The Food Doc

Northern Spy Food Co.

2012-01-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

Smoked duck breast salad with sour cream, pear, celery, and seed toast

Beet salad with arugula, sour cream, and beet sorbet

Shrimp and clam salad, with sour cream, cucumber, fingerling potatoes, and dill

Roasted cauliflower with cripsy kale, pickled pear, and mustard seeds

Farro and egg salad topped with greens and sunchoke chips

Elysian Fields lamb loin with vadouvan granola, collard greens, and yogurt

Northern Spy apple slices marinated in fruit juice, with pomegranate seeds and apple panna cotta sorbet

Oatmeal bread pudding with stout syrup and vanilla ice cream

Sticky pork buns

After the premature demise of the much-loved pop-up restaurant What Happens When last May, chef de cuisine Hadley Schmitt took a few months off to relax and recharge. Last October, he announced that he was joining Northern Spy Food Company, the locavore movement inspired restaurant in the East Village. He then spent the next three months creating a menu that was true to the vision of the restaurant's founders, yet executed with a modern twist. Mr. Schmitt was kind enough to arrange a menu sampling the night I had dinner at Northern Spy, and I found his food to be filling yet not heavy, and certainly delicious.

Dinner began with a quartet of snacks, including a rich smoked bluefish rillette on garlic toast and a sufficiently tart pickled egg topped with aioli. This was followed by a salad of smoked duck breast served with greens, cottage cheese, pears, and seed toast: a nice combination of sweet, tart, smoky, nutty, and creamy. A marinated beet salad topped with arugula, sour cream and beet sorbet was earthy yet fresh and sweet. A salad of shrimp and clams mixed with fingerling potatoes, sour cream, cucumber, and dill was surprisingly delicate and tasteful, even though the saltiness of the shrimp overwhelmed the dish a bit. Roasted cauliflower florets are served with mustard seeds, crispy kale, and pickled pear: the dish needed a little more sweetness than the pear cubes could provide. The same could be said of the pork sticky bun, which was adequately savory but lacked the cloying nature of your typical sticky bun. My favorite dish of the night was the farro topped with egg yolk, sunchoke chips, greens, and lamb belly: the lusciousness of the yolk was a perfect counterpoint to the heartiness of the farro and lamb, and the dish was both satisfying and memorable. The roasted lamb loin from Elysian Fields Farms was cooked medium rare, resulting in a tender piece of meat that was bursting with flavor; the vadouvan granola and collard greens added both savory and earthy notes to the dish, while the yogurt balanced the dish with its creaminess. Dinner ended with two dishes: a tart and light Northern Spy apple topped with pomegranate seeds and an apple panna cotta sorbet, and a rich oatmeal bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and stout syrup. A delectable way to end the meal.

I am truly glad that Mr. Schmitt is back behind the stove, working his particular magic with food. I believe that his skills will take Northern Spy Food Co. from local favorite to an actual dining destination in Manhattan.

The King

2012-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Deviled egg salad with fried toast

Smoked octopus salad with frisee, radish, and poached egg

Fried veal sweetbreads with celery root and green olives

Salted caramel creme brulee

Fluke crudo with winter citrus and fennel

Tripe stroganoff with creme fraiche noodles

Skate with cauliflower, caper berries, and orange

Lemon tart with espresso creme and sambuca syrup

At the corner of Sixth Avenue and King Street sits The King, the newest restaurant from entrepreneur Lou Ramirez of Fig and Olive and Le Pain Quotidien fame. According to its website, The King "brings to lower Manhattan the spirit of epicurean Old World gastronomy with its roots planted firmly in modern culinary technique", and it is this contrast that informs everything at The King, from the restaurant decor to the food. Upon entering the restaurant, one is immediately struck by the interior design, which is a cross between an 18th century boudoir and a 19th century Western saloon. It is both jarring and a bit dour, with only the floor-to-ceiling window panes facing Sixth Avenue to brighten the gloomy atmosphere, and to add a modern touch to the surroundings. Fortunately, too, the servers are warm and accomodating, if a bit tentative, making the dining experience a little more pleasurable. The short wine list predictably leans towards Europe, with most bottles ranging between $50-$100.
The chef at The King is Francis Derby, a veteran of such establishments as wd-50, Tailor, Gilt, Atlas, and Momofuku Ssam Bar. He was able to hone his skills at molecular gastronomy while working at the abovementioned restaurants, skills that he has brought to bear on the typical European dishes served at The King. Sometimes, the marriage of the classical and avant-garde works, as in the case of Mr. Derby's version of Caesar salad, wherein frisee, soft-cooked egg, and smoked octopus substituted for the lettuce, coddled eggs, and anchovies, producing a dish that is both familiar yet unique, and certainly scrumptious. Other times, the results are head-scratching, such as the tripe stroganoff, where the "creme fraiche noodles" turn out to be limp and flavorless, and do little to enhance an otherwise wonderful tripe stew. Other dishes may need a bit of tweaking: the skate was a tad too salty, overpowering the cauliflower puree; the fluke crudo needed some sweetness to balance the acidity from the citrus and the herbal notes from the fennel; the curd in the lemon tart was too stiff, and the espresso foam was bitter (fortunately, the sambuca syrup was a lovely addition); and the salted caramel creme brulee was too rich.

All in all, The King is a restaurant whose food has yet to equal its ambition. In time, perhaps, and with a few improvements, the restaurant will produce a menu that embodies its objective to a T.

Pera Soho

2012-01-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara uni served with pistachio puree, pickled radish and watermelon

Marinated Long Island fluke with pickled radish, beets, pistachio, sesame and celery leaves

Cauliflower soup, topped with grilled radicchio, hazelnut and golden raisins

Open flame grilled prawns, served with coco beans, parsnip ragout, and bottarga

Grilled branzino with slow roasted squash, cherry tomatoes, and basil confit

Pera's signature fresh lamb "adana", hand ground daily and marinated with eastern mediterranean spices

Braised beef short ribs, with smoked eggplant puree, barley, watercress, and radish

Chocolate pot du creme topped with crushed pistachio

Ryan Skeen frustrates me. For all his obvious talent, his career trajectory has made it difficult for him to gain adherents or a loyal clientele in the culinary world. He probably has learned to live with the trade-off of following his bliss, but it makes fans like me wonder what masterpieces he could have produced had he allowed himself to develop and mature in a single setting. Such are the fantasies that played in my head as I joined Mr. Skeen for dinner at his latest restaurant, the Turkish restaurant Pera Soho.

Located just feet from Kittichai, the restaurant boasts a beautiful patio well-suited for outside dining in the summer; unfortunately, the inside dining area is still a work in progress: Mediterranean-style decor adorns an otherwise drab setting, and the aseptic kitchen entrance evokes a hospital nursery rather than an upscale cooking area. I suggested to the GM that some form of screen be placed across the entrance to hide it from the diners. Having just opened a week ago, I was expecting service to be tentative and mistake-prone; thankfully, the server assigned to me was quite experienced and helpful, and dinner service went by smoothly. The wine list is short and contained vintages from Italy, southern France, Greece and even Turkey; I professed my ignorance of Turkish wines to the GM, and he took the time to select particular vintages from that region to pair with my foods, all the while discussing the merits of each wine while pouring. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the wines from Turkey, and I see wonderful things for the future of Turkish viniculture in the coming decades.

Mr. Skeen came out to greet me before dinner, and he offered to send out a few plates for me to try out. A few mezes came out, including a delicious roasted eggplant puree, and grape leaves dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, resulting in a delicate yet crunchy snack. Small plates featured sea food in a setting of sweet, tart and nutty: sea urchin was served with a pistachio puree and pickled watermelon and radish, while fluke was paired with pickled radish, beets, pistachio, sesame and celery. I liked the uni dish, but the fluke was lost among the various accoutrement. A cauliflower soup, topped with grilled radicchio and hazelnuts, came off as too earthy and heavy, a situation not alleviated with the addition of golden raisins. The flame grilled open prawns were quite succulent, and the grilled branzino was flaky if a bit lacking in flavor. The meat dishes faired much better: I truly loved the braised short ribs, with the sweetness of the eggplant puree and the earthiness of the barley balancing the richness of the beef. The lamb "adana" was also wonderful: the lamb was tender and flavorful without being too gamey, and the mixture of spices gave the meat added flavor and heat. The meal ended with a serviceable chocolate pot du creme topped with crushed pistachio.

I've rarely had Turkish cuisine prior to my meal at Pera Soho, and I am glad that Mr. Skeen and his staff were my guides on this gastronomical journey. I do hope that Mr. Skeen stays a while at this restaurant, so that others may partake of his culinary vision before his wanderlust gets the better of him.

Romera

2011-12-13T02:40:00.000-08:00

Much has been written and said about Romera, the eponymous restaurant of neurosurgeon turned Michelin-starred chef Miguel Sanchez Romera, ever since it opened in the Meatpacking District in the fall. Both critics and foodies alike had much to complain about the place, from the $245 price tag (exorbiant!) to the flavored waters (baffling!), and the negative press alone was enough to scare potential diners away from the restaurant, including myself. However, intrepid gourmand that I am, and buoyed by a positive recommendation by a sommelier friend of mine, I decided to visit Romera and see for myself what all the fuss was about. It was definitely a unique experience, to say the least.

Mr. Romera's medical background is evident as soon as you walk into the restaurant: the dining room is sterile and minimally adorned, like an operating room or a laboratory. Tables are illuminated by a "light canopy" suspended from the ceiling by a system of pulleys, like overhead lamps in an operating room. The library -- which serves as a waiting area for diners -- houses not only Mr. Romera's considerable collection of cookbooks but his medical references and textbooks as well (seeing Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology brought back fond memories of medical school for me). The staff refer to Mr. Romera as "Doctor" rather than "Chef": a minor quibble as far as I am concerned -- he has certainly earned the title -- but a practice that may be found pretentious by some. Dinner service was a quiet, somber affair, conducted with the precision of a surgical procedure. The atmosphere in the room felt impersonal and aloof, save for the warm interactions I had with the accommodating waitstaff.

Dinner itself consisted of eleven dishes, divided into four sections. Since the website describes the food better than I ever can, I am reproducing the menu from the restaurant's website, with some annotations:

FIRST
Alpha: Greek; the first
Tomato and cured black olive marmalades with mixed roasted nuts, crispy potatoes, red and green olives, emulsified with extra virgin olive oil

Unda: Latin; a wave of the sea
Kaluga caviar, sweet and sour vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, chives, carrots, ginger and house made cinnamon rose vinegar over smoked potato puree with rosemary butter, giant clam, osyters, and wakame seaweed

Pulchrum: Latin; beautiful, fair
Sake glazed scallop with razor clams, white chocolate and leek cream, a pumpkin saffron puree, spinach seaweed puree, and beet mandarin orange confit

SECOND
Isis: Greek; the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility and nature
A Romeran mosaic of dried vegetables with vanilla and wild garlic aroma, garden fresh mini vegetables with Cassavia butter en-cocotte followed by a vegetable broth
(this dish is followed by the first of five acqua gourmands, which are basically infusions: leek, green onion, celery, organic green tea)

Mare: Latin; the sea
Slices of fish and shellfish, finished with onion creamed rice with salmon, red tuna, hamachi, octopus, shrimp, cockles, mussels, razor clams, oyster, and seaweed
(acqua gourmand: kombu, wakame, baby fish and shrimp, lemon)

THIRD
Actinium: Greek; ray, splendid
Organic king salmon marinated in beets, orange peel, bay leaf and ginger, over spinach confit with nutmeg aroma and king crab cream, with trout roe marinated in beets, sweet curry, tandoori, rosemary and soy

Euphraino: Greek; to make joyful
Cassoulet with foie gras en torchon and black truffles served with spiced lentils, mushrooms sauteed with garlic, parsley and rosemary, finished with a duck, truffle and porcini consomme
(acqua gourmand: black truffle)

Kales: Greek; beautiful, good, free
A Romeran mosaic of powders, candy drops and sauces of tandoori, garlic, black truffle, tumeric, ginger coconut, and aromatic herbs with squab en crochet stuffed with coriander, garlic, parsley, pepper, nutmeg and chopped black truffle served in a table top barbecue (actually, a hookah), finished with a squab and black truffle sauce
(acqua gourmand: cloves, smoked water)

FOURTH
Hydes: Greek; sweet, pleased
White and dark chocolate ice cream filled with white chocolate mousse, strawberry and black currant sorbets

Crocus: Latin; saffron
Saffron, ginger and orange peel madeleine (it looked more like a miniature sponge cake) with white chocolate, orange juice and candied vanilla in a cup with a spoon
(acqua gourmand: mandarin orange, saffron, vanilla, with or without grappa)

Denique: Latin; at last
House made chocolate tablets and traditional dark chocolate ganache bonbons, meringues of coconut with strawberry and black currant cream, tandoori with mint cream and sweet curry with oange vanilla ginger cream

For the most part, it was a pleasant meal, save for the "Isis" dish, which I found bland and unappetizing. Mr. Romera has a deft hand when it comes to seafood: I found the dishes involving seafood to be well-executed, with a wonderful palette of flavors and textures to enjoy. I particularly loved his take on the seafood paella ("Mare"), which was creamy and flavorful but never heavy. The cassoulet with foie gras and spiced lentils ("Euphraino") could have benefitted from some sweetness to balance the savory and earthy aspects of the dish. The squab ("Kales") was perfectly cooked, and the flavor profile of the dish was an interesting combination of sweet, earthy and spicy that complimented the red meat well. The "Hydes" dish was a less than successful take on the Italian tartufo; and the saffron and orange peel madeleine was too spongy and savory despite the numerous sweet notes in the dish. Even the flavored waters did not bother me: I understood their purpose in the meal, serving both as a reminder and an exclamation point to each dish.

My problem about Romera is: "neurogastronomy" aside, there is nothing unique about the cuisine. I've seen iterations of Mr. Romera's food presentation and preparation in other well-known restaurants such as Alinea in Chicago and Mugaritz in Spain, and I've had better meals at those restaurants at more affordable prices. It takes a lot to inspire and excite me these days, and Romera just doesn't cut it, which is a shame. If Mr. Romera wants to succeed in New York, he really needs to step up his game -- and make things a bit more affordable for the regular New Yorker.

Addendum: Although I was allowed to photograph some of the food I ate at Romera, I was politely asked by staff not to post any pictures online. I will honor that request, but I will include a photograph of the dining area and the beautiful gold-lined Versace china. Some of the dishes featured in this menu were also served at his previous restaurant L'Esguard, such as the squab and vegetable dishes, and there are photos available online for those dishes.

The Versace china

View of the main dining area

Romera's wine collection

Battersby

2011-12-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

On Smith Street between Douglass and Degraw Streets in Carroll Gardens sits a cozy, little restaurant named Battersby. The restaurant is the brainchild of ex-Anella chefs Joseph Ogrodnek and Walker Stern, who both wanted to cook contemporary American cuisine that New Yorkers from all walks of life could identify with. To this end, the dishes on the constantly changing menu are of the same quality as those found in many high-end restaurants in Manhattan, but with a price point that would be reasonable to any Brooklynite (no appetizer above $20, no entree above $30). During my recent visit there, dinner started with two canapes: duck liver mousse crostini, and duck pate on toast with a tarragon pesto. Both were absolutely decadent and delicious. House made bread was then served with whipped butter: the bread, redolent of rosemary and sea salt, had a crunchy outer crust and a warm and pillowy interior. Crispy kale salad with kohlrabi, Thai basil, and chili was dressed in a fish sauce vinaigrette which was quite similar to that used in the brussel sprout dish at Momofuku Ma Peche, to the same delectable results. The winter salad showcased Italian chickory topped with walnuts, green apple slices, and Pecorino, producing a salad with flavors and textures that entice the diner with each succeeding mouthful. A squid ink tagliatelle featured mussels, calamari, and chorizo in a piquant lobster saffron broth: Mediterranean flavors to transport the diner to the Italian Riviera on a cold autumn night. The pommes puree turned out to be creamy and smooth whipped potatoes topped with oxtail ragu, crispy shallots, herb salad, and a sherry vinegar: the result was a dish that was filling but not heavy. The veal sweetbreads a la Meuniere combined the creaminess and richness of the sweetbreads with the acidity of Caesar salad: I felt that the dish worked better in parts rather than as a whole, because the Caesar salad only succeeded in masking the flavors of the sweetbreads. Roasted duck breast from Crescent Farms was tender and juicy, but could have benefitted from a crispier skin; the addition of quince and turnips was a lovely seasonal touch. Dessert featured a warm but surprisingly wan pear pudding, an adequate olive oil cake, and a dense yet delectable fennel panna cotta topped with candied lemon peel, which was my favorite of the three. The meal was ably accompanied by the wonderful cocktails of Rachel Killa Kim, and the small and eclectic wine list of Erika da Silva, who both worked for Momofuku Ssam Bar.

Battersby was a wonderful discovery for me: a piece of Manhattan in downtown Brooklyn. I may even be willing to brave the evening traffic on the BQE to enjoy the food of Chefs Ogrodnek and Stern.

Winter salad with chickory, walnut and green apple

Squid ink tagliatelle with lobster broth

Roast duck breast with turnips and quince

Pommes puree with oxtail ragu

Pear pudding

Fennel panna cotta

Olive oil cake

A Return Visit to Lincoln Ristorante

2011-11-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

Bistecca

Crudo di capesante

Polpo a patate alla contadina

Strozzapreti neri al frutti de mare

Gnudi with sage, squash and walnuts

Bigoli Veneti alla peverada

Torta di castagne

My first visit to Jonathan Benno's Lincoln Ristorante was in October 2010, a few weeks after it opened to the public, and a week after I made my first visit to Chicago. At that time, I enjoyed both Mr. Benno's take on Italian cuisine and the wine service, but the subsequent reviews were less than stellar, with critics complaining about the exorbiant prices and the impersonal atmosphere in the restaurant. Now, with another trip to Chicago coming up, I decided to have dinner again at Lincoln Ristorante, and found my dining experience to be as professional and as enjoyable as it was a year ago. The pretentious airs still exist, but the atmosphere is a bit warmer and accessible.

