November 28, 2006
We went to Daniel's for our
anniversary, and it was spectacular. We wanted a romantic place with
excellent food and no loud talkers, and we were not disappointed. The
only glitch was trying to decide what to order.
Long story short, we decided on
the tasting menu with the wine pairings and allowed the meal to come to
us at a liesurely pace. It's hard to remember each scrumptious morsel;
the whole experience has to be remembered in entirety. By the
time dessert arrived, I was in a narcotic state.
Some things to know: Men, a
jacket is required. If you don't have one on, they will give you one,
and you will not like the way it looks on you. Ladies, while business
attire is acceptable, there seems to be a lot of fur and chiffon going
in and out of the ladies room. If you have
something new you would like to show off, this is the place.
Loud talkers - this is not the
place for you. Dining here is discreet. One doesn't shout with ones
mouth full. The noise level is not earsplitting.
Hot Young Chicks with Older
Male Escorts - no one will notice you here, as you will not be anything
new or trendy. If you want to be seen with your new diamonds and
silicon lip enhancements, go to the Meatpacking District.
Gay couples: Welcome.
Gastronomes: Make your holiday reservations now! December romance will soon fill the book to brimming.
Tags:
best of NYC, Daniel New York
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November 28, 2006
For those of you who have never been to the West Coast in winter, you are missing out on a local specialty that
is the hallmark of San Francisco’s
Fisherman’s Wharf in winter.The Dungeness Crab, a sweet and often large
crab (Cancer magister, for those who
like to be specific), inhabits the cold, Pacific waters from the Aleutian
Islands (that’s Alaska) down the area around MonterreyBay.
Why
am I telling you this?Having just returned from a
West Coast tour, I must admit that I
over-indulged in cracked crab. They were everywhere – the smell of crab
boil permeated the cool air along Pacific
Coast Highway. We don’t have such crabs here on
this coast.
What’s
the big deal?
The big deal is the sweet taste,
which is not uncommon is seafood coming from colder waters. But this crab – if
you are a crab lover – is definitely in the running for Best in Show. Californians look forward to November, when the crab
harvest is well underway. In fact, cracked crab is not a stranger to coastal
hugging Thanksgiving tables. (Not unlike the escargot found at Christmas dinner
in northern France.)
What
I ate Too Much Of:Crab. And also Wild Boar. Suddenly, it is on every menu.
It is hard to imagine that the world is so full of wild boars. (I know some
bores, but…). I had a wild boar tacquito
somewhere in San Diego
– it was tasty, I have to admit. Also, I have to admit that it was not on the
menu but was made in the kitchen by some creative cooks in the know. I also had
a wild boar and pumpkin ravioli,
which was very tasty as well. And, to round things out, a Spanish style wild
boar prepared with a piquant plum sauce. We did have the traditional turkey and
dressing and potatoes and gravy, but everyone was mad for the cracked crab.
What
to look forward to in New York waters:Oysters and Clams. The season for Jonah crabs is
almost over, but the diminutive shellfish we all love some much, those bivalves
from whom NYC got its first nickname (The Big Oyster), will be at their peak
just in time for Christmas. Start you
holiday meals with oysters on the half shell and a glass of champagne. Also in
season are herring and hake.But please don’t eat the cod! Cod is a fish in
serious danger of becoming extinct in the Atlantic.
If
you plan to travel: Check out the seafood or freshwater fish seasonal offerings before
making dinner plans.Here are a few
notes:
1. West Coast (north of MonterreyBay) – Dungeness crab 2. West Coast (south of MonterreyBay) – Albacore tuna,
sole and ridgeback shrimp 3. GulfCoast – wild-caught shrimp
and oysters 4. East Coast (north of Rhode
Island) Maine Shrimp, oysters 5.East Coast (south of Rhode
Island) – striped bass, oysters, mussels 4. In general – Blue mussels and black flounder
Tags:
Dungeness crab, eat your oysters, winter seafood choices
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November 14, 2006
With the myriad openings that always accompany the holidays (that’s when most bars & eateries hope to make enough money to sustain themselves during January & February), it is easy to forget old favorites and those unlucky few that opened during the doldrums of late summer.And of course there have been some sad closings and disappearing chefs.
