl, dotted with some shaved broccoli sitting in a pool a creamy truffle flecked sauce. This was another incredible little dish. The ricotta flavor was so intensely fresh, creamy, and cheesy. Broccoli and cheese are such a natural combination so it was a wonderful addition. And finally, the truffle sauce was the cherry on top. This was an awesome "course" and I definitely could have gone for about 10 more of those little pillows of gnudi greatness.
I said the service was great at the beginning and it was. But halfway through the meal something got me a little annoyed. The manager came over to check on me which was a fine gesture. But then of course he proceeded with the dreaded "Are you in the business" question again. Also saying it was "rare to find a solo diner ordering the tasting". Then proceeding to question if I lived in the area and if I had ever been there before. Kind of felt like I was in an interrogation room honestly lol. After telling him I was not in the business, did live in Manhattan, and just appreciated great food and dining out in general he kind of smiled giving me a skeptical look as if I was bullshitting him. "So you just follow the food world and keep up to date with the press"? Really? I just basically nodded and wanted to end the conversation. I just don't get it. Is it impossible for someone to just appreciate good food and like to dine out? Does there have to be some underlying conspiracy theory as to why a solo diner my age would be eating the tasting menu at Dovetail? After he just smiled, told me to let him know if I needed anything, and walked away. I'm sure it was nothing personal or anything but it just left me feeling very awkward and "watched". He seemed to continually pass by my table throughout the meal too. I hate to have that feeling when all I want to do is enjoy my meal without feeling my every move, facial expression, gesture is being monitored.
Fifth course- Marinated scallops, sorrel, hibiscus. So after having two awesome dishes, I was starting to warm up to DT a little bit. Thinking that maybe the meal was starting to hit its stride. I had confirmed whether this was a cold prep before ordering, and the server said it was indeed cold. I would have loved for it to be hot, but I love scallops and can bear to eat them chilled. This was essentially one scallop that was sliced in three and sitting in a chilled hisbiscus infused beet like broth. The scallops were fresh and naturally sweet. The beet broth also added some more sweetness as well. It was nothing overly creative or mind blowing and again merely 2 a two bite dish at that. I guess the chef figured this would be a good way to provide a "break" halfway through. Certainly, a severe step down from the 2 great courses ahead of it.
Sixth course- Halibut confit, fava beans, crayfish, spring onions- Another one of my favorite things is Halibut. I have grown a great love for fish after dining in several fine restaurants, especially Halibut. As a choice on the menu, I am always drawn to it. If I ordered of of the three course, this was the dish I would have certainly selected so I was very excited for this one. It is one of the DT "signatures" that doesn't leave the menu. Only the accompaniments change with the seasons. Being that this was the first "entree" course of the tasting, I expected this to be much larger than the previous 5 courses. It turned out to be the largest of all 11 courses, which I was delighted about. Even at that the Halbiut was about a 3 inch block, perfectly cooked. No doubt confit and poached, this was one of the better fish dishes I have ever had. It was so incredibly tender and soft that it flaked and separated with the mere prick of my fork. This was the most beautiful of the plates as well. Surrounded by a spring onion sauce, crayfish foam, fava beans, block of spinach, and a few chunks of crayfish. All of the flavors were incredible when combined on one forkful. I especially loved the crayfish and was wanting more than just those 2 mini chunks. I wish I could have quardupled it in size, as I never wanted it to end. This dish was so satisfying and probably my favorite one of the night.
Seventh course (added for a minimal and reasonable extra $10)- Pork belly, broccoli rabe, black eyed peas. This was the course I added that my waiter thought would somehow push me into food overload.. HA. Another welcome addition to the tasting menu along with the soft shell crab. Again, it was definitely a scaled down portion for the tasting, and I apprecaited that they took that into account by only charging me half price from what was printed on the three course menu. This featured two mini blocks of rich (of course) pork belly with a nicely crisped skin. It came with a tempura fried piece of broccoli rabe which I did not expect, providing a nice crunchy textural contrast to the soft pork belly. Little bits of black eyeds dispered throughout under a creamy sauce which I could not tell you was made of. This was a very delicious dish. After the Halibut, it was nice to have some fatty meat. I love the combo of the pork belly and the broccoli rabe. Again, I would recommend this as an appetizer from the three course, although I cannot vouch for what the size difference would be.