I elected to have the tasting menu that evening, an affordable $85 five-course affair that included an appetizer, two pastas, a meat course and dessert. A trio of bruschetta to start off (I particularly loved the duck liver mousse topped with pistachio), followed by the crudo di capesante: slices of sweet Nantucket bay scallop served with cucumber, radish, and hyacinth bulbs, and topped with a sufficiently tart Pachino tomato vinaigrette. These were followed by a squid's ink strozzapreti topped with perfectly cooked calamari, mussels, littleneck and razor clams, and ruby red shrimp in a bright tomato sauce flavored with capers and Taggiasca olives. Creamy gnudi served up the seasonal flavors of squash, walnuts and sage in a simple butter sauce. The final savory course was the ribeye grass-fed steak: the meat was cooked medium rare, with a lovely outer crust and juicy interior. The minerality of the beef was ably supported by the flavors of the butterball potatoes, charred scallions, roasted bone marrow, and the reduction made with Cabernet. Sated yet still curious, I decided to order a few more dishes a la carte: tender grilled octopus served with braised potatoes, Castelvetrano olives and piquant caperberries to add some acidity to the dish; and bigoli veneti pasta topped with a decadent rosemary-flavored duck ragu and golden raisins, which was both seasonal and delicious. Mr. Benno was also kind enough to send out a platter of house made charcuterie, which included tripe, beef and pork. I joked to my server that Mr. Benno is almost certainly being influenced by Daniel Boulud, whose Bar Boulud and Epicure Boulud are just across the street. After a pre-dessert of Concord grape gelato served with fried polenta crumbs, the meal ended with Lincoln's version of torta di castagne: rich chocolate ganache cake is served with a thyme and fiore di latte gelato, olive oil marmellata, candied chestnuts, and buckwheat pasta frollo. The flavors of autumn combined in a delightful dessert.

What makes dining at Lincoln a pleasure is its wine and liquor service, and that is due to the excellent and affable sommelier Aaron von Rock. With his singular fashion sense and distinctive facial hair (an abbreviated Winnfield beard), Mr. von Rock will beguile you long before he launches into his lengthy and entertaining descriptions of the wine list. The man really knows his Italian vintages, and he can make a mean negroni to boot, which makes the collaborative negroni bar he established at Lincoln a hit among fans of the Italian cocktail.

After dinner, I was escorted by the maitre'd behind the "glass cage" to exchange pleasantries with Mr. Benno. He is an imposing figure in the kitchen, and can sometimes be intimidating. However, in person, he is pleasant and charming, and seems to have a good working relationship with his line as well as with the front of the house.

I believe that Lincoln has grown into its own in the year since I last ate there, and is certainly worth a second look by the critics and guidebooks alike. I hope that Mr. Wells will pay Lincoln a visit real soon.

Parm

2011-11-15T00:18:00.000-08:00

Torrisi Italian Specialties is one of the most popular destinations for Italian food in the city: on any given day, dozens of food aficionados gather at the storefront, ordering one of its famous Italian-style hero sandwiches, or hoping to snag a seat at its popular prix fixe dinner. The success of the dinners has prompted chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone to offer the meal for lunch as well, and to accommodate this, they moved their sandwich making operation next door to a new restaurant called Parm, which opened last week. The restaurant's decor is reminiscent of a 1950s malt shop; the only thing missing is servers on roller skates. No servers wheeling around here, unfortunately, but the service is warm and affable. Pull up a stool at the counter, to better watch the kitchen staff preparing the various sandwiches and small plates, and to whet your appetite.

All of the sandwiches and sides made at Torrisi are here at Parm. The meatball and chicken parmesan sandwiches are hard to beat: the fried chicken and meatballs are tender and delicious, and the marinara sauce tastes fresh and tart. Also of note is the turkey roll: a brioche bun slathered with mayonnaise and romesco sauce is stuffed with succulent pieces of roasted turkey breast, tomato and lettuce, resulting in a light yet flavorful sandwich. However, if there is one sandwich that a first-timer to Parm should try, it is hands down the Saratoga club: toasted slices of Pullman bread play host to a slightly tart chicken salad, tomato, lettuce, bacon flavored with maple syrup and rosemary, and crushed potato salads. The club is genius: a symphony of flavors and textures that brings down the house.

There are other dishes worth trying at Parm. The fried calamari are lightly breaded and crispy, the squid sufficiently chewy but not rubbery, and the addition of slices of B & G peppers added much desired heat to the dish. The B & G peppers also appear as an appetizer: stuffed with rice, lightly battered and deep-fried, and served with a piquant Russian dressing, it is Parm's version of jalapeno poppers. The baked clams are also nice: a light dusting of bread crumbs and copious amounts of lemon juice allow the briny flavor of the clams to come out. The vegetable sides are also wonderful: brussel sprouts and cauliflower florets are roasted in olive oil, and are enlivened with a squirt of lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Another surprise was the pasta salad: perfectly al dente fusilli is dressed with a beautifully verdant pesto sauce, and topped with pine nuts, golden raisins and anchovy fillets. It is a kicked-up version of the lowly pasta salad, and it is just delectable.

There are desserts: a serviceable coffee crumb cake, and an interesting take on spumoni ice cream, served as an ice cream cake with layers of cookie crumbs separating the three different flavors of ice cream. However, the piece de resistance is the zeppole: deep-fried pieces of dough dusted with sugar.
Served hot, the zeppole have a crispy outer shell, and a fluffy and buttery interior. Get it filled with strawberry jam for added sweetness and tartness.

Dinner service will begin at Parm by next week: fried chicken cacciatore, zuppa di pesce and veal parmesan are some of the daily specials to be offered after 6:00 PM. If Torrisi and Parm are any indication, I expect Mr. Carbone and Mr. Torrisi to put their particular spin on these beloved Italian dishes. With the $125 prix fixe dinner reservations being snapped up within seconds, and the regular prix fixe meal remaining a top draw, I am glad to know that Parm will be next door to offer some comfort and a taste of neo-Italian anima.

Fried calamari

Roasted brussel sprouts

Saratoga club

Chicken parmesan sandwich

Spumoni-inspired ice cream cake

B & G pepper poppers

Pasta salad with broccoli, pine nuts, golden raisins and pesto

Roasted turkey sandwich

Roasted cauliflower florets

Jelly-filled zeppole

La Promenade des Anglais

2011-10-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

After a brief stint as consulting chef for La Petite Maison, French chef Alain Allegretti unveiled La Promenade des Anglais last month in Chelsea, the follow-up to his now-shuttered eponymous restaurant. Named after the famous walkway along the Mediterranean in Nice, La Promenade features Mr. Allegretti's beloved Nicois cuisine but in a decidedly more casual setting, making his food and aesthetic more accessible to the average diner. The restaurant is Mr. Allegretti personified: dark, handsome, sexy. Service was initially tentative and a bit off-putting: servers spoke in faux French accents, knew little of the various components of the dishes, and forgot to replenish utensils and water in a timely manner. By my second visit, however, these minor irritants seemed to have been rectified. The wine list featured vintages from the south of France, with a few bottles from Spain and Italy, and the sommelier Julien was more than happy to talk about the wines, and to offer wine pairings to go with my food.

Beignets de fleurs de courgette

Vitello tonatto

Brandade crostini

Grilled quail with panzanalle salad

Sicilian olive oil risotto with cuttlefish ragout and almond pesto

Espelette-crusted pork loin with fingerling potatoes, chorizo and cherry mostarda

Lavender panna cotta with fennel confit and pomegranate seeds

Zucchini pound cake with pine nut brittle and olive oil gelato

There is much to like about the food at La Promenade des Anglais. Take Mr. Allegretti's version of the Nicois specialty beignets de fleurs de courgettes: zucchini blossoms dipped in tempura batter, deep-fried and served with a chunky tomato sauce. The result is crunchy and delicious, yet almost ethereal in texture. The blossoms are also featured in his homage to another Nicois specialty: ratatouille. Here, the beignets serve as a textural and flavor contrast to the hearty stew, which is stuffed in dainty raviolini and topped with a tomato chorizo sauce and Manchego cheese. Fried gnocchi was crunchy and chewy at the same time; a bit of grated horseradish added pop to the dish. For the frog legs Provencale, Mr. Allegretti served chunks of tender frog leg meat, battered and deep-fried, in a very garlicky cream sauce, producing a strongly flavored yet delectable appetizer. The vitello tonatto showcased creamy veal sweetbreads with raw bluefin tuna plated on tuna aioli; capers, cherry tomatoes and romaine lettuce hearts help cut through the richness of the dish. Grilled quail was perfectly cooked, with a crunchy and tart panzanella salad to go with the game. An Espelette-crusted pork loin was tender and juicy, with a hint of spice from the chorizo oil and espelette spice, sweetness from the cipollini onions and cherry mostarda, and an earthiness from the roasted fingerling potatoes.

Unfortunately, some dishes were less than perfect. The brandade crostini were delicious, but the strong flavors of the cod overwhelmed the spicy tomato concasse and prosciutto. The Sicilian olive oil risotto was a bit chalky, but the cuttlefish ragout and almond pesto added nuttiness and heft to the dish. The pan-roasted striped bass was moist and flaky, and the accompanying black truffle-leek sauce was delicate yet flavorful, but the deep-fried mussels that topped the dish were superfluous at best, and the dish could have done without them. The roasted lamb loin was succulent and tasty, served on some wonderful creamy polenta, but the accompanying seasonal vegetables and citrus only served as a distraction to an otherwise lovely plate.

Desserts were also uneven. My particular favorite was the zucchini pound cake: moist but not too sweet, with the nutty flavors accentuated by the pine nut brittle, and a touch of acidity from the olive oil gelato. I wanted the lavender panna cotta with fennel confit and pomegranate seeds to have a stronger lavender and anise presence. The baba au rhum was also a disappointment: a non-descript yeast cake drowned in its own syrup.

All in all, I really enjoyed my dining experiences at La Promenade des Anglais, and as much as I will never tire of gazing upon the incredibly good-looking Mr. Allegretti, the food is what will bring me back to the restaurant tine and time again.

Fried gnocchi

Frog legs Provencale

Ratatouille raviolini with zucchini flower beignets

Pan-roasted striped bass with leek-black truffle sauce, fingerling potatoes and fried mussels

Roasted lamb loin with polenta, seasonal vegetables and citrus

Baba au rhum

A Taste of the Yucatan at Empellon

2011-09-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

Alex Stupak continued his culinary journey through Mexico last night at Empellon with his latest tasting event featuring the cuisine of the Yucatan peninsula. Yucatan food counts among its influences Spanish, Carribean, North African, Middle Eastern, and Mayan cuisines, making it distinct from the other regional cuisines of Mexico. Many of the dishes from the Yucatan use the fiery habanero peppers, limes, bitter oranges, corn and corn meal, turkey and other poultry, and such seasoning pastes as the recado rojo and chilmole. With that in mind, I expected an evening filled with dishes that were spicy, tart and earthy.

The first course was an appetizer featuring periwinkles or sea snails that were poached in sour orange juice, then served with xni pec salsa made with habaneros, tomatoes, cilantro, white onions and sour orange juice. The result is a mildly piquant and lively ceviche which is reminiscent of chivitas, a ceviche of sea snails popular in the region of Rio Lagartos. The second course was a tamale made with corn meal that was strained in cheese cloth until dry, then steamed and topped with chicken pibil and tomatoes. It was served with pickled red onion slices and a super hot habanero puree, guaranteed to clear one's sinuses. The tamale was light and fluffy, with a consistency almost like polenta, which made the dish satisfying without being sating, and the chicken pibil was tender and bursting with flavor.

The next two dishes were my favorites of the evening: huevos motulenos and venison longanisa. Huevos motulenos is a popular breakfast dish consisting of tortillas topped with eggs, black beans, cheese, ham, peas, salsa picante and plantains; in Mr. Stupak's version, a crisp tortilla chip is nestled on mashed black beans; the chip is then topped with the salsa, a poached egg, peas, fried plantain cubes and Virginia ham chips. The result is a very elegant dish that combines various flavors and textures in a wonderful symphony. The venison longanisa was quite delectable, with very little gameyness and a bit of heat; it was accompanied by a chilmole redolent of smoked bacon, and a tasty succoutash made from corn and white beans.

Dessert consisted of a sorbet made from passion fruit, pineapple and coconut, served in a candied lime rind and topped with dessicated coconut. It was quite refreshing, especially on a humid evening like last night. The final dessert course was torta de cielo: an almond sponge cake drenched in sour orange juice, served in sour orange cream and topped with candied hibiscus and almond slivers. The cake was just delightful: moist but not too dense, with nutty, sweet and sour flavors mingling in the confection.

In his dishes, Alex Stupak was able to put his own creative spin on Yucatan food without sacrificing the characteristics that make the cuisine unique. I truly enjoyed my meal last night at Empellon, and I look forward to next month's tasting event, when Mr. Stupak does Oaxaca. It should be a trip!

Periwinkles in sour orange broth and xni pec

Yucatan style strained tamales with chicken pibil

"Huevos Motulenos"

Shortlink venison longanisa with Mayan succotash

Tropical fruit sorbet in candied lime rind

Torta de cielo with sour orange cream

Taverna Kyclades

2011-09-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine invited me out to Taverna Kyclades this past weekend in Astoria, Queens to have some "authentic" Greek food. I admit that when it comes to food, I am a stranger in my own borough, and I was excited for the opportunity to explore this area of Queens. I had also heard of good things about Taverna Kyclades from friends, so on a cool Saturday evening, I set off for Ditmars Boulevard to meet my friend for dinner.

The restaurant was already bustling when we arrived; it was a 45-minute wait before we could be seated. Our server was a bit harried yet helpful and accomodating. The menu is divided into appetizers and main courses; all the plates are big enough to be shared by groups of two or more. We decided to order a few appetizers and a couple of main courses; unfortunately, all the dishes came out almost simultaneously, forcing us to rush eating lest the food grows cold. The peasant salad could have been pleasant enough if not for the big slabs of feta cheese, which overwhelmed the vegetables. The stuffed grape leaves were a mushy and flat mess. The pan-fried Greek cheese was no different from the fried mozzarella sticks one can order at the neighborhood Italian pizzeria. The clams stuffed with crab meat were also disappointing: the clams were perfectly cooked, but the crab meat stuffing had no distinct crab flavor or texture. Roasted lemon potatoes were mashy and bland, rather than crisp and delicious. The grilled sausage was tough and dull. Our main courses -- grilled sardines and grilled swordfish -- needed copious amounts of lemon juice and salt to add flavor to them. Only the dessert was interesting: a pudding made with semolina, milk, butter, sugar and cinnamon. It was creamy and not too sweet: a fitting end to a unsatisfying meal.

I left the restaurant that evening disheartened and a bit perplexed. The Greek restaurants have earned critical acclaim from critics and diners alike, yet our meal was one of the worst I've had in years. The fact that it was a busy Saturday evening may have contributed to the quality of the food, but nonetheless, I had expected more from Taverna Kyclades. I would like to give the restaurant a second chance, but not any time soon.

Peasant salad

Pan-fried Greek cheese

Stuffed grape leaves

Grilled Greek sausage

Clams stuffed with crabmeat

Grilled sardines

Semolina pudding with cinnamon

Tertulia

2011-09-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tertulia is chef Seamus Mullen's first venture since he left Boqueria last year. It is a homage to the sidra bars of Asturias: a place to kick up one's heels after work while enjoying some Spanish food and a glass of cider or wine. The short menu features tostas, tapas and large plates that showcase the bounty of the sea, as well as cheeses from the Northern Spain and jamon iberico. I really enjoyed the tosta matrimonio: toasted bread topped with black and white anchovies, slow roasted tomatoes and sheep's milk cheese, and drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar. The crunchiness of the bread contrasted well with the creaminess of the anchovies and the milk, and the balsamic vinegar added a sweet-sour touch to a savory dish. The tosta buey de mar paired creamy crabmeat and avocado with the tartness and crunch of sungold tomatoes and pickled peppers. Among the tapas, I loved the pulpo a feira: tender octopus in a salad with crunchy apple slices, earthy fingerling potatoes and olives, and the heat of Piment d' Espelette. The mejillones bravos a la sidra -- mussels served in a spicy sauce of tomatoes, fennel, guindilla peppers and bacon -- was also a favorite. I also enjoyed a dish of hearty and moist lamb meatballs in a zesty tomato sauce, cooled by queso fresco de oveja and cucumbers; unfortunately, I did not see it listed on the menu on a recent visit. The croquettas de jamon had a lovely outer crust, and was filled with creamy cheese and bits of jamon iberico; the addition of a fruit compote helped cut through the richness of the dish. Other tapas did not fare as well: Tertulia's version of patatas bravas could have done with less Pimenton de la Vera. while grilled swordfish served with tomatoes and summer squash and topped with a citrus vinaigrette would have been a wonderful summer dish had the fish been not overcooked. Arroz a la plancha -- with its combination of cabrales cheese, jamon iberico, snails and mushrooms -- was excessively rich and sating. Of the large plates, I was able to try the 40-day aged grilled prime rib served with roasted fingerling potatoes, piperrada and romesco: the beef was oversalted, masking the delicious mineral flavor of the beef; and the romesco was a bit bland. However, the potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the piperrada added an excellent note of piquancy to the steak.

There is also a few desserts available after dinner: the delicate crepes filled with custard sauce and topped with apples were light and not overly sweet, and the macedonia de fruta -- macerated berries served with peach sorbet and topped with moscatel -- was refreshingly tart and sweet. Sobao de pasiego was a butter rum sponge cake served with strawberries and creme fraiche ice cream: I did not care too much for the dry and crumbly cake, but I enjoyed the acidity provided by both the strawberries and the ice cream. The churros served with a hot thick chocolate were no longer crunchy.

I've developed an affinity to Spanish wines since my visit to San Sebastian earlier this year, and Tertulia has some terrific vintages to choose from. During a recent visit, my wine steward Nick offered me a half-bottle of La Rioja Alta "Vina Ardanza" Reserva 2001 to go with my meal: the wine was buttery and herbaceous, and had a velvety finish that went well with the meat. Service was initially unpolished and tentative, but has significantly improved in the past few weeks.

With delicious food and great wine, Tertulia will definitely please any ardent Hispanophile such as myself. I am thrilled that Mr. Mullen has another bona fide success on his hands, and I wish him further success.

Esca

2011-09-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

The restaurants of the Batali-Bastianich empire have been a bit of a disappointment for me: despite their reputation and pedigree, the meals I have had at their establishments have been uneven at best, with the wine and the service being the exceptions. However, when a friend of mine invited me to have dinner at Esca this weekend, I decided to come, hoping that somehow I would be proven wrong this time. Unfortunately, I was not.

Two plates of crudo -- one of hamachi, another of fluke -- were simply adorned with olive oil and salt, and came off bland. The fluke could also have been sliced thinner, to better appreciate the delicate flesh of the fish. Whiting fish, lightly battered and deep-fried, was billed "French Fries of the sea": they lacked crispness and salt. A lovely salad of roasted corn, chanterelles, walnuts and aged goat cheese was too rich for a warm summer afternoon, and it desperately needed some acidity to cut through the richness (thankfully, some lemon wedges were available). A Sicilian fish stew tasted like warmed-over soup, lacking zest and tang. A plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce and sea urchin was overpowered by an excessive amount of butter, obscuring the flavors of the seafood. On the other hand, a plate of seafood pasta contained only one grilled langoustine and a couple of mussels and clams. Dessert was equally disheartening: a deconstructed chocolate cream filled cannoli was merely average, and bomboloni with a lemon-raspberry sauce were a tad too dense rather than fluffy.