Murmurs…..
Closings that hurt – Night & Day in Brooklyn has closed its doors – too bad for all the musicians and poets who were able to enjoy the art space on the lower level. There just are not enough venues in this city for the grossly underpaid performers and wordsmiths who need a space like Night & Day. Some say the food was the cause, but in the complex world of restaurateurs, landlords, partners and plain old theater, it’s not easy to surmise the cause of demise.
Beat the Meat: BLT Burger – My earlier enthusiasm for a good burger joint had begun to wane prior to Laurent’s new adventure in meat: BLT Burger. But darn, I bet it will be good. So many burgers, so few notches left on the belt. Help!
More Asian Openings
The plethora a big-box Asian and Asian-ish joints running along the cities arteries have not yet leeched out the love and money that such joints can drain from us. But many of the new openings are in the so-called Outer Boroughs (where are the inner boroughs?): Pho Mac on Staten Island, promising good Vietnamese food, which is sorely lacking here in Gotham City, and Zenkichi in Billy Burg Brooklyn, which is a gastro-pub through the lens of traditional Japanese dining.
Pho Mac1407 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island
Zenkichi,77 North 6th Street, at Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg (718-388-8985).
Not too fast! An opening of some girth and the return of Nierpoint (and Michael Bao Huynh).Yes, Tribeca needed this semi-precious stone to be set in her tiara.Nierpont has added modern Vietnamese to the mix (what about plain old Vietnamese?), a large and scrumptious space designed by Chef Bao, with a menu to match.
Mai House: 186 Franklin Street, Tribeca; (212) 431-0606
Places to Try
Boquería – Please, please try this tapas joint on West 19th
(http://www.nyc.com/restaurants/Boqueria.75692/editorial.aspx ) First, there are precious few places in NYC that actually understand what the Spanish do with tapas, and even fewer that do it in such an authentic way. Granted, tapas here are more expensive than they would be in Spain; here they are nevertheless as close to authentic as once can find. And the best thing is the vibe – it is busy and loud, but not in that cavernous and cold way that makes dining out in the city a shell-shocking experience. This is conversation and ordering and sharing at its best. In Spain, most people would be standing along the bar or along ledges on the wall, but we Yankees like to sit our asses down. Be prepared to wait for a seat if your haunches are heavy. But this is the kind of place you pop in for a glass of wine, some jamon, olives and other Iberian treats. If you want to be waited on and graced with linens and fancy flowers and specialness, this is not your place. If you have ever been to Spain, fallen in love with it, and cried like a baby when you had to leave, then this is the place for you. Proof that you can indeed fall into the arms of your old flame.
Lonesome Dove
(http://www.nyc.com/restaurants/Lonesome_Dove_Western_Bistro.75728/editorial.aspx) Near Boqueria is Lonesome Dove, a hoedown for the high steppin’ meat eater who is not ashamed that he/she is in the game for the meat of it. In all seriousness, this is a place that one should try and should consider a great steak place. If you cringe at the sight of a cowboy hat, get over it.
Disappearing Chefs:
Where is Sascha Lyons?
Where is Michael White?
Tags:
Boqueria, Chef Bao, Lonesome Dove, Mai House, New YOrk City Restaurant Openings, Nierpoint, NYC restaurant buzz, Pho Mac, Vietnamese food in New York, Zenkichi
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November 06, 2006
If you think Greek food is just Greek food is just feta cheese sprinkled over iceburg lettuce, or maybe a gyro dripping in watery tzatziki sauce, think again. There is some great Greek cuisine available in Manhattan, sitting right under your nose.
We don’t mean the usual diner fare. There are several good Greek restaurants that offer fresh fare with that healthy Mediterranean profil we should all embrace a little more. Molyvos is one of those places.
