December 17, 2008

Dining Review: Mexican Meets Thai at Salsa Y Salsa

For the discriminating palate that enjoys the myriad flavors of Mexico ranging from the fulfilling Comida Yucateca to the complex Mole Poblano, New York frequently shocks when it comes to finding authentic regional cuisine of our southern neighbor. It was thus no surprise as to why we had assiduously avoided a smallish place on Seventh Avenue with the very gringo name of Trattoria Spaghetto or Ristorante Lasagna. In other words, file under: known quantity. Yet when a renowned member of the political chattering classes suggested on a snowy evening that the food and atmosphere at Salsa Y Salsa were worthy of our attention, we relented. We'd first enjoyed some holiday cheer at nearby Dusk, and it seemed a late-night dinner was in order.

For the past 15 years, our friends from Puebla and Michoacán have populated the kitchens of every type of restaurant imaginable, ranging from French patisseries to Ethiopian restaurants such as Midtown's Queen of Sheba. Consequently, their masterful abilities to delight with both standard American crowd-pleasers as well as global dishes such as Pad Thai has resulted in a fascinating fusion of eclectic cocina. The usual staples of American Mexican restaurants—Guacamole en Molcajete, nicely mashed with chunks of tomato and onion; Chile Rellenos, stuffed with three cheeses; Pollo con Mole Negro, with a nice Oaxaqueno mole—can all be found here, along with some more exotic dishes such as Patos en Mole Tamarindo (duck in tamarind mole) and Huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper with cornmeal tomato sauce). You'll also find a number of unusual margaritas, such as cactus pear. Our friend the politico, a vegetarian with a rather complex palate, decided on Fajitas, but with a Southeast Asian flair. Here's where creativity comes into play: the charming hostess offered to run next door to the Regional Thai restaurant to fetch snow peas, broccoli and a few other items, something our politico assented to with "Oh, they do this all the time. You just have to ask." Some minutes later a sizzling platter with Mexican Green Rice, Black Beans, Sweet Corn Salpicon, Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream, Warmed Tortillas, and the most exotic selection of perfectly-grilled vegetables this side of Bangkok emerged. There were beautiful rounds of squash, some perfectly cooked snow peas, and florets of broccoli—something we confess to never having seen before in a Mexican restaurant.

Coming on the same day as the sad news of the closure of Jose Hurtado-Prud'homme's Greenwich Village favorite Mi Cocina, we have to admit this simple restaurant with flowery oilcloth on the tables, stencils of Hibiscus on the walls, and a few festive lights strewn here and there surprised us in rather intriguing ways. Just as you'll never know from the simple décor what complex flavors you might get in the rural Yucátan, so too does this principle apparently hold in the biggest city of El Norte.

Tags:   comida yucateca, dusk, mole poblano, puebla, salsa y salsa

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Posted on 12/17/2008 ( Permanent Link )
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December 11, 2008

Holiday Pick: Prix Fixe Meals at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Restaurants

Believe it: $24 prix fixe lunches and $35 dinners at all of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants. JGV has posted the following note:

I've created my restaurants to be places that offer a gracious welcome, that pamper our guests with delicious food and friendly service. And now I want to extend more generosity to my fellow New Yorkers. I'm offering prix-fixe lunch for $24 and prix-fixe dinner for $35 at my restaurants in the city. The best deal, by far, is at Matsugen. In this mini-omakase dinner menu, you get six courses, including the black cod with miso and the Kamoseiro duck soup with soba noodles. It's a deeply satisfying meal that gives you a true taste of Japan. I also love the bento box lunch because one of the four courses is the goma-dare soba, my favorite dish there. Starting today, we're going to serve a $35 dinner at Nougatine too. It's a taste of Jean Georges for a fraction of the price. (And you can enjoy the view of the Christmas lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.) We serve our special three-course menu before 6:30 p.m. and after 10:00 p.m., making it the ideal stop before or after a show at Lincoln Center. Perry St offers their $35 dinner menus during the same hours; JoJo has the same early dinner hours and begins its late-dinner seating at 9:30 p.m. If you go to JoJo on a Sunday, you can enjoy the special prix-fixe all evening. At Vong, the $35 dinner menu is available all the time. For each of our restaurants, we've chosen the best dishes of the season, then it's up to you to choose an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. (Trust me — it's not easy. At Perry St, would you rather have the slowly cooked cod with aromatic black beans, sake, and ginger or the grilled hanger steak with smoked paprika butternut squash and caramelized Brussels sprouts? At Mercer Kitchen, would you rather start with the Endive and Frisee Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears, and Pecans or the Chestnut and Celery Root Soup with Pancetta?) While the restaurants serve the dishes unique to their styles, my signature warm molten chocolate cake is a dessert option on all of the menus. Because, as we all know, nothing can comfort you quite like chocolate.

There you have it; a tremendous holiday special available for the foreseeable future.

Tags:   jean georges, jojo, matsugen, mercer kitchen, nougatine, perry st, vong, vongerichten

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Posted on 12/11/2008 ( Permanent Link )
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December 04, 2008

Holiday Pick: New Year's Eve Dinner Cruise

What to do on December 31st with that special someone? Celebrate the New Year in New York aboard a luxury yacht. Right around this time of year I receive dozens of inquiries about what sort of special dining experience can be combined with an unusually memorable event, and this assuredly is my top choice.

Thus, why not ring in 2009 with an absolutely unforgettable experience? Enjoy fantastic views of the New York skyline as you cruise the harbor, and front-row seats to the World Famous Grucci Fireworks display at the Statue of Liberty. This elegant three-hour cruise around New York harbor features a sumptuous five-course dinner, hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast, premium open bar, party favors and great music from the DJ to dance the night away.

Board at 9pm from the West 41st Street Marina, set sail at 10pm, and you'll return in 2009 around 1 am—a dockside party continues until 1:30am.

Remember to book now as this cruise is extremely popular and has limited space.

Do take note: Jeans, shorts and sneakers are not permitted at any time. Gentlemen: jackets are required for dinner.

Tags:   cruise, holiday pick, new years eve

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Posted on 12/4/2008 ( Permanent Link )
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