I am really dismayed by my meal at Esca, and I would hate to think that the kitchen staff is coasting on its reputation alone. However, if this is the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen every day, I would hope that Mr. Batali or Ms. Bastianich (who happened to be at the restaurant that night) would address this matter immediately; their customers deserve nothing less.

A Taste of Veracruz at Empellon

2011-08-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Chef Alex Stupak hosted the first of what will ultimately be a monthly tasting dinner celebrating the various regional cuisines of Mexico last night at Empellon. Last night's festivities featured the food of Veracruz, which is characterized by its unique combination of ethnic, Spanish, African and Carribean influences, and by the use of citrus fruit, vanilla, seafood and an aromatic herb called hoja santa. The meal started with a seafood salad of mussels, scallops and crab meat, served with slices of avocado, green olives and jalapeno, as well as a garlic aioli and salsa veracruz. The freshness of the shellfish was accented by the vibrancy of the salsa and the heat from the jalapeno slices, and the avocado and aioli

added a creamy note to the dish. The second course was a thick masa cake called garnachas, made from both corn and sweet potato. The garnachas was filled with a picadillo of chicken meat and longaniza sausage, topped with queso fresco and sorrel, and plated with a puree of sweet potatoes and creme fraiche. The masa cake was starchy and firm, with a nice hint of sweetness from the sweet potato; the garnachas was complemented by the piquancy of the longaniza sausage and the tartness of the sorrel. The next course was more substantial: grilled prawns served with black beans, plantains and mole de xico; the latter is similar to mole poblano but only sweeter and thicker, like marmalade. It was a well-balanced dish that skewed a bit to the sweet side, with hints of nuttiness, spice and earthiness. The last savory course was pork ribs served on white rice with tlatonile: tender rib meat both on the bone and mixed with the rice made even more delicious by the tlatonile, which was sweet, nutty and spicy. Pre-dessert was a coconut arequipa: coconut pudding served with toasted rice and pineapple bits. It was in equal measures tart and sweet: a lovely palate cleanser. Dessert was something called "beso del duque" or "the duke's kiss": it turned out to be crumbled cookies, almonds, eggs, sesame seeds, and raisins baked into a cake, topped with a cinnamon and sugar syrup, and served with raisin ice cream. Crumbly, light and almost fluffy: it was a lovely way to end the meal.

It was a pleasurable evening exploring the various intricacies of Mexican cuisine, made even more enjoyable by the cocktail pairing created by head mixologist Matt Resler. I look forward to the next tasting dinner in September, when Chef Stupak explores the cuisine of the Yucatan Peninsula: it will certainly be an adventure worth taking.

A Taste of Asia at M. Wells

2011-08-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Deep-fried banana with dragonfruit sorbet; crispy Peking duck skin; duck meat fried rice; salted duck egg and bitter melon salad; chinese broccoli with black bean sauce; and crab, whelks and clams with black bean sauce.

From the very start, I have been captivated by the contradiction that is M. Wells Diner. Serving wonderfully imaginative and delicious food in a cramped, run-down building may not be every one's idea of fine dining, but I appreciate the sense of improvisation and unpredictability that accompanies every meal at this restaurant. Unfortunately, this unique dining experience will be no more come next week: the diner is closing after a rent dispute with its landlord. For its swan song, the owners of M. Wells have hosted a series of weekend dinners centered around a different theme each night, and I had the pleasure of attending last Saturday's event, which featured the flavors of Asia.

It was a balmy evening that saw both foodies and first-timers, eaters and Eddie Huang congregate in Long Island City to toast M. Wells Diner with rose sparkling wine. Dinner was a communal affair, with large plates shared by groups of two to four per table: it began with steaming bowls of muddy crabs, whelks and clams with spicy black bean sauce: we all dug in as we happily feasted on the tasty crustaceans, but some of us would have loved some steamed white rice to sop up the delectable sauce. This was followed by a beautiful salad of salted duck eggs, parboiled bitter melon and bak choy, carrots, mushrooms and scallions: the combination of flavors (salty and bitter) and textures (crunchy and creamy) was just scrumptious. A plate of Chinese broccoli (kai-lan) served with spicy black bean sauce was a bit overcooked: the broccoli was a tad mushy rather than crunchy. There was speculation that Peking duck was to be served that evening: instead, the beautifully lacquered and crispy skin of the duck was served, topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds, and with a side of hoisin sauce and house made pancakes. The duck meat was tossed with carrots, mushrooms, and other vegetables in a fried rice dish topped with pieces of nori and fried shallots; the resulting dish was quite exquisite and rich. The meal was capped with a banana dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried; this was served with house made dragon fruit sorbet, and topped with ginger-maple syrup. The dessert was mildly sweet and light: a perfect way to end a terrific meal.

Both Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis have promised that the restaurant will open again, preferably near its present location. I do look forward to M. Wells' next incarnation, but I doubt that it will possess the same je ne sais quoi as it does now. One can only hope.

Salt & Fat

2011-07-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Parpadelle pasta; Korean BBQ wrap; lime panna cotta with avocado ice cream; chili shrimp; trio of ice cream and sorbet; fried chicken; and bay scallops.

Salt and Fat is a popular eatery located along Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens which specializes in small plates that, to put it kindly, are not kind to patients with heart disease. The cuisine is New American, marrying classic American dishes with Asian influences, with a liberal dose of salt and animal fat for good measure. Its culinary aesthetic is similar to that of Traif in Williamsburg and The Dutch in SoHo. The food reflects the training of chef Daniel Yi, a life-long Queens resident and FCI graduate who worked with the acclaimed Patricia Yeo at Sapa and Monkey Bar. It is a small but spacious restaurant, with a warm and welcoming staff. The menu consists of 15-20 small plates, while the beverage menu lists mostly beers and wines which are either locally made or produced elsewhere in the United States. The meal begins with a bag of popcorn cooked in bacon fat and lard, giving it a nice smoky flavor which is quite addicting; I can see why this is popular among devotees of this restaurant. This was followed by a dish of shrimp sauteed with Thai chiles was served on a bed of watermelon cubes and sorrel leaves dressed in a coconut milk dressing and topped with fried shallots: the shrimp was sufficiently piquant and briny, but a bit overcooked; however, the watermelon and dressing were a lovely counterpoint to the spice in the dish. I also tried a trio of seared bay scallops served on a bed of truffled corn salsa and roasted carrot puree: there was a sweetness to this dish that would have benefitted from some heat, which was lacking in the salsa, but the truffles added some welcome earthiness to the plate. The next dish was a trio of Korean BBQ wraps, featuring slices of tender hanger steak served with pickled daikon, seasoned miso and fried shallots: nice but not particularly memorable. A parpadelle dish featuring English peas and asparagus could have been light and summery, but instead became rich and heavy with the addition of mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and a soft-cooked egg. For the main course, I tried their fried chicken: pieces of Bell and Evans chicken cooked sous vide, then breaded and deep-fried to a crispy golden hue. The chicken meat was tender if a bit overdone; an accompanying ranch dressing redolent of tarragon, and a serving of pickled daikon radish, were welcome additions to the dish. The desserts were also hit-and-miss: scoops of cucumber sorbet, yuzu-buttermilk sorbet and Thai iced tea ice cream were rich and flavorful, but a lime panna cotta with avocado ice cream were anything but.

There is some interesting techniques and flavors going on at the Salt & Fat, but there is certainly room for improvement: Mr. Yi cannot rely on the novelty of food rich in sodium and triglycerides alone to sustain his restaurant. Nonetheless, Salt & Fat is a welcome presence in a borough sorely lacking in interesting places to eat, and I plan to make many more visits to Sunnyside in the near future.

Brunch at the Brooklyn Star

2011-07-04T08:13:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Cinnamon bun; pork chop with white grits, chow chow and fried eggs; trio of house made doughnuts; masa cakes with poached eggs, black beans, tomatoes and chorizo; and ham steak with mashed potatoes, red eye gravy and eggs.

Joaquin Baca brought back his popular weekend brunch menu at the Brooklyn Star last month, and I am glad to say that most of the Tex-Mex-inspired dishes that were offered at the previous incarnation of his restaurant have are available at the new location. As with dinner, the plates are quite hefty, with hints of spice. The ham steak dish features a thick slab of ham is topped with red eye gravy, and is served with two fried eggs and buttery mashed potatoes. The "pork chop" turns out to be a thin pork cutlet breaded with panko crust and deep fried, giving it a golden, crunchy exterior while keeping the pork tender and juicy inside; this is served with white grits, fried eggs and a side of spicy chow chow to cut through the richness of the dish. Masa cakes are served with black beans, a mildly spicy chorizo, tomatoes and two poached eggs: the resulting dish was a tad bland, but the combination of textures and flavors was inspired. The house made doughnuts are also back: a yeast doughnut dusted with cinnamon sugar; a cake doughnut drenched in apple cider; and Mr. Baca's version of the Boston cream doughnut, this time filled with a banana-flavored creme. Unfortunately, the quality of the doughnuts can be inconsistent: the first time I ordered them, the cinnamon sugar doughnut was dry, and the chocolate glaze of the banana creme filled doughnut was bitter; the second time, the apple cider had not completely permeated the whole doughnut, making it dry and bland, while there was not enough banana creme in the Boston Kreme doughnut. The cinnamon bun is more consistent, with a generous amount of glaze and nuts, and I prefer this over the doughnuts to end my meal. The one welcome addition to brunch at the Brooklyn Star are the cocktails: the spicy Bloody Mary or the piquant breakfast Negroni is a welcome libation at any meal.

All in all, if you are looking for a place that serves hearty comfort food and well-made cocktails after a weekend bacchanalia, there are few places better than the Brooklyn Star: it is definitely worth the trek to Williamsburg. See you there!

Gastroarte (a.k.a. The Restaurant Formerly Known As Graffit)

2011-06-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Albondigas de la Abuela; Caramelo; Black rice with calamari, Idiazabal cheese, chorizo and sugar snap peas; after dinner petit fours; Arroz Caldoso con Bogavante y Azafran; and Duck breast with apple five ways.

My recent trip to San Sebastian has certainly whetted my appetite for Spanish cuisine, and since my return, I have been searching for restaurants in the city that will allow me to me re-live my singular gastronomic experiences on the Iberian peninsula. My quest has led me to the UWS and to Gastroarte, the restaurant formerly known as Graffit. With chef and former graffiti artist Jesus Nunez at the helm, it has been turning out dishes that are, dare I say, truly works of art, satisfying both the visual and the gastronomic appetites of the diner.

I had a few cocktails at the bar: an interesting take on the Manhattan, topped with frozen red grapes (aphrodisiac!), and a refreshing gin cocktail featuring beets, celery apple foam, lime and ginger liquer. Dinner began with Albondigas de la Abuela: Gastroarte's version of beef meatballs in tomato sauce features purple potato confit and sweet potato cubes, and is topped by sweet potato strings made by squeezing sweet potato cream into hot oil and fried till cripsy, giving the dish a hint of sweetness. I followed this with Arroz Caldoso con Bovagante y Azafran: creamy saffron risotto studded with lobster meat, served with saffron aioli and parsley oil, and garnished with a powder made from dessicated lobster meat and pimenton. Pretty dish, with a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. I really enjoyed this dish a lot, so much so that for my next dish, I decided to order another rice dish: squid ink risotto topped with calamari (both fried and steamed), chorizo, grilled sugar snap peas, garlic aioli and slices of Idiazabal cheese. The dish evoked the black sand beaches of the Hawaiian islands, covered with the flotsam and jetsam of the sea, and it again featured a wonderful symphony of flavors (sweet, briny, savory, earthy) and textures (creamy, crunchy). Paired with a young, fruity and minerally white wine from the Bierzo region of Spain, it was my favorite course of the evening. For the meat course, I chose the roasted duck breast served with apple five ways. A very interesting and satisfying dish: a perfectly roasted breast is divided five ways, and each piece is paired with a particular preparation of apple: apple and walnut hash; apple and potato gratin; apple and cinnamon sauce; apple gelee topped with red beet cream; and apple and ginger compote. Each section is divided by an orange sauce, evoking duck a l'orange. The dish was paired with a bold and spicy red from the Priorat region, which held up well to the savory nature of the poultry. Dessert was Caramelo: flourless chocolate cake topped with a vanilla-Maker's Mark bourbon ice; chocolate-cinnamon mousse; fried piece of brioche coated with caramel; caramel pudding. The whole dessert is topped with spun caramel threads, and paired with a sweet sherry that resembled a Sauternes in terms of flavor and viscosity. Dinner ended with petit fours: a "black and white" dessert featuring a cake made from black beans topped with a white bean mousse; a papaya-pineapple sauce topped by a candied kiwi slice; and raspberry puree wrapped in phyllo dough, which is then deep-fried and dusted with sugar. From savory and earthy to sweet and sour, the petit fours wonderfully reflected the flavors and textures of the meal.

The restaurant space was actually more spacious than photographs allow, and the room is warmly lit. The noise level is quite bearable: a conversation can be maintained at normal volumes without difficulty. The staff is pleasant and professional, and I truly enjoyed my interactions with both sommelier Nacho Monclus and Mr. Nunez, to whom I related my experiences during my recent trip to Spain, and with whom I had extensive discussions about Spanish food and wine. When I leave a restaurant satisfied both gastronomically and intellectually, I know that I have encountered an extraordinary dining experience. I look forward to recapturing that magic once more on my next visit to Gastroarte.

Momofuku Ssam Bar Duck Lunch

2011-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: The inside of the duck sandwich; close-up of the roast duck breast meat; roast duck with rice and scallion pancake; duck confit bun; and duck dumpling soup.

I love duck. To me, a perfectly cooked piece of duck meat rivals the best cuts of beef in terms of succulence and flavor, and I rarely miss the opportunity to order duck if it is on the menu. Therefore, I met the news that Momofuku Ssam Bar was planning to serve an all-duck lunch during weekdays with much jubilation and excitement. Of course, finding time during the work week to have a leisurely lunch downtown was not easy, but eventually, on a cool June afternoon, I found myself seated at Ssam Bar devouring the anatine creations of chef de cuisine Ryan Miller.

There are four dishes available during weekday lunch service that feature duck: a steamed bun containing pulled duck meat confit, served with sauerkraut and smoked mayonnaise; a mini-baguette sandwich of duck liver mousse, iceberg lettuce, spicy mayonnaise, and sweet piquante peppers from South Africa called peppadews; a soup with duck dumplings, grilled ramps, jicama cubes and bok choy; and slices of rotisserie duck breast meat served over rice. By far, my favorite of the four dishes is the rotisserie duck: the meat is tender and smoky, with a crisp outer skin. Order the lettuce and chive pancakes to make duck ssams, and top it with either hoisin or Sriracha sauce, onion confit or crispy shallots for added flavor and texture, and it's like 2006 once again, during Ssam Bar's early days. My only complaint is that the chive pancakes can be quite greasy. I also loved the duck sandwich: the richness of the mousse was balanced by the spicy mayonnaise, and the crispness of the lettuce and the toasted baguette. The first time I had the duck bun last month, it had a patty of duck confit served with mayonnaise and pickled radish, and I felt that the radish and mayonnaise did little to cut through the fattiness of the duck. This time around, the duck confit was shredded and is now served with sauerkraut and smoked mayonnaise, which seem to be a better fit for the dish. Of the four dishes, I least liked the duck dumpling soup, mostly because the duck consomme that accompanies the dish was a bit bland, despite the heat and herbs that flavored the broth. I did love the duck dumpling, however: it is plump and juicy. There are also non-duck sides available: pickled radishes and onions; fingerling potatoes roasted in the same rotisserie as the ducks, allowing the duck fat to drip over them for added flavor, and spiced up with chili black bean sauce; and broccoli salad with smoked bluefish vinaigrette. I did not have much room for the sides, but I did love the potatoes, and found the broccoli to be crisp and savory.

I really enjoyed the duck-centric dishes at Momofuku Ssam Bar: they were flavorful, filling and fit for a king. I cannot think of a better way to while the afternoon away than spending it with friends and fowl, and I recommend that everyone hightails it to Ssam Bar post-haste for some ducky goodness!

Restaurante Mugaritz

2011-06-05T13:54:00.001-07:00

I am still basking in the afterglow of my culinary adventure in San Sebastian, Spain. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Basque country remain permanently etched in my hippocampus, and there are just too many wonderful memories to recount. I really enjoyed my dining experiences at all the restaurants I went to: Arzak was probably the most traditional of the restaurants; Martin Berasategui had the most professional FOH and the most beautiful of dining spaces; and Akelare had the best views of the sunset and the Bay of Biscayne. However, hands down, my most memorable dining experience had to be Mugaritz: not only were the dishes the most interesting and thought-provoking of the bunch, but my relations with the servers and the kitchen were the most interactive of the four restaurants I visited.

Mugaritz is located in the small town of Errenteria, about 10-15 minutes from San Sebastian by cab. Situated on a hill and surrounded by lush farmland, the restaurant possesses the atmosphere of a monastery: serene, bucolic and contemplative. I arrived a few minutes before dinner service began, which allowed me access to the kitchen. I was greeted by chef de cuisine Rafael Costa e Silva, who was gracious enough to give me a tour of the kitchen and talk about the upcoming meal. He also invited me to come back to the kitchen even during the middle of dinner service if I had any questions or wanted to take photos. When I was finally ushered back to my table, there were two envelops waiting for me: one was titled "150 minutes...rebel!", while the other said "150 minutes...submit!". I joked that I felt like I was in the movie "The Matrix", and that I had to choose either the blue pill or the red pill. My server later explained that the envelops are a ruse: props to prepare the diner for the culinary adventure to come. It certainly worked: I couldn't wait to dig in! My server also explained that bread is not normally served during the meal, as the courses are prepared in such a way that bread is already incorporated in certain dishes, but I could request for bread if I wanted it.

The meal began with the famous "Edible Stone": a baked potato encased in a candy coated shell, served with a garlic aioli in a bowl of gravel. Simple yet dramatic, and a sign of things to come. Second dish was "Fleeting Crunch of Oregano and Egg Yolk": a piece of brioche made from the Asian root kudzu is made to resemble pumice; on top is fresh garlic cloves, oregano leaves and fresh egg yolk. The bread was quite inert, serving as a vehicle for the egg yolk and spices, and the dish is an inspired complement to the Edible Stone in terms of appearance and flavors. Third dish was a whole pod of fava beans, grilled and served with salt on the side. Eaten like edamame, it is an interesting segue to the next few dishes. Fourth dish was "Starch and Sugar Crystal Sported with Pepper Praline and Corals": a delicate edible crystal is topped with a paste of crabmeat, pimenton and almonds. Ethereal and balanced. Fifth dish is a deconstructed foccaccia bread made with kudzu flour, topped with tomato puree: a thin crust is cooked on the grill, giving it lots of crunch and texture. The sixth dish was interestingly titled "Stimulating Insipidity": an oxymoron, to say the least, which is a wonderful way to describe the juxtaposition of briny sea breem roe and sweet tear peas. Seventh dish is "Pickled Onion, Tendon and Tuna Essence": pickled red onion half was served with fish cartilage infused with tuna flavor. Simple and delectable. The eighth dish is mysteriously titled "Shhhhhh....Cat Got Your Tongue!". It was a plate of garlic blossoms and caramelized onions served in a nest of brown fibers: my server encouraged me to identify what the brown fibers were. After a few bites, I knew it was beef, but it turned out to be shredded beef tongue jerky. Just sublime and really interesting.