Just south of Carnegie hall and within reasonable walking distance of the MoMA and the Theater District, Molyvos offers European style dining in a gracious room of wood and white tablecloths. Chef James Botsacos has put together a menu based the comfort food of his Greek homeland.
Expect some well-known favorites: meze (eggplant spread, humus, etc) and avgolemno (lemon chicken soup), and lamb chops. These are nicely prepared, fresh and well presented. But there are also some innovative dishes, such as the homemade ravioli with shredded braised lamb shanks and prepared with butter, sage & cheese sauce, and the signature grilled octopus salad. The wine list is solid, and does feature a white retsina worth trying, if you dare to explore.
For those visiting the museums or in the neighborhood for lunch, the lamb wrap, pan-seared big eye tuna and slow roasted chicken are well prepared and reasonably priced. Pre-theater menus are also available, and feature the greatest hits of the Greek islands.
Desserts include the usual baklava, but also some interesting yogurt-based alternatives, which are fresh, satisfying and above all healthy. The coffees are excellent.
Bar snacks are also pleasing. Good for groups.
Tags:
avgolemno, Carnegie Hall eateries, Chef James Botsacos, Greek Food
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November 06, 2006
If you ever get a hankering for “urban Western” cooking, a red deer chop or wild boar ribs, then you need to mosey on over to Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, the New York-ified version of the Fort Worth original, and belly up to the bar.
Enter street level to a raw-brick and warm-toned bar area, with wrought iron bar stools decorated with Navajo-patterned seats.These stools are roomy, wide enough for the most demanding carcass. Decorated panels supply the western sunset so you can sit back and enjoy a jalapeño margarita, or a nice glass of wine. Ledges along the wall and incredibly friendly and knowledgeable bar staff make this a great after-work spot.
After some talk at the bar, Chef Tim Love and his ten gallon cowboy hat are ready to hand cut a steak for you, or to let you be wowed by this new “urban Western” fusion. Taking the sacred red meat of the West and turning all notions of proper upside down, Chef Love shows us that Cowboy does not mean sirloin tips and a baked ‘tater. He introduces us to prairie butter (buffalo marrow served in the bone), lobster bacon, buffalo corndogs and boursin-stuffed kangaroo nachos.
Saucy: Qualifying the Dove for “fusion” are the sauces that accompanying dishes, such as the roasted red pepper hollandaise that accompanies the red chili jumbo shrimp, or the huckleberry habanero that compliments nachos. But there is more. Sides range from satisfying onion rings to magnificent white truffle mac-n-cheese made with orzo to sublime fried spinach. Comfort food here meets the open ranges of Love’s imagination.
While there are some truly innovative dishes that show Love’s passion for exploring a world of flavors and textures, his strong suit remains the hand-cut steaks. These are as tender as they are well-cut and served. A good steak is not as easy to find as one would think; just ask anyone who comes from steak country. You will be pleased with the steak presented at your table. But don’t forget to choose an appetizer that sounds unlike anything you’ve ever had before, once you’ve settled on that New York strip.
The wine list is Californian, largely Sonoma, with some Australian selections. These wines underscore the main themes of the menu: the American west and the Australian outback. In fact, there are very few things on the menu that do not have roots in rugged places. An exception is the foie gras brulee, although it pales next to the kangaroo nachos.
One could look at Lonesome Dove as just another steakhouse, but that would not be fair. It is a cookout for those who dare to explore the wide open range of flavors that is New Urban.
This is a great place to meet your secret meat-loving friends, to take college buddies or guests who will never visit Texas, or to have game meats, such as antelope, red deer, quail, wild boar and duck. The dining room is not a cavern, so phone ahead for reservations.
Tags:
antelope, buffalo, Chef Time Love, game meat, lobster bacon, Lonesome dove, new urban cowboy, prarie butter, quail, red deer, urban menus, western cuisine, white truffle man n cheese, wile boar
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