But for the $10 supplement I was extremely happy with that. Eight course- Chicken in mourning, heirloom potatoes, swiss chard, truffles. I was curious what "in mourning" was. The waiter told me this was a skin-on chicken breast stuffed with black truffles and that it was "realllllllllllly good". OK, fair enough. I for one never ever order chicken when dining out. I feel it is too pedestrian and never as appealing to me as other options on a menu. Usually there for those diners who are looking for something more familiar, which I can respect. If given the choice I probably would have swapped this out ahead of time for the duck, which is another of my favorite foods. Even though this was listed on the "entree" part of the menu, this portion was quite small. It arrived as literally a 1 inch by 1 inch piece of chicken, smear of mashed potatoes, and a baby fingerling. It was sauced table side with a chicken gravy. It all tasted fine but was gone in 2 bites. Again, chicken just seems so blah to me, which is why kitchens try to fancy it up with truffles and such. The piece was so small that you could not appreciate the crispy skin or even the truffle.
Ninth course- Sauteed foie gras, graham cracker, huckleberries. At this point I must admit I was 2 and a half hours into the meal and didn't really know how I was feeling. Some incredible dishes for sure, but some that were either unnecessary or just not special. However, the next 3 courses were more DT signatures and was hoping for a really strong finish. I knew that I would not get the same piece of foie from the three course menu, but that was expected. I must say this was one incredible few bites of food. It was only a tiny block of foie gras, but the flavors were perfection. It was perfectly seared on the outside, but not overly so. The inside was creamy, and still pink which I love. Impeccable care was taken in the cooking process of this dish. I absolutely loved the sweetness from the blueberries paired with the nuttiness from the graham cracker sauce. It was salty, sweet, and rich goodness with the foie gras. Sort of a peanut butter meet jelly thing going on, which seems to be a popular concept with foie gras these days. I even alternated a few bites of leftover cornbread in the with foie which was awesome. I tried to savor as much of that little baby as possible and when it was all gone I had to restrain myself from dragging my finger through the leftover sauce and licking it off the plate. This would certainly be in the running for a contest of "best one bite of food you ever had".
Tenth course- Roasted sirloin with beef cheek lasagna, king trumpet mushrooms, onions- The last savory was one of my most anticipated. This one never leaves the menu and I figured there had to be a good reason. Now many know that I am a steak lover, and really just beef lover in general. I've had my share of incredible steaks in my day so I know a little bit about the subject. The beef cheek lasagna was also something I was looking forward too immensely. When the plate arrived, it was one slice of sirloin =, one mushroom, one onion, and basically a mini dollop of beef cheek lasagna. The bordelaise sauce was drizzled tableside. I mean come on! I know it was the last of a 10 courses tasting but this is supposed to be an "entree" course. Would it have killed them to put another piece of steak on the plate? Maybe a few more mushrooms and certainly a bigger piece of the lasagna. The dish was extremely delicious though in its own right. The steak was properly cooked to my rare specification and properly seasoned with just salt and pepper letting the beef shine. The beef cheek lasagna was another one of those "bites of heaven". It proved not to be lasagna at all as there was no pasta. Essentially it was layers of thinly slices potato and slowly braised beef cheeks the consistency of short ribs. Fantastic. And nothing goes better with steak than mushrooms and onions. Overall, this was another of the better dishes in the tasting. I just wish there was more of it.
After the savories, the server came back to see if I was doing OK after "all that food" and had room for the sweets. Wink Wink. I assured him I was perfectly fine. At this point, I did consume 3 pieces of cornbread, 3 amuses, and 10 plates of food. Was I stuffed? Certainly not. Was I hungry? No, but I would have definitely loved some of the better courses to be larger and some of the crappier unneccessary courses to be thrown by the wayside. Maybe make the tasting only 6 courses and cut the price down to $100. I definitely think they are making it a 10 course to justify charging the $135 price tag.
I was then brought a "sweet" palate cleanser of cucumber and mint sorbet, with a bit of black pepper infused whipped cream. I had to admit, I dread when pastry chefs put savory ingredients into a dessert course. What's the point? I want dessert, something sweet, no more savory stuff. Especially after I just endured nearly 3 hours of dinner. But this was actually pretty good. The cucumber flavor wasn't too intense and the whipped cream kinda helped this border on being something resembling a "dessert".
Next was a pre-dessert bite. Ricotta creme brulee, with cherries. This was awesome. The little ricotta ball was almost frozen giving it an ice cream like texture, and the top was bruleed for a terrific crunch. The little slices of cherry added a nice sweetness. I really loved this little treat. It was something between a gelato, creme brulee, and panna cotta in flavor. Maybe a deconstructed sfogliatella even.
Dessert course- Bittersweet chocolate souffle, sour cream ice cream, caramel sauce. If a souffle is on the menu, I get it. Plain and simple. It is one of my absolute favorite desserts on the planet and a DT signature. I swapped this is for the chocolate creamux on the tasting, and was delighted they did not charge we a supplement. The souffle was cut on the top tableside and drizzled with the caramel sauce. It was super delicious, albeit maybe a teeny bit undercooked inside. But still, I am glad I got this. The bittersweet chocolate was rich, but not overly cloying, and the souffle was nicely eggy but stiff on top. The caramel sauce gilded the lily even more, and the sour cream ice cream provided a superb balance to the sweetness of the other two flavors.