For the next dish, a pestle was placed on the table, followed by a mortar filled with sesame seeds, green peppercorns and red peppers. The diner is instructed to grind the spices into a paste; afterwards, some fresh herbs are added to the mortar, and an intense consomme made from rockfish and infused with jamon iberico was poured into the mix. The resulting soup was nutty, spicy and delicious. The tenth dish was titled "Line Cheese with Chantarelles": a plate of stewed mushrooms is served with what initially looked like soft goat's milk cheese. After a few bites, I realized that the "cheese" was too mild to actually be cheese. I asked my server about this, and he confirmed that the "cheese" was actually made with flaxseed. Really fun and intriguing dish. The eleventh course was prepared table-side: bread made from kudzu flour and cheese is hollowed out, and into the hole is served a ragout or artichoke and bone marrow. The diner is instructed to scoop out the inside of the bun, and the result is akin to a char siu bao bun. After this course, I decided to go back to the kitchen to talk shop with the chefs. Chef Andoni Luis Anduriz was now in the kitchen, and I had the opportunity to speak to him about the food and mutual acquaintances. I also had photos taken with Chefs Anduriz and Costa.

The twelfth course was codfish served on a gelatinous pine nut cream. The "fish" was actually codfish entrails cleaned and cooked until gelatinous, to mirror the texture of the cream. Interesting and flavorful. Thirteenth course featured hazelnuts and onions cooked in a broth made from beans and infused with lardo Iberico: hearty and nutty, I felt that the dish was better suited for fall and winter rather than for spring, but it was still a lovely dish. Fourteenth course was a relatively straightforward dish of pan-roasted sea breem topped with blanched Swiss chard and smoked goat's milk butter: the fish was perfectly cooked, and the chard added textural contrast if not much more flavor. Fifteenth course was a filet of fluke topped with a milky reduction of stewed cabbage, sprouts and a citrus sauce: an interesting combination of flavors and textures, but not a particular favorite. Sixteenth course is titled "Textures of Coastal Fish": pan-roasted scorpion fish was served with a ragout made from the different parts of the scorpion fish, including scales and entrails. The dish was sumptious, and easily my favorite fish dish of the night. Two meat courses followed: rich osso buco (actually the cow's tendon cooked till gelatinous) served with an emulsion of lobster, garlic and egg; and Iberico pork tail meat served with crispy pig skin, leaves made from cereal grains, and a sweet millet oil sauce. Both dishes were fully of fatty goodness, and the perfect bookend to the savory portion of the menu.

After a cheese course featuring local products from the Basque region, ice cream made from the essence of lemon is served with a blanched daikon radish segment and topped with a black powder; my server again encouraged me to identify the powder. It turned out to be lemon peel which was burned and pulverized, adding a bitter element to the dessert that complemented the daikon radish and that helped balance out the sweetness of the ice cream. The second dessert featured vanilla-flavored milk which was frozen in liquid nitrogen, producing a delicate confection that was topped with a luscious cream made from Osterized vanilla brioche. The last dessert -- and my absolute favorite dish of the whole night -- paired cool milk cream with goat's milk cheese, walnuts, edible flowers, and "walnut shells" made with edible clay and white chocolate; each shell contained Armagnac jelly. Just a wonderful symphony of textures and flavors that work so well with each other. I could eat that dessert every day. The final dish of the night was "Nails and Flowers": an edible cellophane cone contained milk cream, and is topped with edible flowers and nails made with chocolate. A playful end to a magnificent meal.

I cannot say enough how profoundly thrilled I was with my experience at Mugaritz, and I look forward to the day that I can return to Spain and eat there once again. It is a mystery to me why it has not earned three stars from the stingy reviewers of Michelin, but it certainly deserves all the accolades it has received through the years. Gracias, Mugaritz, y hasta luego!

Welcome from San Sebastian, Spain!

2011-05-28T04:56:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon from sunny San Sebastian, Spain! It has been a week of whirlwind dining and dining since I arrived here last weekend, and it is only today that I've been able to kick back, relax and dwell on the events of the past week. Allow me to share some of my thoughts about the town...

San Sebastian, like many European cities, is a study in contrasts. Verdant pastures and farms lead into the vibrant and modern town proper, where classical Victorian architecture stand side by side gleaming edifices of glass and steel. Life may be simple and laid back, but the people are very particular about their physical appearance: beauty salons and day spas can be found on every corner, and haberdasheries carry the latest in European and American fashion. The people are fiercely proud of their Basque heritage and their singular position in the culinary universe, yet the encroachments of American commercialism are everywhere: current and past American TV shows -- dubbed in Spanish and Basque -- can be viewed at all times of the day (the latest season of American Idol, which just wrapped up this week, will begin airing next week in Spain); American restaurant chains, such as McDonald's and Subway, can be found in every town; and Coca-Cola is the choice of refreshment.

Although buses and taxis are available, the best way to travel around town is by foot or by bicycle. Walk along the Bahia de la Concha to the old part of town (Antigua), where the best pintxo bars and the world-famous Mercado Bretxa are found. On a warm afternoon, the cool sea breeze is refreshing, and if that is not enough, an ice cream cone from the numerous gelatarias that dot the town's landscape will also help. Bar-hopping is a must in San Sebastian, in order to sample the infinite variety of taps or pintxos available. The much-coveted jamon iberico is ubiquitous in San Sebastian, and any visitor can have his fill of the luscious meat if he is willing to part with some hard-earned euros.

Once I get my notes in order, I will talk about my experiences at the four restaurants I dined at this week: Arzak, Martin Berasetegui, Mugaritz and Akelare. It will be worth the wait, trust me! ;-)

Adios Mis Companeros!

2011-05-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

In a few hours I will be on a plane bound for San Sebastian, Spain, where I will be spending a few days enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the Iberian peninsula. It is part of my life-long dream to visit the culinary capitals of the world (I went to Paris in 2009), and I am extremely excited. On the itinerary are dinners at Restaurantes Arzak, Akelarre, Martin Berasetegui, Mugaritz and Can Fabes; a trip to the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum is also on tap. I hope to be able to blog about my trip while in Spain, and I will certainly be taking snapshots of everything I see and savor. Hasta la vista!

The Dutch by Andrew Carmellini

2011-05-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

After months of delay and hype, Andrew Carmellini's The Dutch opened to much fanfare, and almost immediately it was deluged by foodies and gourmands, eager to partake of his interpretations of American cuisine. It is an interesting journey: a meal can take you to New Orleans, the Southwest, San Francisco and the American heartland before returning you to New York. Start with the little oyster sandwiches: deep-fried panko-crusted oysters with lettuce and aioli in a miniature sesame seed buns. Reminiscent of the oyster po' boys of Louisiana, each bite is a sublime union of creamy and briny. Fresh crab meat serves as a vehicle for the tang and spice of both the bloody Mary mix and the green goddess dressing. Succulent prawns are seasoned with cayenne pepper and accompanied by a chunky red remoulade sauce that emphasizes the sweetness of the crustaceans. Housemade cornbread is studded with peppers and scallions, and is served with a mildly spicy chipotle butter that intensifies the spice in the bread. Perfectly cooked ravioli is stuffed with creamy and flavorful smoked ricotta, and topped with a piquant tomato sauce and fresh herbs. Meaty and perfectly pan-seared scallops come in a sweet and savory spring pea puree, and are topped with herbs and pickled ramps. Tender rabbit meat and spring vegetables are cooked in hard cider and flavored with mustard, then baked in a beautiful terrine topped with a thin and crisp pie crust, producing a pot pie that is equally savory and light. A 28-day dry-aged 24-ounce New York strip steak has a wonderfully charred outer crust and a perfectly medium rare interior; the accompanying salad is dressed with a vinaigrette seasoned with tarragon. Dessert should not be passed up, especially the decadent pies: tart apple rhubarb pie has a lovely vanilla crumble and is accompanied by yogurt ice cream; while the coconut cream pie is served with a wonderfully tart mango-tamarind sorbet and a caramelized pineapple slice. The wine list is quite extensive and expertly curated, with many bottles below $100. There is also some wonderful cocktails to be had, such as their take on the Brooklyn cocktail (fortified with rye whiskey) and the refreshing Dutch Courage, with its citrus tones.

Not everything works, however: Andrew Carmellini's famous fried chicken was crispy and juicy, but it lacked flavor; thankfully, the honey butter biscuits were delightfully crumbly and sweet. His barrio tripe, cooked in beer and served with avocado, onions, radish and corn chips, lacked zest and zing. Service is competent, but some dishes came to the table without so much as an explanation. Nonetheless, The Dutch provides an engrossing exploration of American edibles, and Mr. Carmellini is the ideal tour guide: book a trip while you can.

LTO NYC with RJ Cooper

2011-04-30T14:12:00.001-07:00

Starting a pop-up restaurant offers a unique problem: the chef and his staff has to make do with pre-existing infrastructure and equipment, along with the usual hassles that accompany the birth of a new enterprise. Usually, the transition is seamless, but there are moments when Murphy's law comes into full effect: that seemed to be the case on opening night for LTO NYC, who opened its doors last week on the LES. LTO NYC is the brainchild of Ron Castellano, who envisioned a place where he can showcase award-winning and famous chefs from all over the country. For his inaugural dinner series, he invited up-and-coming chef RJ Cooper, who was making a name for himself in the Washington, D. C. culinary scene. Mr. Cooper is in the midst of opening his own restaurant Rogue 24 in the nation's capital, where he plans to offer a 24-course tasting menu to be paired with eight different beverages, and LTO NYC offered him the opportunity to test his menu on the perfect audience: the discerning and brutally honest diners of New York City.

Mr. Cooper's menu and cooking style are reminiscent of both Jose Andres at Minibar and Grant Achatz at Alinea: a series of small plates that owe as much to molecular gastronomy as to meticulous preparation and plating. After a lovely cocktail by Gina Chersevani (whose cocktails' names would be familiar to any Beltway insider), dinner began with a trio of appetizers served with beer: chicharron dusted with barbecue spices; a deconstruction of pico de gallo, featuring cherry tomato topped with avocado puree and popcorn "paper"; and head cheese with pickled mustard seeds, panko-crusted deep-fried mayonnaise and pretzel "paper". Each bite featured interesting flavors and textures, and especially the head cheese dish. The next three dishes were served with a cocktail of sparkling wine, bitters and sake: a sous vide quail egg served on a bed of haricot vert dressed with anchovy oil, topped with an anchovy filet, lemon pepper, red onion and micro-chevril; shima aji topped with pulverized black lime, yeast foam and puffed rice; and my personal favorite, the osetra caviar served with a parpadelle ribbon topped with gin-infused creme fraiche, micro-chevril, junipers and brioche crumbs, all in a caviar tin. The last dish looked simple yet was rich and full of flavor. A palate cleaner of compressed watermelon with manchego cheese, topped with an iberico lomo chip and coffee "paper" followed, washed down with a concoction of watermelon puree with tartaric acid and sherry. The following three dishes were acccompanied by a white wine from Txakolina: langoustines poached with olive oil, served with chawan mushi, ginger and chorizo; catalina sea urchin served with melba toast colored with squid ink, lardo, clammato juice and yeast foam; and a Rappahannock oyster filtered with smoke-infused water, topped with smilax and meyer lemon charcoal. The dishes were surprisingly light and almost bland, considering the richness of the ingredients involved. This perceived blandness persisted in the next set of dishes: fingerling trout slow cooked in juniper-infused water, wtih trout parfait topped with potato flakes, steelhead roe and spinach meuniere; liquid chicken with everona cheese and morels deep-fried in a panko-crusted ball, topped with cepe; and conger eel cooked sous vide in charcoal-infused water, with seaweed gelee, grapefruit pulp with grapefruit aioli, and North Carolina barbecue sauce. The next dishes had better flavors and textures, and were well complimented by a 2005 Gruner Veltliner: goat cheese topped with red bell pepper powder, served in a bed of dehydrated olives and basil, topped with an olive sphere; and a pan-roasted turbot with radish, whitefish roe and green garlic puree. The following dishes were served with some lovely red wines that worked well with the rich flavors of the food: pain perdu topped with onion ice cream, bacon and caramel; pan-roasted quail with ramps, rhubarb and pig's blood puree; a salad of wild arugula and ferns foraged in Shenandoah Valley, served with green goddess dressing; roasted lamb with a puree of wild greens, topped with a peanut mousse and peanut "paper"; ricotta cheese smoked in bone marrow, and topped with olive oil, powdered long peppers, and slivers of black walnut; and, for the last savory course of the meal, wagyu beef culotte cooked sous vide, with potato pave, potato puree and dried morels rehydrated in a solution of red wine and shallots. I loved the beef and the quail, but found the lamb to be bland, and the peanut mousse did not compliment the meat at all. After a palate cleanser of a dragon carrot soda with tapioca pearls and topped with satsuma creme, two desserts were served: basil pound cake scented with passion fruit mist, topped with pine nuts and lemon-rosemary ice cream; and chocolate mousse made with Olive and Sinclair chocolate, served with chocolate crumbs, chocolate shavings and muscovado gelee. The desserts were made by pastry chef Chris Ford, who I knew from his days at Chikalicious Dessert Bar in the East Village, and they reflected his refined skills and keen palate. The meal ended with -- what else? -- a trio of chocolates: a chocolate-dusted marshmallow; a chocolate caramel bonbon; and a dark chocolate bonbon.

As interesting as the food was, what made the dinner a disappointment was the glacial pace at which the food was served: it took almost five hours for me to complete the 24-course meal. The waitstaff was apologetic, and tried to appease the hungry diners as minutes stretched to hours. Many customers walked out before they could finish their dinners. I've read that the pacing has improved dramatically since opening night, and I hope that Mr. Cooper has finally solved that problem for good. Another glitch was that despite the number of components and the richness of the ingredients, some of the dishes lacked flavor and drama. I also wished that the pairing of the dishes would have been more cohesive, and would have progressed in a more linear fashion. Nonetheless, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Ford are certainly talented, and I see great things for these two artisans. I wish them well in their future endeavors.

Empellon

2011-04-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Short rib sopes with salsa roja; trio of ice creams in baraquillo cones; avocado leaf sausage taco with rajas; beer braised tongue taco with potatoes and arbol chile salsa; octopus with sesame, parsnips and salsa papanteca; Berkshire pork carnitas taco with pickled vegetables; chicken taco with greens and green chorizo; tres leches cake with mango and goat milk's ice cream; minute steak taco with mojo de ajo; fish tempura taco with cabbage and lime mayonnaise; mixed mushrooms taco with epazote and pasilla chile; lamb barbacoa taco with salsa borracha; chipotle shrimp taco with avocado puree; and bunuelos with cajeta and warm honey.

When Alex Stupak announced last fall that he was leaving wd-50 in order to open his own "taco restaurant" Empellon, his decision was certainly a headscratcher: for one of the pre-eminent pastry chefs in the city to focus his talents on tacos was akin to Michelangelo switching from painting the Sistine Chapel to greeting cards. However, changing careers mid-stream can have a liberating effect on a individual's talents and skills, and the culinary world expected Mr. Stupak to revolutionize Mexican cuisine as Nicholas Kurti and Herve This accomplished with molecular gastronomy. Yet, once the restaurant opened last month, it became obvious that Mr. Stupak was not re-inventing the wheel with his food, and as much as this was considered a disappointment by many in the culinary world, his version of Mexican food is actually quite good, if a tad expensive, and it is worth the trip to the West Village.

In the few times I ate at Empellon, I discovered that sitting at the bar will almost guarantee you more efficient and friendlier service; dining room service, especially during prime dinner service hours, can be harried and slow. Besides, spending time at the bar allowed me the opportunity to watch Matthew Resler (Mr. Stupak's brother-in-law) and his bar crew make such signature cocktails as the refreshing "Por Que No?" (tequila, pineapple, cilantro and serrano) and the effervescent "Pedro's Problem" (cava, sherry and tamarind). Drinks ordered, I ordered some appetizers. Tortilla chips were served with three dips: creamy and tart guacamole, mildly sweet and nutty cashew sauce, and spicy arbol chile sauce; and crackling hot pork rinds were served with an earthy salsa Veracruz. Of the chilled seafood dishes, only the white tuna ceviche was interesting, with its blend of earthy, sweet and tart from the guava puree and beets. The octopus dish had some interesting textures from the parsnips, but was surprisingly bland; while the delicate scallops were overwhelmed by the pineapple. I skipped the quesos and ensaladas, but tried the short rib sopes with salsa roja: the meat was tender and flavorful, and the masa tart had a nice balance of crispy and chewy. Appetizers dispensed of, I sampled all the tacos, and for the most part, Mr. Stupak did a successful job of bringing a modern touch to the traditional taco. My favorites included the fish tempura with cabbage and lime mayonnaise (perfect for the summer!); the juicy chipotle shrimp with avocado puree; the scrumptious and fiery beer braised tongue with potatoes and arbol chile salsa; the juicy minute steak with the smoky mojo de ajo; and the funky lamb barbacoa with the sweet and spicy salsa borracha. Desserts are not to be missed at Empellon: Lauren Resler makes a mean dulce de leche cake -- moist but not drenched, sweet but not saccharine -- and her bunuelos are to die for, especially after dipping them in thick cajeta. There is also a rich chocolate flan served with cinnamon ice cream, and a passion fruit tart with mint and toasted meringue.

I have to say that despite my initial skepticism, I found much to like about Empellon, from the drinks to the food, and even to dessert. If service can be improved further, I expect great things for the restaurant. I wish Mr. Stupak and his tacos much luck and success.

The Return of The Brooklyn Star

2011-04-04T18:47:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Crispy fried pig tails; tripe chili; P. E. I. mussels with chorizo; jalapeno bacon corn bread; fried brussel sprouts; Dr. Pepper BBQ ribs; grilled veal sweetbreads; spicy fried chicken wings; and chocolate bread pudding.

The Brooklyn Star, Momofuku alum Joaquin Baca's shrine to Southern cuisine, re-opened last month in the old Lazy Catfish space on Lorimer Street in Williamsburg more than a year after a fire destroyed its previous spot on Havermeyer Street. The restaurant has a new brick facade and a spacious interior that houses a bar in front and a larger dining area inside, with a decor that is part barnhouse and part speakeasy. The food at the Brooklyn Star is influenced by both Appalachian and Cajun cuisines, resulting in dishes that possess heat, richness, sweetness and acidity to varying degrees. Deep-fried pig tails possess a crispy exterior that gives way to the succulent and fatty meat underneath as you bite into them. Mussels are served with potatoes, escarole and savory chorizo in a light but flavorful broth, producing a dish that is satisfying but never sating. The tripe chili is both zesty and filling, and the sprinkling of corn chips on top is an interesting touch, one that would be familiar to any college student. Fluffy cornbread becomes a likely platform for spicy jalapeno slices and Benton's bacon bits. A chocolate bread pudding topped with creme anglaise is surprisingly light and not overly sugary. On the other hand, a dish of fried brussel sprouts with julienned green apple and smoky ham is overwhelmed by the spicy and overly tart chow chow that tops the dish. A slab of Dr. Pepper pork ribs is glazed with a sauce that barely hinted of the aforementioned soda, and the meat was not as tender as I would have liked it to be. Fried chicken wings were spicy, with acidity from pickled carrots to balance the heat, but the chicken meat itself was bland. Grilled veal sweetbreads were quite lackluster as well, and only the adddition of kale, oyster mushrooms and sweet potato shoestring potatoes helped improve the flavor of the dish. Despite some missteps, the food at the Brooklyn Star is both comforting and familiar, yet still somewhat new and interesting. There is something to be said about enjoying good ol' Southern cooking in a warm and welcoming environment, and somehow, the Brooklyn Star just feels like home.

Spring Lamb Dinner at Hotel Griffou

2011-03-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Curried merguez sausage and mussels; lamb tortellini in brodo; collier d'agneau; spring mince pie with honey-lavender ice cream; duo of lamb; and lamb tartare with chickpeas and pita chip.

Chef David Santos hosted a Spring Lamb Dinner at Hotel Griffou last night, and it was a delightful way to usher in the vernal season. It was an intimate affair: twenty plus people gathered in the Salon at Hotel Griffou to sample a tasting menu featuring the aforementioned lamb prepared every which way. The night began with cocktails and canapes: flutes of cava topped with spring pea blossoms were served, along with skewers of beef and lamb satay, and shrimp and crawfish tempura. Once everyone settled down, the dinner began with an amuse bouche of lamb kibby with aioli, urfa beiber and pickled chickpeas, served with a pita chip: the acidity balanced out the hint of gamey flavor from the lamb, and it was a fitting start to the meal. The first course was a salad of confit of lamb neck meat with heirloom peas, carrots and a carrot spuma: the dish was light and refreshing, and it had a nice balance of savory, sweet and tart. The second course was house made lamb merguez sausage and mussels in a seafood broth thickened with butter, served with grilled country bread and fried parsley. Expecting something spicy and heavy, I was surprised that how subtle the dish was, allowing the mussels to stand out. Perfect for an early spring night, I felt that it was the best dish of the evening. The third course was tortellini stuffed with braised lamb leg meat served with grilled piquillo peppers and arugula puree in a lamb consomme flavored with mushrooms. It was also a lovely dish: the tortellini was tender and filled with succulent lamb meat, and the consomme was just delectable. The last savory course was a duo of lamb: a perfectly medium rare lamb chop with lamb meat confit, accompanied by Swiss chard, orange-scented chickpea cake, and za'atar-spiced lamb jus. We all wondered how lamb was to be incorporated in the dessert: Mr. Santos solved this problem by converting lamb fat into lard, and using it to make the pastry for the spring mince pie. The pie shell was firm yet flaky, and it had a very subtle lamb flavor that was balanced by the fruit filling, the nutty streusel and the honey-lavender ice cream. A sublime confection to end a wonderful meal.

Mr. Santos is planning to host more monthly dinners in the future, and he promised to feature a different main ingredient or protein for each meal. Considering the success of this maiden voyage, I cannot wait to see where Mr. Santos' imagination will take us next time.

Maharlika Pop-Up Restaurant

2011-03-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: "Sisig" with egg; "laing" on "pan de sal", served with grilled prawns, poached eggs with calamansi hollandaise sauce, and kamote fries; cured pork tenderloin with quail egg and garlic fried rice; deep-fried chicken skins; and mango-stuffed French toast topped with caramelized macapuno.

While working at advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi a few years ago, Nicole Ponseca encountered many clients who were intrigued by Philippine culture, especially Philippine cuisine, but had very few options in terms of dining establishments in Manhattan. Sensing a need for a high-end Philippine restaurant, Ms. Ponseca resigned her job and spent a few months traveling the Philippine archipelago, acquainting herself with the various dishes that characterize Philippine cuisine. The result of her travels and research is Maharlika, a pop-up restaurant that occupies Restaurant Leon in the East Village during weekends, offering a brunch menu. I've frequented the establishment a couple of times already, and although some dishes may leave something to be desired, it is a promising start. The crowd is composed mostly of Philippine expatriates, with an occasional friend of the kitchen and the rare adventurous soul who wants to try something different. Start with a drink from the bar: a mimosa made with the juice of the calamansi fruit is wonderfully refreshing libation, as is a michelada made with the renowned San Miguel Beer. At the bar, a bowl of Nagaraya garlic-flavored cracker nuts is set before you: crunchy, savory and just a little bit sweet, it is an interesting bar snack that puts beer and corn nuts to shame. This is followed by a duo of deep-fried chicken skins called chicken chicharron, a play on the deep-fried pork rinds that is a favorite bar snack. Crunchy and fatty, it should be eaten in moderation, but enjoyed nonetheless. I tried the Ilog (river in Filipino) breakfast: a sunny side-up fried quail egg (the "-log", for itlog or egg) is served with garlic fried rice(the "-si-", for sinangag or fried rice), a small salad, and pork tenderloin pieces cured in lemon-lime soda and fried till well-done (the "to-", for tocino, or cured pork). The pork was fork tender and slightly sweet; the fried rice was garlicky and adequately salted. For the more adventurous, there is the Eggs iMelda, named after the infamous Imelda Marcos. It consists of two halves of house-made pan de sal ("bread of salt" in Filipino) served with taro root sauteed in coconut milk, shrimp paste and chilies (laing in Filipino), and poached eggs topped with calamansi Hollandaise sauce. The bread and taro root is served with two grilled prawns and sweet potato (camote in Filipino) fries. Serving laing on bread rather than rice was an interesting conceit, and the taro root dish was quite flavorful and creamy, but the grilled prawns were overcooked and oversalted, marring what could have been a very striking dish. For the offal lover, there is sisig: parts of the pig's ears, snout and belly are grilled, then chopped fine and sauteed with onion, garlic and lemon. The meat is then topped with a quail's egg and served on a sizzling plate with garlic fried rice. The meat is succulent, with a hint of heat and acidity, and the egg adds a touch of creaminess to the dish. Sisig is usually served as a bar snack, but this versions certainly works as a brunch dish as well. For the vegetarians, there is the mango-stuffed French toast: slices of brioche from Balthazar Bakery are stuffed with slices of mango, dipped in an egg solution and fried. The toast is then topped with caramelized young coconut meat (macapuno in Filipino) and powdered sugar, and is served with fresh fruit. Equal parts sweet and nutty, it is truly a delightful dish to start your day with.

Ms. Ponseca has plans to offer dinner in the future, and if the concept remains successful, she may eventually find space to open the restaurant full-time. With a little tinkering, I can see Maharlika becoming a welcome addition to the dining scene, and another chance to introduce Philippine cuisine to a wider audience.

What Happens When Movement No. 2

2011-03-05T13:56:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Pork three ways with lentils; rosemary-cheddar dinner roll; braised short rib with cheddar cheese polenta; frog leg lollipops with potato and leek; crispy chocolate with mint; trio of amuse bouches; veal sweetbreads; smoked egg with ham and chicken liver mousse; and lemon clafoutis.

The pop-up restaurant What Happens When launched its second movement this week: a celebration of forests, fields and foraging. The restaurant's interior reflects these themes: a canopy of green -- populated by birds and birdhouses -- adds a touch of color to the otherwise drab industrial black and white that dominate the walls and floors of the space. The food embodies this dichotomy: hearty and rich, yet with splashes of color and flavor. The meal began with a trio of amuse bouches: a flavorful pumpernickel soup topped with red onion bits and creme fraiche; a toothsome guinea hen terrine; and a roasted sunchoke topped with a dollop of yogurt. After a warm and buttery cheddar cheese roll seasoned with rosemary, I ordered the smoked hen's egg served with serrano ham, golden raisins, roasted cauliflower, chicken liver mousse on toast, and Chinese cabbage: the combination of smokey, sweet and savory was just superb. Another course featured four frog leg lollipops dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried; I was expecting a cream-based soup, but instead, the legs were served in a delicate broth made from leeks, potatoes and lemon, and garnished with mint, keeping the dish light yet delightful. For the second courses, I decided to go heavier: a beef short rib was braised in a red wine concoction until impossibly tender, and it was served on cheddar cheese polenta and topped with radishes and other greens. There was a side of steamed vegetables including broccoli and carrots; however, the vegetables came out overcooked, and were a distraction to the excellent short rib. Creamy veal sweetbreads were served with frisee, radicchio and pickled onion on top of gravy. However, the dish of the night was the pork three ways: three kinds of pork were served on a bed of stewed lentils, with a side of mustard sauce -- lettuce wrapped with pork loin, grilled pork belly and crispy pig's head. The sweet and fatty flavors of the pork were a lovely counterbalance to the earthiness of the lentils, and this contrast in tastes and textures made this dish a winner.

With a new pastry chef came changes in the dessert menu: there is now a dessert and cheese cart that is wheeled around by one of the servers, who also plates the desserts and cheese plates tableside. The crispy chocolate featured chocolate mousse on chocolate crisp, coated in a mint chocolate ganache and topped with white chocolate. It was a decent dessert, but the addition of dehydrated mint added a herbal note to the confection which was decidedly unwelcome. Lemon clafoutis, served with lemon creme fraiche and honey, could have benefited from more citrus.

Despite a few missteps, the food at What Happens When remains inventive and delicious. It's a pity that this restaurant will be no more come November; like a fireworks display, it should be savored while it lasts.

M. Wells Diner for Dinner

2011-02-23T18:45:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Veal brains with sauce grenobloise; pork chop with mushroom soup gnudi; house-made cannelle; lobster roll; and apple tarte tatin.

From the moment I had my first bite of the fluffy yet earthy Tortilla Espanola, I've become a fan of M. Wells Diner in Long Island City, Queens: its French-Canadian take on standard American diner fare -- as well as its love affair with all things offal, -- has captivated food lovers all over the city, including myself. I've been looking forward to the day when the restaurant starts offering dinner service, so when it was announced that M. Wells was beginning limited dinner service this month, I made a point to have dinner there as soon as possible. The wait was well worth it.

The menu is divided into big dishes -- which can be shared by three or more people -- and small dishes. Brunch fare, such as the escargot and bone marrow and the salads, are also available during dinner service, and the delectable lamb and beef burger is now supersized: a ten-inch patty served on an equally large sesame-seed bun, served with onion rings and fit for a group of three. A beautifully lacquered Peking duck sat next to me during dinner, awaiting an adventurous group of four. Mr. Dufour and his assistant were preparing a fluffy couscous to serve with a braised lamb shank for two. Tempted as I was to pig out, I elected to try a few of the small dishes. A lobster roll featured a buttery soft bun bursting with a pound of lobster meat lightly dressed with brown butter, tarragon and Old Bay spice. A duo of veal brains are coated with flour and deep-fried, then topped with a sauce grenobloise: capers, mini-croutons, thyme, lemon and cream. Breaking through the thin outer crust revealed the creamy offal, and the acidity and saltiness of the sauce helped balance the richness of the veal brains. However, the highlight of the evening was the pan-roasted pork chop. The pork chop, sourced from Heritage Foods USA, was perfectly cooked; the meat had an excellent ratio of fat and flesh, allowing it to remain sweet and juicy yet savory. Served with pillowy soft gnudi and a sauce made from mushroom soup reduced till thick, it was just heaven, and I could not stop praising the dish to the cooks and waitstaff. For dessert, I had the pleasure of eating house-made cannelle: with a wonderfully caramelized exterior and a eggy, almost custard-y interior, it was reminiscent of the best cannelles I had in Paris. An equally brilliant apple tarte tatin possessed a thin, chewy yet flaky crust topped by perfectly caramelized apples; it was both tart and sweet, and it was an awesome way to end an outstanding meal. I will be making many more trips to LIC in the near future, because I cannot resist the allure of M. Wells!

Park Avenue Winter

2011-02-12T07:30:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: The Carmellini Challenger; filet mignon with braised short rib; chilled Meyer lemon parfait with mango sorbet; miso glazed lobster; and mini potato latkes.

I recently had a satisfying dinner at Park Avenue Winter this weekend. My meal began with a creamy and warm Parmesan cheese fritter as an amuse bouche; this was followed by the Carmellini Challenger: a moist and delightful meatball made with veal, pork sausage, raisins and pine nuts, served on toasted brioche and topped with Parmesan cheese, micro-arugula and cream cheese mixed with pine nuts, honey and scallions. This meatball was inspired by Andrew Carmellini's entry into the Meatball Madness event at last year's New York Food and Wine Festival, and it was absolutely delicious. I then ordered the miso-glazed lobster: the head halves were stuffed with leg meat mixed with coconut milk and Swiss chard, then topped with crispy onions, microgreens and pickled Swiss chard stalks. It was a lovely amalgam of sweet, savory and tart. For the meat course, I opted for the filet mignon served with braised beef short rib, root vegetables and a red wine reduction. The filet mignon had a wonderful outer crust and was perfectly cooked, while the braised short rib provided a perfect contrast to the lean filet with its richness and tenderness. The manager was kind enough to bring over a plate of mini potato latkes, served with a maple-rosemary sauce and a labne-inspired sauce. The latkes were crisp yet moist, and I preferred the sweeter maple-rosemary sauce to the tart labne. I was really full by the end of the meal, but I could not pass up dessert, so I opted for the tart yet sweet chilled Meyer lemon parfait, which was coated with breadcrumbs and served with mango sorbet and a maple sugar swizzle stick. It was the ideal end to a remarkable meal, and despite the aseptic surroundings (the white walls and lack of decor reminded me of a hospital), I truly had a good time at Park Avenue Winter.

What Happens When

2011-02-05T13:58:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Fingerling potato skins with pickled sausage; guinea hen with roasted vegetables and wild rice; dark chocolate tart with marshmallows; roasted cauliflower with sorrel, grapes and lentil crackers; popcorn creme brulee; and veal sweetbreads with cabbage and ham hocks.

I had just finished dinner at Osteria Morini the other night when I happened passed to by What Happens When, the pop-up restaurant helmed by chef John Fraser. Being a fan of Mr. Fraser's work at his UWS establishment Dovetail, I was quite pleased to discover the site of his newest dining venture, and before long, I found myself dining within the cozy confines of the restaurant on a slushy and cold Wednesday evening. Mr. Fraser was not cooking that evening; he supervised a team of chefs who churned out dish after dish from the tiny kitchen in the back. The dinner is a three-course affair including dessert, costing $58; the diner has three or four options to choose from per course. There is also a limited wine and liquor list, containing three reds, three whites a rose and a few cocktails; Mr. Fraser mentioned that he plans to expand the list in the future, to include his beloved sherries. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive, but the service was inconsistent at times.

The chefs and architects of What Happens When were supposedly inspired by such wintery themes as blue, cold, conflict, intensity and tension; the food certainly espouses these disparate concepts, to wonderful effect. The meal started with a trio of appetizers: a delicate split pea soup; crispy onions in a chive-flavored onion dip; and a creative play on the childhood favorite "ants on a log", using cocoa nibs and maple syrup. The lowly bar staple potato skins get an upgrade here: hollowed-out fingerling potato halves are deep-fried, and serve as vehicles for a rich sauce made with Gruyere cheese, chicken stock and lemon, as well as for pieces of refreshingly tart pickled pork sausage. Mr. Fraser's take on the French classic creme brulee involves caramel popcorn and powdered cheese. Creamy veal sweetbreads come with a cabbage puree rather than braised cabbage, ham hocks and wild rice. A succulent piece of pan-roasted guinea hen breast is served with roasted root vegetables and a surprisingly flaky and delectable buckwheat crepe. Only the dark chocolate tart failed to impress; without the house-made marshmallows, it would have been a total disappointment.

I really had a good meal at What Happens When, and I look forward to future installations of the restaurant. Kudos to Mr. Fraser and his team!

Hotel Griffou

2011-01-22T14:08:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Seared yellowfin tuna; Jonah crab salad; Szechuan-seasoned hamachi; poppyseed souffle with limoncello sorbet; wild mushroom agnolotti; and roast suckling pig.

When Hotel Griffou opened in 2009, it quickly became a celebrity hangout and a popular nightlife locale. However, despite some praiseworthy cocktails and a beautifully appointed interior, the restaurant was universally panned by critics for its mediocre food and inconsistent service. After a year, the original executive chef Jason Michael Giordano left, and in November, the owners hired Per Se and Bouley alum David Santos to helm the kitchen. His appointment signaled the owners' interest in making Hotel Griffou not only an after-hours hotspot but a foodie destination as well. Mr. Santos has since revamped the menu, introducing a Portuguese-inflected cuisine done in the French style which is designed to attract discerning diners and win over food critics alike; unfortunately, not every dish succeeds. Some dishes sing: a perfectly seared yellowfin tuna fillet is complimented by a surprisingly mild dijon mustard emulsion with fork-tender white pole beans, and a sweet mustard seed caviar; a salad of Jonah crabmeat, red onion and herbs is served on an avocado puree, and topped by a tart "sorbet" created from the citric juices used in ceviche and a spiced popcorn crisp, providing textural and flavor contrast; and succulent roast suckling pig is accentuated by the sweetness of the butternut squash and the brandied plums, and the earthiness of the hazelnuts and sunchoke. Other dishes, however, are marred by too many ingredients and a lack of focus: lightly seared hamachi worked well with grapefruit, mint and pickled onion, but the addition of maitake mushroom tempura seemed superfluous; while wild mushroom agnolotti had a divine mushroom butter sauce, but the toasted walnuts struck a discordant note in an otherwise harmonious dish. Desserts were also uneven: a warm chocolate hazelnut brioche was well-paired with French vanilla ice cream, but a poppyseed souffle was a tad too sweet, although the accompanying limoncello sorbet was perfect.

Despite the missteps, Mr. Santos has taken an important step towards making Hotel Griffou an eating destination, and his talent and work ethic should take both he and the restaurant far. With some restraint and creativity, he will make that kitchen sing, and I look forward to his future endeavors.

The Red Rooster

2011-01-08T19:26:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from lower left: Helga's meatballs; glogg; bread with chickpea spread; hearth baked mac and greens; salad with pickled vegetables; Lady Dorothy dessert; and fried yard bird.