The final thing to come to the table before the check was the mignardises which included three chocolates. A bacon chocolate, a brownie, and a coconut filled chocolate. Three nice sweet little bites to end the meal.
I have to say Dovetail is very good. Top 20 in NYC like Platt said (he somehow rated it no.18)? No. Top 100? Maybe. There were many dishes that were incredibly delicious, even memorable. The soft shell crab, pork belly, halibut, sirloin, and certainly that foie gras is awesome. The service was really on point the whole night. Friendly, attentive, and warm. None of the snafus others suggested. My little conversation with the waiter and again the manager was a little irksome but eh whatever. I just felt that as whole the meal was inconsistent, the portions for some courses were laughable and just added to justify the price tag of the tasting. Did I enjoy my meal? I certainly did but I must say that if I didn't have that $100 OT gift and had to pay the $180 after tax and tip, I definitely would have left feeling like the price was unjustified. For $80, it was justified. I got to experience Chef Fraser's cuisine and can admire some of the things he turned out..or at least conceptualized in his kitchen. My suggestion to them would be to cut down the tasting some, get rid of the unnecessary courses, and get some real butter. Overall though, I am very happy I experienced Dovetail, but with a tasting for $135 you should be able to say it belongs in the pantheon of the NYC greats like EMP, Gotham Bar and Grill, Bouley, Daniel, etc. As far as that goes, I cannot say that.
Dovetail or Picholine?
Last night I actually had dinner at Dovetail. Mainly because I could not secure a reservation at Picholine for my desired time, and secondly because I had a $100 Opentable gift certificate to use. I figured since DT has been on my list why not give it a shot, even with many saying they were unimpressed on recent trips.
In depth report is coming.
"To join together harmoniously" ... or not. My thoughts on Dovetail.
"And if I'm going to travel, I'd rather go to Minetta, which is closer and where the burger is, I have no doubt, far superior to Telepan's."
Well I agree with you that's for damn sure! Minetta Tavern does one of the best brunches in the city. Overall, after several meals including both brunch and dinner I admit Minetta Tavern is one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Last Minute Anniversary Trip to NYC
Babbo is also a place you can just walk in and dine at the bar. They are actually on opentable now, but Kathryn is right that they do not take reservations for lunch. They do for dinner on OT for parties of only 3 or 4, however seemingly never have an open time slot when I play around trying to find a table.
If you are willing to dine early 5:30-6, you may actually be able to snag a table at a notable spot. I know Gotham Bar and Grill usually has a 530 open. Picholine may also be worth a shot. If you really want to go to a specific place and can't get online reservation your best bet is to call the restaurant for cancellations.
"To join together harmoniously" ... or not. My thoughts on Dovetail.
I actually didn't know that. They do have a good mixture of breakfast and lunch fare on the menu though for those who prefer more lunch focused options. The menu is quite extensive for a brunch prix fixe.
"To join together harmoniously" ... or not. My thoughts on Dovetail.
I had a truly spectacular brunch at Telepan a few weeks ago. Relaxed atmosphere, and they start you off with a great complimentary bread basket to start with some sweet and savory deliciousness.
I got the pancake souffles with huckleberries and huckleberry sauce and the lumberjack ( scrapple, canadian bacon, buttermilk pancake & sunnyside eggs). Service was fantastic also. All for $32 usually, but since I ordered two from the main course section it carried an $8 supplement.
Best Pasta Dish of 2012
Totally agree. I'd also like to nominate the Lasagna verde at Osteria Morini.
The fusilli with duck and foie gras was great at Manzo also.
Dovetail or Picholine?
Where would you choose? Both have been on my list and would probably do the tasting at each. Both menus look great and are similarly priced. Has anyone experienced either tastings? I've heard the portions at DT are small overall.
Humm and Guidara's Nomad
I disagree with Platt about the lobster. I thought it was fantastic and impeccably prepared.
Coming to NYC and had a few questions about reservation systems and brunch/lunch
Minetta is great for brunch and surprisingly easy to get reservations on OT. Their prime rib (although not bone-in) is incredible. I had a real gut busting brunch there earlier this year which started with their thick cut bacon, followed by the enormous prime rib that comes with delicious roasted carrots,onions, and mushrooms and the most delectable popover. Oh and I threw in a side of duck confit hash for good measure as well. That was one of the most delicious meals of my life and I waddled out of there a happy man.
Craving veal osso buco but can't find any Itaian restaurants with the dish listed on the menu...
Piccolo Angolo.
Babbo's Lunch menu
http://www.babbonyc.com/menu2.html
Enjoy if you haven't seen it already.