The Red Rooster is Top Chef Masters Season 2 champion Marcus Samuelsson's first foray into American comfort food: soul food with African and Scandinavian touches. Many considered Mr. Samuelsson's latest venture to be quite risky: Harlem is not exactly a dining destination, and it would be difficult to establish a restaurant devoted to soul food in the land of Sylvia's and Popeye's. Nonetheless, through a relentless PR campaign and repeated efforts to reach out to the people in the neighborhood, Mr. Samuelsson has succeeded in attracting a devoted following not only from the new transplants and the old guard of Harlem, but from foodies and discerning diners south of 100th Street. Of course, he would not have been triumphant had the food been less than stellar, but for the most part, he and executive chef Andrea Bergquist accomplished the almost impossible task of marrying the dishes of the South with the flavors of Africa and Sweden.

I've been to the Red Rooster twice: just before Christmas and last week. On my first visit, I was free to take photographs to my heart's content; on my return last week, however, the hostess forbid me from using my camera. On both visits, I sat at a communal table, where I was able to observe the goings-on in the open kitchen, and discuss the food with my fellow diners. I found the receptionists to be quite aloof and impersonal, but the servers were warm and attentive, if a bit overzealous. Mr. Samuelsson was a constant presence in the restaurant, gladhanding the crowd and sending out free food to lucky diners when he had an opportunity to retreat to the kitchen and expedite service. The wine list is eclectic and affordable: the diner will do well by ordering a bottle for the table, rather than contenting himself with the limited wines available by the glass. Or better yet, try one of the wonderful bourbon-based cocktails at the bar; the Brownstoner is a particular favorite, with its nutmeg-infused whiskey mixed with the floral notes of St-Germain and the sweetness of the cherry heering.

As for the food, I strongly recommend the Fire Yard Bird: a half chicken is battered and deep-fried to golden perfection, served with a delicious white mace gravy, and balanced by the bitterness of collard greens and the heat from hot sauce and a spice shake. Another favorite is Helga's Meatballs: based on his grandmother's recipe, it pairs tender Swedish meatballs with the sweetness of lingonberry compote, the tartness of pickled cucumber, and the flavor of fennel. The Hearth Mac N' Greens features three different cheeses -- gouda, New York cheddar and comte -- in a gooey and satisfying concoction. Mr. Samuelsson's version of steak frites is also good: a 10-ounce New York strip steak is cooked medium rare with a prominent char, topped with a savory truffle bearnaise sauce, and served with both French fries and fried sweet potato cubes. There are some clunkers: the shrimp and red grits had a perfectly poached egg, but the shrimp were overcooked, and the dish could have benefitted from more grits. Many of the desserts are quite lackluster: other than the sweet potato doughnuts, the confections are either too sweet (the spiced pudding) or ultimately forgettable (Lady Dorothy, your reign was thankfully short).

All in all, there is good food to be had at the Red Rooster, and I see a rosy future for Mr. Samuelsson in Harlem. After dinner, one of my fellow diners recommended I try the braised oxtail the next time I visit the restaurant. I just might take her up on her offer.

Fish Seven Ways at Momofuku Ma Peche

2010-12-27T17:53:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Fried whole black bass; PEI mussels; lobster salad; o toro; buche noel; diver scallops; grilled shrimp; and crab soup.

Momofuku Ma Peche hosted a "Fish Seven Ways" dinner this past Christmas Eve: the dinner was a play on the restaurant's popular "Beef Seven Ways", as well as on the Italian tradition of serving seven different fish dishes on Christmas Eve. The meal began with slices of fatty and delectable o toro, slightly seared with a blowtorch and topped with soy, yuzu and radish: a wonderful way to start the evening. This was followed by diver scallops served with chili jam, water chestnuts and orange essence: the scallops were meaty and delicious, and the sauce had a good balance of sweet, tart and spicy. A lobster salad with ginger scallion, pickled onion and red mustard had a subtle piquancy and tang to it, but came off bland. The fourth dish featured sweet, plump grilled shrimp on top of rice noodles, Thai basil and Schezuan peppers: a lovely combination of flavors and textures. This was followed by Prince Edward Island mussels served in a broth with tomatoes, mango pickle, garlic and slices of grilled filone: Ma Peche's version of mussels marinara, with an Asian twist, thanks to the mango. The mussels were served with three different sides: the choucroute from the pork chop, the brussel sprouts with cranberry and fish sauce, and roasted fingerling potatoes. The piece de resistance of the meal was a whole black bass, deboned and deep fried, and served with the accoutrements that usually accompany the oxtail and shank in the "Beef Seven Ways" meal. Just as in the latter two dishes, the diner was instructed to wrap a piece of fish with pickled vegetables and fried shallots in a lettuce leaf, and then dip the wrap in fish sauce before eating. The fish could have benefitted from a little more salt, but the pickled vegetables and fish sauce provided enough flavor to the dish. For a carnivore like me, I was surprised to find myself quite full after the first six plates, so it was a welcome respite that the last savory dish was a velvety smooth and creamy crab soup, with kaffir lime and celery. The soup was warming and delicious, acting almost like a digestif at the end of the meal. Dessert was the house made buche noel, topped with meringue mushrooms and cranberries. The cake was chocolatey yet quite airy: the perfect end to the meal.

Ai Fiori

2010-12-11T19:05:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Pansotti with braised veal; baba al rhum; gnochetti with lamb; chocolate hazelnut tart; chocolate "savarin"; diver scallops with truffles and bone marrow; seared black sea bass with peppers, saffron and chorizo; Ligurian olive oil cake; fluke crudo with uni and caviar; and rack of lamb with lamb crepinette and chard croquettes.

Ai Fiori at Setai Fifth Avenue is the first Michael White restaurant to open since the chef parted ways with his long-time partner Chris Cannon, and it opened just a day before New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton panned his most recent venture Osteria Morini. To say that Mr. White has a lot riding on the success of this restaurant is an understatement, especially after Mr. Sifton commented that the chef may be spreading himself too thin, to the detriment of the food. To assure the success of Ai Fiori, Mr. White has recruited outstanding talent to run both the kitchen and the front of the house, including EMP and Morimoto alum Richard Jaeckle, pastry expert Robert Truitt and mixologist Eben Freeman. The results, dare I say, are quite outstanding. Dinner usually started with an amuse bouche of soup, served in a shot glass: one night it was a velvety smooth squash soup with mini-croutons and balsamic vinegar; another night, a surprisingly light cauliflower soup topped with a lemon espuma and lavender salt. Fluke crudo is plated to resemble a chrysanthemum blossom: each "petal" is topped with a small dollop of uni and a chive blade, and the center of the "flower" contains osetra caviar and Meyer lemon. It is a beautiful dish, and unlike some of the crudo at Marea, the fish is imbued with a lot of flavor. Slices of diver scallop alternate with celery root discs and burgundy truffle shavings in a hollowed bone topped with bone marrow and thyme: without the bone marrow and truffle providing tons of umami flavor, the dish could have turned out quite bland. As expected, the pastas remain his strong suit: the pansotti with braised veal, butternut squash, pine nuts and black truffle sugo was particularly delicious, as was the gnochetti with lamb ragu. A filet of black bass seared on the grill was crisp on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside, and was served with a piquillino peppers stuffed with chorizo and served with a saffron sauce; the flavors were complimentary yet distinct, and it was just delectable. Also worth trying was the rack of lamb, served with a lamb crepinette, chard croquettes and sariette (a French savory herb): the lamb was perfectly cooked, and the lamb sausage was juicy and redolent of rosemary. I commented to my server that the crepinette would be excellent with eggs for breakfast. Robert Truitt's desserts are also worth the trip to Midtown: a crumbly and light olive oil cake served with poached pear and both apricot and coffee gelati; a chocolate "savarin" with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and apricot mousses and brandied cherries; and a lovely baba al rhum with brioche sorbet and a passion fruit coulee.

With a color scheme dominated by earth tones such as taupe, the restaurant can seem a bit cold and impersonal at times; fortunately, the professional wait staff did show great warmth and approachability during dinner service. The wine list is dominated by Italians and French bottles, and unfortunately, there are very few bottles below $50; however, the sommelier was more than helpful in helping me find a suitable vintage that would not burn a hole in my wallet. All in all, my dining experiences at Ai Fiori mirror those at Marea and Alto, and if that is any indication, then I can only see this flower continuing to bloom.

Fish Tag by Michael Psilakis

2010-12-06T20:29:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Bouchot mussels and spicy lamb; sheep milk dumplings; sea urchin crudo in ocean water; scallop crudo; paccheri; grilled sardines; grilled octopus; branzino stuffed with head cheese; grilled swordfish and sausage; jonah crab/sweet and sour eggplant bruschetta; and Greek "spoon" salad.

Fish Tag is the latest venture from Michael Psilakis to occupy the old Kefi space on West 79th Street. In creating this restaurant, Mr. Psilakis wanted to evoke the feel of a neighborhood wine bar, where one can have a glass of wine while enjoying small plates of seafood. To that end, Mr. Psilakis enlisted the talents of itinerant chef Ryan Skeen, and together they created a menu of simply prepared dishes with strong Greek and Mediterranean influences. The plates are listed from lightest to heaviest, and they are further divided into subgroups with assigned wine and spirit recommendations, to assist the diner in selecting the appropriate libation to go with the meal. The selection process can be confusing and daunting at times, but with the proper choices, and some assistance from the helpful staff, the diner can be rewarded with a satisfying meal. The wine list is quite eclectic, with vintages native to many countries, including Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Chile and the USA.

Of the many dishes I sampled at Fish Tag, the one that stands out the most is the bouchot mussels with spicy lamb: an aromatic broth plays host to creamy mussels and tender lamb, to wonderful effect. Another favorite was the delicate and creamy sheep milk dumplings served with scallops, crabmeat, sea urchin, fish roe, and a velvety sauce lightly spiced with aji amarillo peppers. Other dishes were just as memorable: the flavor of the succulent grilled octopus was heightened by the smokiness of the chorizo; the richness of the sea urchin crudo was balanced by the heat of the tellicherry peppercorns and the acidity of the lemon; the grilled swordfish was both juicy and flaky, and the sweetness of the dates in the bulgur salad and the savory flavor of the Greek sausage loukaniko were perfect counterpoints to the fish; the grilled sardines were subtle in flavor, allowing the accompanying fennel to stand out; and the Greek "spoon" salad was fresh and crunchy, with the fried Maine shrimp complimenting the smokiness of the feta and the sweetness of the vegetables. There were less successful dishes: the scallop crudo was overwhelmed by the smokiness and richness of the roasted bone marrow; the grilled branzino stuffed with head cheese came out quite bland, allowing the acerbic lemon flavor absorbed by the mushroom confit to dominate the dish; the paccheri was very flavorful but also very heavy; and the Jonah crab and sweet & sour eggplant bruschetta had too many flavor components competing for the diner's attention, and the bread came out soggy in the center rather than crisp throughout. There is no dessert at Fish Tag; only a small selection of ice creams and sorbets from Il Laboratorio del Gelato, of which the Greek coffee, the ricotta and the black mission fig are worth trying out.

All in all, Fish Tag has the potential of becoming not only a local favorite but a destination restaurant as well. There are dishes that are good, some even excellent, and the other dishes can improve with a little tweaking. I expect chefs Psilakis and Skeen to continually improve on the present menu. I cannot wait to see where they take this restaurant, and I look forward to another dinner at 222 West 79th Street.

Gramercy Tavern

2010-11-27T07:30:00.001-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Pear upside down cake with roasted almond ice cream; panna cotta with citrus sorbet and passion fruit puree; duck fettuccine with parsnips and brussel sprouts; cheese puff; sea bass with Swiss chard, capers, pine nuts and sweet onion sauce; chocolate almond tart with coffee ice cream and toffee mousse; petit fours; lamb parpadelle with olives, lemon confit and Swiss chard; Piedmontese beef with caramelized shallots, squash and sweet potatoes; and rack and shoulder of lamb with hen of the woods mushrooms, sunchokes, hazelnuts and collard greens.

I recently celebrated my 42nd birthday with a friend at the venerable Gramercy Tavern, and as characteristic of any Danny Meyer establishment, the food and service was just excellent. Our meal began with a simple cheese puff, likely made from mozzarella: warm, gooey yet crunchy, it was a lovely way to start the dinner. We opted for pastas for our first course: I decided to go Mediterranean with the lamb parpadelle with olives, lemon confit and Swiss chard, while my friend chose to go for fall flavors and ordered the duck fettuccine with parsnips and brussel sprouts. Both pastas were well-made, but I was particularly intrigued by the fettuccine, where the heartiness of the root vegetables and duck are paired with a delicate cream sauce to wonderful effect. For our second course, my friend had the poached sea bass served with Swiss chard, pine nuts, capers and a sweet onion sauce; I am not a fan of poached fish, but the sea bass was tender and flaky, and the combination of nutty, salty and sweet flavors brightened the dish immensely. I selected the rack and shoulder of lamb, which was perfectly cooked, and whose flavors were complemented by the earthiness of the mushrooms, sunchokes, hazelnuts and collard greens. I could not resist the special of the night: dry-aged Piedmontese beef served with caramelized shallots, squash and sweet potatoes. The minerality of the beef worked well with the sweetness of the shallots and root vegetables, and the dish was just exquisite. After all that meat, we opted for lighter desserts: a luscious panna cotta paired with citrus flavors, and a delicate and heavenly pear upside down cake with roasted almond ice cream. We also tried the chocolate almond tart with coffee ice cream and toffee mousse: the tart was nice, but we both agreed the coffee ice cream was the star of the dish. The meal ended with a trio of petit fours: macarons, chocolate-ginger mini-tarts, and chocolate-hazelnut truffles. The service was impeccable: our server Jason was jovial, attentive and amiable, and he really made our dining experience a special one. The sommelier also helped us select the perfect wine to go with our meal: a 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet from Chateau de la Maltroye. I am really happy that I celebrated my birthday at Gramercy Tavern, and I have no doubt that I will be returning to the restaurant in the near future.

Ciano

2010-11-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Cortecce with baby octopus, pancetta and garlic bread crumbs; house made gnocchi with black truffle butter, parmesan and sage; dark chocolate fondente with wild huckleberries and black truffle gelato; veal meatballs with polenta; panna cotta with blood orange, candied violet and white chocolate sorbet; and parpadelle with duck bolognese, pecorino and oregano.

Ciano marks the return of Shea Gallante to the New York City culinary scene, more than a year after leaving Cru. At Ciano, Mr. Gallante continues to explore his love affair with Italian cuisine, a devotion that was kindled in childhood, and flourished during his stint at Felidia. The restaurant may have the feel of a Tuscan farm house, but the food is anything but, deriving inspiration from all types of Italian cuisine. The wine list also reflects this inclusive attitude: French reds, Austrian whites and American vintages co-exist with a generous collection of Italian wines. After consultation with the sommelier, I settled with a 2003 Brunello di Montalcino from Piedmont and went to work.

Pastas are Mr. Gallante's specialty, and he has been compared favorably to Michael White and David Pasternak by previous New York Times food critic Frank Bruni. Despite an interesting secundi menu, I elected to stay with the pastas; fortunately, the restaurant offers half-portions, which allowed me to sample a few more dishes. My favorite pasta of the night was the house made potato gnocchi, topped with a black truffle butter and 60-month aged Parmesan cheese, and flavored with sage. I had to wait until the end of my meal to sample this dish, because the gnocchi was still being perfected prior to dinner service, and I am truly glad I waited: the gnocchi was pillowy soft yet still dense, and the black truffle butter and sage added rich, earthy notes to the dish. It was a perfect autumn. I also liked the cortecce with baby octopus, pancetta and garlic bread crumbs: it had a wonderful combination of flavors and textures, with a hint of heat to liven up the dish. However, I was disappointed by the parpadelle topped with duck bolognese and pecorino cheese and flavored with oregano: the pasta was perfect, but I felt that the bolognese sauce was mild rather than robust, and it did not hold up well to the pasta. Upon the recommendation of my server, I also tried the roasted veal meatballs with herbed white creamy polenta and truffle pecorino: the meatballs had a nice outer crust, and a moist and savory interior which was not at all heavy, but the polenta could have had more flavor to match the meatballs, and came off tasting bland. For dessert, I tried the dark chocolate fondente with wild huckleberries and a black truffle gelato: the fondente was not particularly interesting, and the black truffle gelato struck a discordant and quite unwelcome note in the dessert. More successful was the creamy and rich panna cotta, topped with Sicilian blood oranges, white chocolate sorbet and candied violets: the white chocolate was not too prominent in the dish, allowing the tartness of the oranges and the mild flavor of the violets to come through. It was an interesting flavor profile, and the panna cotta was just perfect.

I saw Mr. Gallante only once: he came down from the upstairs kitchen to greet Joe Bastianich, who had just finished dinner and was having a drink at the bar. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Gallante's partner Stratis Morfogen, who paced the floors like an expectant father during dinner service, and was kind enough to give me a tour of the kitchen and the two private dining rooms adjoining the kitchen. During the tour, I met the pastry chef Bjorn, who I thanked for the delightful panna cotta. I also visited the hearth in the main dining area, which they use to bake bread (they also purchase bread from Sullivan St. Bakery). Ciano is a lovely restaurant, to be sure, and with some fine tuning, I can see only good things for Mr. Gallante.

M. Wells Diner

2010-10-30T13:00:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Apple crisp a la mode; cake doughnut; maple syrup ploye; coconut layer cake; BBQ veal sweetbreads sandwich; tortilla espanola; and beef/lamb hamburger.

Despite living in Queens, it is only recently that I have been able to visit M. Wells Diner in Long Island City: it was only last month that they offered breakfast and lunch on Saturdays and Sundays (which fits my schedule perfectly), and it is almost impossible to find street parking in that area during the week. Since they opened their doors to the public this past summer, M. Wells has become a go-to destination for both foodies and tourists alike, attracted no doubt to its sophisticated take on diner food, seen through the eyes of a Quebecois chef and a Queens native. This is not your typical neighborhood diner grub: the food is decadent, offal-rich, and brilliantly conceived and executed. A tortilla espanola stuffed with potatoes, onions and grilled blood sausage had a lovely outer crust, and a wonderfully light and fluffy interior. The blood sausage added savory and earthy flavors to the dish without adding weight to the dish. A hotdog bun cut along the sagittal plan is stuffed with tangy cole slaw redolent of mint, and deep-fried breaded veal sweetbreads coated with a sweet barbecue sauce; one can make a mess eating this like a hotdog, but it is a happy, sloppy mess, mitigated by the wonderful flavors and textures possessed by this sandwich. The M. Wells hamburger is also a delight to eat: the 8-oz patty is made in-house, with a ratio of 60% beef (mostly round and chuck) and 40% lamb, cooked on the grill until it develops a lovely outer crust while the inside is a perfect medium rare, and served with onion glaze, pickled peppers and harissa mayo on a toasted potato roll from Balthazar Bakery. The burger is juicy yet dense, the sandwich's accoutrements are prominent but do not overwhelm the meat, and the toasted potato roll provided an excellent textural contrast to the rest of the burger. It is one of the best burgers I've had in a long while. A superb apple crisp married tart apple slices with a crunchy granola topping and brown sugar in a moist but not watery dessert, made even more delectable by a scoop of vanilla ice cream served on top. There were some clunkers, of course: the buckwheat crepes came out rubbery rather than flaky, and the cake doughnut was a bit dry and dense, despite having just come out of the fryer a few minutes before. A coconut cake had a nice buttercream icing and a generous topping of dessicated coconut, but the cake itself lacked zest.

Until their liquor license is approved, foodies will have to content themselves with breakfast and lunch for now. However, the menu at M. Wells changes from week to week, making repeat visits a must for any discerning diner. The food is worth the trek to this isolated area of Queens, but be sure to bring an appetite and an open mind -- and an extra dose of Lipitor!

Harold Dieterle's Kin Shop

2010-10-23T18:46:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Stir fried wide wonton noodles; sour yellow curry with rabbit leg; fried pork and crispy oyster salad; banana fritters with peanut butter ice cream; house made roti; spicy duck laab salad; massaman curry with braised goat neck; steamed passion fruit pudding; and fried duck tongue salad.

With Perilla a popular and critical success (it scored a 26 for food in the latest installment of Zagat), Harold Dieterle has decided to take his love of Asian cuisine a step further by opening a contemporary Thai restaurant called Kin Shop in the West Village. I've been to the restaurant a couple of times since it opened two weeks ago, and I have to admit that I love this place a lot.

The restaurant has a casual and quiet ambiance which perfectly embodies the personality of its chef. I sat at the chef's counter, which consists of four high chairs facing the kitchen, allowing me full view of the chefs in action. Mr. Dieterle stood at the far end of the counter, expediting orders and greeting customers at the adjoining bar. One of the sous chefs named Gino was a jolly and helpful guide throughout my meal, recommending dishes and answering my questions regarding the food. The wait staff also radiated amity and good cheer. Before long, I felt like I was having dinner with an old friend.

The food is understated yet complex, with wonderful flavor profiles and textural contrasts. Start with a refreshing salad: succulent fried pork belly and crispy breaded oysters are combined with crunchy celery and peanuts and dressed with a chili-lime vinaigrette redolent of nam pla and mint. Or have the salad of fried duck tongues with green mango strips, peanuts and Chinese long beans, a version of which Mr. Dieterle served during his "Lucky Duck" New Year's dinner earlier this year. If you like spice in your greens, go for the duck laab salad, served on romaine lettuce hearts: piquant and savory, it will definitely wake up your taste buds. For the main course, try one of the excellent curries: moist and juicy rabbit leg is served in a sour yellow curry, topped with a roasted eggplant chutney and served with multi-grain rice for texture; or go for the massaman curry showcasing goat neck meat, mustard greens and purple yam. The spices are slightly tempered in these dishes, allowing the meat to take center stage in the dishes. Whichever curry you select, do not forget to place an order for the excellent house made roti, which was wonderfully flaky and buttery. There are also noodle dishes to enjoy: wide wonton noodles are tossed in oyster sauce and topped with chicken sausage and Thai broccoli rabe, producing a savory dish which would have been better served if the sausage were more moist and tender. Desserts are the weak point of the menu: banana fritters topped with a caramel sauce and served with peanut butter ice cream was tepid and confusing in its flavor combinations, and was fortunately banished from the menu. A steamed passion fruit pudding was pleasant but could have been a bit denser. Go for the small selection of ice creams and sorbets, which have such flavors as mango, pineapple-tamarind, lychee and kaffir lime. They echo the flavors of the food, and would be a more refreshing and interesting way to end the dinner.

Through Perilla and now Kin Shop, Mr. Dieterle has channeled his fascination with all things Asian, producing solid, even revelatory, dishes that reflect his personality and training. It is a journey that he undertakes every day, and we are fortunate enough to be able to join him for the ride.

Osteria Morini

2010-10-17T05:48:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Panna cotta; polpettini; fritto Bolognese; tortellini with duck ragu panna; apple fritters; flourless chocolate cake; braised beef short ribs with mashed potatoes and root vegetables; cappelletti with prosciutto and cheese; and polenta with salsicchia.

Osteria Morini is the newest restaurant from Michael White and Chris Cannon. A celebration of the Emilia-Romagna region, it features the foodstuffs that are native to the area, such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, aged balsamic vinegar, polenta, cured meats, and pastas such as garganelli, tortellini, cappelletti and tagliatelle. The food is hearty, rustic and meat-centric; it is not overly complicated yet full of flavor. I attended opening night two weeks ago, and I was not overly impressed: service was subpar, a braised beef shank was unevenly cooked and tough, and a ricotta gnocchi with pomodoro sauce was not particularly memorable. However, there were some high points: a robust and delicious ragu antica served as sauce to feathery light tagliatelle; a luscious panna cotta adorned only with a strawberry compote and peaches; and crunchy crochettes containing a wonderful bechamel sauce and speck. Also worth noting were the cocktail creations of Eben Freeman: creative, refreshing and ultimately intoxicating. It was a work in progress, no doubt, and I decided to return with a friend this week to see how things have improved since the first night.

After a few cocktails, the meal started with a trio of fritto Bolognese: the aforementioned crochettes, skewers of mortadella and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and fried polenta topped with lardo. Delicious if a bit heavy, they were the perfect way to introduce the uninitiated to the cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region. A bowlful of polpettini was topped with a tangy and flavorful tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese; however, the meatballs were quite dense and a bit dry. We ordered two types of pastas: cappelletti stuffed with a truffled cheese sauce and topped with prosciutto, and tortellini with a duck ragu panna. Both pastas were delectable, but my companion felt that the pastas were too al dente for his tastes. The dish of the evening, however, was a polenta served with pork sausage, which was recently added to the menu. I really loved this dish because the polenta was creamy but not gritty, and the sausage was savory and rich. The beef shank had been banished from the menu, and was now replaced by a beef short rib, which surfaced from the braising evenly cooked and fork-tender. The accompanying mashed potatoes were buttery and smooth, and the roasted root vegetables added earthy goodness to the dish. Our meal ended with three delightful desserts from pastry chef Heather Bertinetti: the wonderful panna cotta, scrumptious apple fritters served with vanilla ice cream, and a dense flourless chocolate cake served with a citrus-infused ice cream. A fitting end to an enjoyable meal.

There is still some kinks that need ironing out, but Osteria Morini will no doubt continue to evolve and improve as time goes on. It is certainly a worthy addition to the Italian food scene in the city, and it definitely merits future visits.

Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen

2010-10-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Buttermilk vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb compote; roasted carrot soup with caraway creme fraiche; butternut squash risotto with hazelnuts and parmesan cheese; and grilled hanger steak with crispy frites.

One of the few surprises to come out of the announcement of the restaurants that were recognized by the Michelin Guide last week was the awarding of one star to Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen, the first dining establishment in the borough of Queens to be bestowed such an honor. Despite its relative obscurity, it is highly regarded among Zagat surveyors and is a favorite among the locals. I had eaten at the restaurant a year ago, and despite finding a bone in my fish filet, I found my dining experience to be a positive one: well-made classic dishes served in a friendly and casual environment. I decided to pay Danny Brown a return visit this weekend, and to my delight, the restaurant remains unchanged.

Danny Brown is located along Metropolitan Avenue, a long stretch of road populated by small businesses, fast food joints and an occasional Italian or sushi restaurant. Other than a simple off-white awning announcing its presence, there is nothing on its unadorned facade that screams culinary greatness. Inside, the ambience is more bistro or neighborhood diner than fine dining establishment, yet the staff is friendly and all smiles, and after a while, one cannot help but feel like family. A small bar is surrounded by dining tables for groups of two and four; both the bar and the dining room serve as a backdrop to the open kitchen, where one can espy Mr. Brown conducting his coterie of line and prep cooks as they prepare the evening's food (Mr. Brown does all the dishes and desserts, from conceptualization to plating). The wine list is quite impressive for such a humble enterprise: a healthy dose of European vintages mixed with bottles from California and Long Island. With a little knowledge and patience, one can drink well at Danny Brown without breaking the bank.

For dinner, I decided to select dishes which celebrate the autumn season. A velvety smooth soup made from roasted carrots was topped by caraway-seasoned creme fraiche and argan oil (a nutty oil made from the roasted seeds of a Moroccan fruit). Sweet yet nutty and aromatic, the soup warmed my stomach and thrilled my taste buds. Unfortunately, an appetizer of pork rilletes with toasted French bread was not up to the task: the rilletes were sufficiently creamy and meaty but could have benefitted from a little more seasoning. The next dish made up for the rilletes, however: a creamy yet textured risotto with pieces of roasted butternut squash and toasted almonds interspersed among the grains, topped with pumpkin seed oil and a parmesan crisp. Truly delicious, with the nutty flavors of the almonds and pumpkin seed oil echoed by the parmesan cheese. I decided to go for a grilled hanger steak served with cripsy frites and a red wine-shallot butter. I was disappointed that the dish came out a bit cold: the frites were no longer crispy, and the butter had solidified somewhat. I also wished that the steak had been seasoned more, but the meat was cooked properly and had a nice outer crust. Dessert was a decadent buttermilk vanilla panna cotta served with a rhubarb compote: the panna cotta was firm yet smooth and rich, and the rhubarb compote complimented the sweet and tart notes presented in the dessert well. A satisfying end to a good meal.

Considering the volume, I am in awe of Mr. Brown's ability to maintain the quality of the food he serves in the restaurant. His success also underscores the basic truth that good food can be found anywhere, as long as one is willing to travel and to take a leap of faith. He deserves the recognition from Michelin, and I applaud his efforts to transform the food scene in Queens.

Avenues at the Penninsula Hotel in Chicago

2010-10-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Beef short ribs with lime, pinenuts and cilantro; sudachi fruit "shell"; Alaskan king crab with steelhead roe, calamansi and lemon mint; grains/seeds/nuts with amaranth veil, sultana and sunflower broth; Ocumare chocolate mousse with chamomile and stevia; salmon with pommery mustard and fennel; hamachi with lardo, yuzu and purslane; and tom kha gai with finger limes, lemongrass and coriander; and strawberry and yogurt shell with Thai black pepper and opal basil.

For my last dinner in Chicago, I followed the recommendation of one of the sous chefs at Momofuku Ko and went to Avenues Restaurant at the Penninsula Hotel. It is a four-star restaurant helmed by Alinea alumnus Curtis Duffy, and it seems to be well-received by the city's culinary establishment, based on the approving murmurs I received from the chefs and staff of the Chicago restaurants I previously ate at when I mentioned my plans to dine at Avenues.

The Penninsula Hotel is a beautiful building representative of Chicago architecture, all Old World glamour and cathedral-like spaces. The restaurant itself is located in a cozy nook of the hotel's lobby, and it is divided into a main dining area and a chef's counter, where a diner can watch the chefs plate the food. I opted to sit at the chef's counter, and I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Duffy and his chefs as they prepared the dishes for service. The servers are attentive and accomodating, and they really made my dining experience enjoyable. Other than a la carte, one may choose from either a vegetarian tasting menu at $105, or the regular tasting menu at $125. I opted for the regular tasting menu, and I also selected a white Burgundy and a red Pinot Noir from the restaurant's considerable wine list to go with my food.

The meal started with a duo of amuse bouche: black river caviar served with a brioche bread pudding and a Meyer lemon gelee; and a gooseberry encapsulated in a herbal gelee, served with puffed tapioca and anise hyssop puree. Both displayed an interesting combination of flavors and textures that whet the appetite. The first course was certainly eye-catching: Alaskan king crab meat was served in a glass containing a broth flavored with calamansi juice; the glass was then topped with a spun sugar disc, on which steelhead trout roe, calamansi gelee, lemon mint and other herbs were plated. The calamansi was a tad acerbic for the crab and roe, but nonetheless it was a refreshingly delicate dish. This was followed by a deconstructed version of the Thai soup tom kha gai: chicken breast and crisped chicken skin with Thai basil, chiles, lime, ginger gelee and coriander, topped with a lemongrass-infused chicken broth. A coconut foam ribbon and coconut meat replaced the richer coconut milk in the dish, making the soup lighter without sacrificing flavor. It was just divine, and my favorite dish of the night. In celebration of autumn, the next dish was a combination of grains and nuts such as quinoa, barley and hazelnuts, topped with sultana grapes and an amaranth veil, and served with a sunflower broth. A hearty yet elegant soup.

The next two courses featured fish, and were the least successful of the night's dishes. Poached salmon came out almost mushy rather than fork-tender, and was overwhelmed by the addition of a salty brandade, fennel, black olives, pommery mustard and an absinthe foam. The presence of multiple dish components was also the undoing of the hamachi dish: for such a delicately flavored fish, the addition of lardo, shredded pig's tail meat, braised Swiss chard with bacon, roasted cardamon foam, and a carrot-yuzu emulsion only succeeded in burying the hamachi, and the only way I could appreciate the yellowtail was by eating it separate from the rest of the dish. The final savory course was the braised beef short ribs: fork tender beef rib was topped with broccoli florets, pinenuts, a fried potato lattice, and radish, and plated with Asian pear gelee, roasted baby potatoes and cilantro puree. Thankfully, the combination of various flavors and textures supported rather than overwhelmed the short ribs, and it made up for the fish.

The final three courses were desserts. A orange candy shell containing a sauce flavored with sudachi (a Japanese citrus), togarashi and horehound mint helped cleaned the palate, and also relieved some of the cold symptoms I had developed the day before. The second dessert was a playful take on the candy cane: a cylinder made from strawberries and yogurt contained a vodka-Chambrod cream, which was broken in a bowl containing dehydrated strawberry slices, basil, strawberry-yogurt meringue buttons and pieces of financier cake. Tart and sweet, but with a bit of a kick. The last dessert was an almost exact replica of the dessert I had at Alinea the night before: frozen aerated mousse made from Ocumare chocolate, served with pieces of chocolate cake, chamomile custard, fromage blanc, brown butter cake, and salted caramel. A busy plate, to be sure, but also wonderfully decadent. A trio of chocolate bonbons -- milk chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate shell -- was an appropriate end to a delicious meal.

Avenues is a wonderful restaurant serving mostly outstanding dishes by an accomplished chef, but I left with the feeling that I just ate at an Alinea knock-off: Alinea Lite. This may be symptomatic of a chef trying to spread his wings and establish his culinary credentials, and I do hope that as he becomes more comfortable with his abilities, he will eventually step out of Grant Achatz' shadow and forge his own identity. I look forward to see the evolution of Mr. Duffy's talents in his food, and I cannot wait to make a return visit to Avenues on my next Chicago visit.

Lincoln

2010-10-08T06:13:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Bistecca; grape sorbet with pistachio cake; rigati with crab and uni; gnocchi with matsutake; fiore di latte ice cream with chocolate-almond cookie; salume platter; burrata with roasted squash; cavatelli with razor clams and peppers; and tuna crudo.

After I returned from Chicago this week, I knew that my dance card would be full for the next few weeks, with new restaurants scheduled to open left and right in the city. I have had dinner at Osteria Morini and the Hurricane Club since my return, but the restaurant I was most looking forward to was Jonathan Benno's Lincoln, which had opened two weeks ago. I had heard that photography was not allowed by the management, but I was hoping that after two weeks, the staff would be more amenable to cameras clicking away, so I brought my trusty Fuji FinePix S700 last night to the Lincoln Center for dinner.

The restaurant is quite a sight: glass walls give a sense of space and lightness, while the interior decor is a modern take on 1970s Space Age design. The effect is like dining in mid-air: serene, buoyant and elegant. The staff is professional and attentive, and I particularly enjoyed my interactions with the bartender Jeff and the sommelier, both of whom helped select the proper beverages to enjoy with my meals. I asked if I could take photos of the food, and to my surprise, the maitre'd acquiesced. I chose to sit next to kitchen, where, separated only by glass paneling, I was able to observe the chefs in action. For dinner, I decided to go for the tasting menu, which is not printed on the menu and requires approval from the chef.

The meal began with crispy breadsticks seasoned with chili oil, and a tower containing crackers topped with either pork fat or black sesame seeds. A quartet of crochettes followed, two with green olives and two with ham and bechamel sauce. Bread service included a house-made focaccia -- which was airy, light and delicious -- and both plain and sesame Italian bread obtained from a bakery in Brooklyn. The bread is served with a luscious butter from Vermont and a lovely extra virgin olive oil from Piedmont, Italy.

The first course was a tuna crudo: a piece of fresh tuna draped over tuna tartare, simply adorned with a lemon wedge and radish. Clean and tart, it allowed the flavors of the fish to come forth. The second course was a salume plate: soppressata, prosciutto and salsiccia, accompanied by a simple salad of grilled eggplant, bell peppers and fennel. Again, simple and clean but quite flavorful, with the sweetness of the grilled vegetables and the acidity of the dressing playing off the savory aspects of the cured meats. Two pasta dishes then followed: a wonderful cavatelli with razor clams and sweet peppers in a delectable butter-based sauce, and pillowy soft potato gnocchi with matsutake mushrooms in a veal jus. Although I would have liked the gnocchi to be a bit more firm than they were, the pastas were well made, and the dishes were just exquisite. I could not resist ordering another pasta dish: al dente rigati topped with Dungeness crab, sea urchin and sea beans in a sea urchin-based emulsion. It was just heavenly: the subtle yet unmistakeable flavors of the ocean elevate this dish to heights unknown, and I daresay it's one of the best pasta dishes I had this year. The last savory course was a 28-day dry-aged steak from Creekstone Farms, cooked medium rare and delicious in its minerality and succulence. Sauteed spinach, sweet and sour cipollini mushrooms, and a delicate bone marrow spumoni served in-bone rounded out this scrumptious dish. A cheese course of burrata served with three kinds of roasted squash (acorn, butternut and kabocha) was a disappointment: the strong flavors of the burrata completely overwhelmed the roasted squash. The pre-dessert was a concorde grape sorbet served on top of a pistachio cake, with a dollop of an orange sauce: a lovely combination of sweet, tart and nutty. The final course was a dessert of a chocolate-almond cookie with caramel and a cocoa nib emulsion. This was accompanied by a fiore di latte ice cream, which helped lighten the chocolate-rich dessert. Dinner ended with a plate of Italian pastries, which included rainbow cookies, scones and chocolate-almond cookies. The wines paired with my food all came from Italy, and each selection was pitch-perfect. After the meal, the maitre'd escorted me to the kitchen, where I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Benno and thank him for a fantastic meal.

Lincoln is a beautiful restaurant serving brilliant interpretations of Italian cuisine by a master chef. I can only see further success for Mr. Benno and company, and I cannot wait to see where they will take this restaurant in the near future.

Alinea

2010-10-02T19:16:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Frozen aerated milk chocolate milk mousse with apricot, milk and honey; "cigar" with hibiscus, creme fraiche and bubblegum tapioca; Earl Grey tea cookies with lemon, pinenut and caramelized white chocolate; Wagyu beef tournedo a la persane; trio of amuse bouches inspired by cocktails; yuba skin with prawn and miso emulsion; steelhead roe with coconut and pineapple; crab and sweet corn mousse; and crab salad with plum, avocado and fennel.

I followed my outstanding meal at Schwa earlier this week with a trip to the shrine to molecular gastronomy here in the United States, Alinea. My experience with molecular gastronomy is decidedly mixed: I enjoy the artistry and technique involved in cooking the food, but I usually leave the meal hungry and wanting more. However, I decided to enter this experience with an open mind and heart, and to be sure, I grabbed a quick bite before going to the restaurant.

Alinea is located in an unassuming slate-colored building along North Halstead Avenue, just a stone's throw away from Schwa. The door opens to a dimly-lit corridor, with mood lighting more appropriate for a nightclub than for a fine dining establishment. Sliding doors on the left side of the hallway open to reveal the actual restaurant, which is divided into two floors: the lower floor consists of a small dining area and the kitchen proper, while the upper floor is divided into four separate dining rooms. Each room has an assigned staff of servers to attend to the diners' needs; this set-up is quite similar to what I encountered at Guy Savoy in Paris last year. The staff was quite helpful and accomodating, if a bit aloof at times, but I truly enjoyed my interactions with the sommelier that evening: he was more than willing to discuss each wine pairing with me, educating me on the origins of each wine and offering possible alternatives when I was uncertain of the wine selected for a particular dish. On a night full of high points, the wine service was certainly one of the most memorable.

The whole meal consisted of twenty-two different dishes, from amuse bouches to dessert. A trio of amuse bouches to start the meal were inspired by cocktails: a frozen pisco sour meringue, a cucumber cube infused with the flavors of the "juliet and romeo", and a maraschino cherry containing bourbon whiskey and carpano antica. Playful and thoroughly enjoyable, it was an ingenious way to start the evening. Steelhead trout roe marinated in fleur de sel topped a frozen coconut mousse, and was served with a coconut-pineapple gelee and powder, young coconut meat and pineapple foam: tropical in flavors, with a nice mix of salt, sweet, tart and nutty. This was followed by a duo of shrimp-centered dishes: yuba skin was formed into a pen-like structure, wrapped in shrimp and orange taffy, and flavored with togarashi, then placed in an "inkwell" containing a miso emulsion; and a piece of sugar cane was topped with chiles, shrimp and mint. The yuba skin creation was both inventive and delicious; chewing on sugar cane brought me back to my childhood in the Philippines. The next dish was a heirloom tomato salad with a twist: the various components of the salad (scallion, tamarind, chile, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, bread crumbs and lemon) were dehydrated to create powders that accompanied the salad, and the diner was invited to dip each bite into whichever powder he preferred prior to eating. An interactive dish, to be sure, and the powders helped intensify the inherent flavors of the salad. A distillate of thai bird chiles and lemongrass was then served to clean the palate in preparation for the next plate.

The following dish was even more interactive: two trays were placed on the table, one was a contained a stand that needed to be assembled, the other contained various condiments, such as basil-lime gelee, cucumber balls, fried garlic chips, mango slices dipped in cury, cashews and red onion. Once the stand is assembled by the diner, a housemade rice paper wrapper, which previously served as an ornamental flag on the table, is placed on the stand, followed by pork belly cooked in coconut milk. The diner is then invited to use any or all condiments on the tray on the pork, before rolling the wrapper to create a pork spring roll. It was a lovely dish: the pork was succulent and seasoned well, and the condiments help emphasize the Thai flavors in the roll. The next dish was Alaskan king crab meat served three ways, in an "apple" bowl which opened to reveal the dishes one at a time. On top of the bowl sat a crab and sweet corn mousse served with a fennel gelee, and flavored with ginger and lemon. Once finished, the upper half of the bowl is removed to reveal a crab salad dressed with a lemon-ginger emulsion; the salad also contained avocado pieces which are fried then rolled in almonds, mung bean sprouts, plum and red bell peppers. The tray containing the salad is then removed to reveal the last dish: a custard of crab meat, fennel, plum, sweet and sour cipollini onions, star anise tea bubble, and thyme. The progression of dishes is from cold to hot, and each dish played to the strengths of the crab and fennel: clean, aromatic and crisp. The following dishes highlighted animal meat: pheasant breast meat was poached in its own jus, then combined with compressed green grapes and walnuts, dipped in tempura batter and fried golden brown, then skewered on a smoldering oak branch; Wagyu beef tournedo was cooked a la Escoffier, served with fried banana, jasmine rice wrapped in grilled green pepper, and an emulsification of foie gras and cream; and a trio of Elysian Fields lamb loin medallions served on a sizzling plate, and topped with creme fraiche, a mustard-peach emulsion, and braised reb cabbage, respectively. All the meats were cooked perfectly, and the components of each dish all evoked the autumn season.

The next dish was a play on the popular childhood game "hot potato/cold potato": cold potato soup made with cream and black truffle is served in a bowl; on the side of the bowl, a skewer is placed containing a roasted potato ball draped with black truffle and two pieces of parmesan cheese. The soup was hearty, flavorful and smooth, and the roasted potato added textural contrast to the dish. The black truffle theme was carried into the next dish: liquefied black truffle raviolo topped with parmesan cheese, braised romaine lettuce and black truffle. The whole raviolo had to be eaten in one bite with mouth closed, lest the liquid inside the raviolo squirts out (which happened to me, unfortunately); this also allows the earthy and nutty flavors to mingle in the mouth, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The next three dishes were a play on Christmas dinner: a pineapple transparency is dusted with Virginia smoked ham powder, cloves and dried cherry powder, to evoke Christmas ham; a piece of apple smoked bacon, seasoned with thyme, and topped with butterscotch caramel, is suspended on a trapeze-like contraption; and a caramel popcorn soup. It was a nice combination of sweet and savory, and a perfect way to transition into dessert.

Dessert started with a pinenut custard topped with an Earl Grey cookie crumble, pinenut brittle, caramelized white chocolate "noodles", lemon curd and fennel; the dish is then placed on a pillow inflated with an Earl Grey tea- and vanilla-infused gas, which allowed the flavors of the dish to diffuse into the surrounding atmosphere and heighten the eating experience. This was followed by a "straw" containing a hibiscus gel, creme fraiche flavored with vanilla, and "Bubble Yum" -flavored tapioca pearls; the diner is asked to suck out the contents of the "straw" in one bite, allowing the diner to experience the contrasting flavors and textures of all three components. The last dessert course is prepared at the table by Chef Achatz himself. A silicone mat is rolled onto the table, then the various components of the dessert are placed on the mat: apricots stewed in basil syrup; honey infused milk; milk chocolate syrup; apricot puree; peanut nougats; and a chocolate-peanut powder. Then Mr. Achatz applies the various components to the mat like a Jackson Pollack painting prior to bringing out the final element -- a frozen aerated milk chocolate mousse -- which he proceeds to break into multiple pieces. It is a work of culinary art, and the flavors worked well together.

It was an awesome dining experience: I consider it to be one of the best meals I ever had, period. I could not help but reward the chefs for a meal well done, and I asked my sommelier to send them a bottle of champagne as a sign of thanks (the beverage list sadly lacks beers). Alinea changed my opinion about molecular gastronomy for the better, and I look forward to another opportunity to dine at 1466 N. Halstead St. in the near future.

Schwa Restaurant

2010-09-29T14:22:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Roe with lavender and watermelon; "S'mores"; "Biscuits and Gravy"; scallops with figs and bak choy; "Bloody Mary" amuse bouche; rosewater sorbet with Hendrick's gin gelee; quail egg raviolo; "Elotes"; tagliatelle with veal hearts, huckleberries and honey; celery root cake with white chocolate and caramel; octopus with pineapple, macadamia nuts and prosciutto jerky; and halibut with anchovy, black garlic and zucchini.

I took a few days off from work to enjoy a well-deserved vacation, and instead of going to Europe, I decided to stay local and travel to Chicago for a food-indulging sabbatical. One restaurant I desperately wanted to try was Schwa, especially after I read Alan Richman's seminal article in GQ about Michael Carlson and that infamous dinner in 2007. I started calling almost daily starting in late June, always getting the answering machine. However, with much persistence I was finally able to snag a reservation in late July for last night. It turned out to be a truly outstanding dinner, a meal for the ages.

Schwa is housed in a nondescript storefront along North Ashland Avenue, just a stone's throw away from that other Chicago culinary landmark, Alinea. The inside of the restaurant looks like a typical Asian or Latin neighborhood restaurant rather than a temple to modern American cuisine, but the undistinguished surroundings serve the diners well, allowing them to concentrate on the food amidst the loud rock music being blasted through the speakers. Chef Michael Carlson can be seen working hard in the kitchen with his sous chefs, while his brother Seth works the front of the house. Both Seth and the chefs take turns serving the dishes to the diners, and they proved to be engaging, cheerful and willing to discuss the merits of each and every dish. Even Chef Carlson came out of the kitchen to speak to the diners. When he came to my table, I introduced myself and mentioned that we have mutual friends in New York. That seemed to break the ice, and before long, he was sharing glasses of wine left by other diners with me to pair with some of the courses.

There is a three-course prix fixe menu for $55 (the diner has two options per course), and the nine-course tasting menu for $110, which I opted for that evening. Dinner began with an amuse bouche called "Bloody Mary": according to the chef, agar and kimchi juice were added to the regular components of a Bloody Mary to produce a gelee that was allowed to set in the freezer; once set, the gelee was removed from the freezer and allowed to liquefy, and the resulting liquid was distilled to produce an amber drink that was redolent of basil, chiles and tomato. It was a delectable start to the meal. The first savory course was octopus topped with pineapple chips, tangerine pulp, young coconut, macadamia nuts and prosciutto jerky, and served with a charred pineapple puree. According to the sous chef, the dish was patterned after the Hawaiian poke, a popular tuna side dish in the Big Island. The octopus meat was cooked for four hours in a 188-degree bath containing pineapple juice and spices, producing meat that was impossibly tender, and tasted like cured ham. The second course was a Mexican-inspired corn dish called "elotes": sweet corn was grilled and topped with mayonnaise, lime, spices and cojita cheese. This was served with popcorn for textural and flavor contrast, as well as a cold soup made from the various components of the "elotes". The soup was clean and refreshing, and simply delicious. The third course was house-made tagliatelle topped with grilled veal hearts, micro-arugula, summer truffle shavings, huckleberries and Taleggio cheese, and served with a yuzu-honey gelee. It was a wonderful dish: a harmonious combination of sweet, savory, tart and nutty served on perfectly al dente pasta. I could not get enough of this dish. This was followed by a quail's egg raviolo served in a butter sauce and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and summer truffles, which was an extra dish sent by the kitchen: the raviolo was a mouthful of delicious. The fourth dish was my favorite of the evening: house-cured steelhead trout roe from Lake Michigan, served in a watermelon gelee topped with lavender foam and pickled watermelon rind, and served with a "hush puppy" made from the same steelhead trout roe. The genius of this dish was that the subtle saltiness of the roe was married to the fragrant flavors of the watermelon and lavender, producing a dish that was deceptively simple yet luscious. The fifth dish was flaky and moist pan-roasted halibut paired with white anchovy and fermented black garlic puree, yoghurt, grilled zucchini and fried garlic chips. The dish was expertly executed and had an interesting combination of flavors and textures, but I felt that it was a bit of a letdown in a menu which gradually progressed in terms of complexity and quality from dish to dish. The kitchen again sent out an extra dish: this time it was pan-seared scallop topped with lardo and puffed rice, and served with a fig puree, kimchee and pickled bak choy. The fig echoed the scallop's sweetness; the acidity and bitterness of the bak choy, the heat of the kimchi, and the nuttiness of the puffed rice were a good contrast to the flavors of the scallop and lardo. The sixth course was called "biscuits and gravy": fried breaded veal sweetbreads and miniature biscuits were served with an Italian sausage puree and redeye gravy, rehydrated black beans and mustard greens. It was both savory and spicy, and an ideal foil to the last savory-sweet dish: "s'mores". A beef chocolate mole topped with roasted marshmallows and Graham cracker crumbs was served in a conical glass container placed in a bowl containing smoke to simulate a campfire; the chocolate flavor was emphasized by an accompanying distillate of cocoa nibs served with a Graham cracker puree. Inventive yet whimsical. A scrumptious cow's milk cheese gougere served with a bierre foam and mustard chips was the cheese course, followed by a unique yet refreshing pre-dessert: rose water sorbet served with a Hendrick's gin gelee. The final course was a savory celery root cake topped with a white chocolate disk, and served on a celery root gelee with white chocolate foam, caramel and a banana tuille. Odd flavors, but combined they surprisingly worked well together.

After dinner, Mr. Carlson came to my table to thank me for coming. I was at a loss for words to express my admiration and respect for his culinary talent, so I ended up doing the "We are not worthy" bow. He proved to be very humble and self-effacing, traits I rarely see nowadays with today's top chefs, and his modesty endeared him to me even more. Schwa certainly lived up to its reputation as one of the most innovative restaurants in the country, and I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to savor Mr. Carlson's singular culinary creations.

Torrisi Italian Specialties Six Months In

2010-09-28T13:35:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Salami toast with creamy codfish; assorted house-made pastries; Devil's chicken with Evan's yogurt; grilled eggplant salad with bean sprouts and lamb sausage; char siu bao pork bun; fusilli with dirty duck ragu; pickled salad New Yorkese; warm mozzarella with olive oil; and garlic toast with spicy tomato sauce.

After meeting with the chefs of Torrisi Italian Specialties during Le Grand Fooding 2010 this weekend, I decided to take them up on their invitation and have dinner at Torrisi on Sunday. I first ate at the restaurant on its opening night; even then, the food was excellent, but with only a smattering of diners and an extremely limited wine list (one bubbly, one red and one white), I was not sure the place would develop a following. Fortunately, word of mouth and good reviews put Torrisi on the map, and Sam Sifton's two-star rave in the New York Times drove business through the roof. It is now one of the most popular dining destinations in the Lower East Side, and to accomodate the large crowds, the owners added a four-seat countertop next to one of the store windows. The wine list has also grown, with four to five selections each for sparkling, red and white wines, as well as a choice of beers. The menu remains the same: four small appetizers, a pasta dish, a choice of meat or fish for the entree, and dessert, and I am glad to say that the food remains as delicious as ever. The warm mozzarella remains smooth yet chewy, while the garlic toast now dons a spicy tomato spread which enhanced its flavors considerably. A griled eggplant salad appetizer could have benefitted from a more lamb sausage, but the addition of mung bean sprouts added a Chinese influence to the dish that balanced the tartness and sweetness of the eggplant. The pickled cucumber salad that the chefs served at Le Grand Fooding the other night also made an appearance in Sunday's menu sans the corned lamb tongue, and it was the better for it. The final appetizer was "salami toast" topped with creamy codfish: it was quite salty but definitely flavorful, and the creamy codfish was just luscious. I elected to have the Devil's chicken as my entree: the chicken was tender and juicy, seasoned well and quite spicy; the accompanying yoghurt helped a lot to tame the heat. After a refreshingly tart lemon Italian ice, the meal ended with a platter of house-made pastries: Swiss fudge swirl, rainbow cookie, pizzelle cannoli with Salvatore filling, a decadent Hudson bourbon cream puff, and a wonderful St. Joseph's fritter, with its creamy and subtly sweet rice filling. It was a truly enjoyable eating experience, testament to the talents of Mr. Carbone and Mr. Torrisi, and I plan on visiting their little store on Mulberry and Prince in the near future.

Le Grand Fooding 2010: NY vs. SF

2010-09-26T05:59:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Granola with beets and goat cheese mousse from David Chang (NY); scallop with smoked stone fruit emulsion and licorice herbs from James Syhabout (SF); grilled peaches with nasturtium flowers, and lavender- and sugar-dusted Marcona almonds from Jeremy Fox (SF); braised beef and onion pie from April Bloomfield (NY); Tennesee-style fried chicken from Robert Newton (NY); pickled salad New Yorkese from Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi (NY); wood-grilled pork ribeye with smoked tomato jam from Laurence Jossel (SF); and pizza bianco from David Sclarow (NY).

On a warm Friday evening in September 2010, the lovely grounds of MoMA P. S. 1 in Long Island City, Queens witnessed the latest incarnation of Le Grand Fooding, a battle royale between the expert chefs of San Francisco and the culinary auteurs of New York. The so-called war began with a comment by David Chang of Momofuku fame, that SF restaurants only serve "figs on a plate with nothing on it", rather than applying technique and skill to their food. Since then, a firestorm erupted, as gourmands and experts took sides and argued the merits and shortcomings of both cities' cuisines. Tonight's event was supposed to settle the debate once and for all, but for me, it was an opportunity to enjoy two distinct yet wonderful food cultures without leaving the comfort of New York City. With the memory of last year's shitshow still fresh in my mind, I again opted to attend the 6 PM Le Grand Clicquot, which allowed me to try all the food offerings in advance of the 7 PM crowds while chatting with the chefs and other attendees.

The night started out with the braised beef and onion pies topped with Bleu d'Auvergne at April Bloomfield's booth. Piping hot, savory and decadent, the pies were a big hit that night. Chef Bloomfield was nice enough to speak with me in between baking, and we waxed nostalgic about the dear departed John Dory. She mentioned that John Dory 2.0 should be opening in early November, and some of my favorite dishes from the earlier restaurant, such as the John Dory, the oyster pan roast and the treacle cake were coming back. Other favorites that evening were the wood-grilled pork ribeye served with a smoked tomato jam on top of garlic toast from Laurence Jossel of Nopa, San Francisco and the Tennessee-style fried chicken with chili aioli from Robert Newton of Seersucker, Brooklyn. The grilled pork ribeye could have been a little more tender, but it was seasoned beautifully and was succulent. The smoked tomato jam added a lovely sweet-spicy note to the dish, and the garlic toast added textural contrast. The fried chicken was particularly spicy, but the chili aioli helped tame the heat, and the chicken was juicy and delicious.

David Chang's booth was prominently situated on top of the grand stairway leading to the museum; it overlooked the courtyard yet completely removed from the hullabaloo. I was really happy to speak to Mr. Chang, who has been traveling around the world of late, and was recently seen on "Top Chef". I was also glad to meet Daniel Burns, who recently joined the Momofuku team after a stint at Noma in Copenhagen, and has been responsible for some of the new desserts that have appeared in the menus of Momofuku Ko and Ssam Bar. Expecting another pork-centric dish, I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Chang's offering: unsweetened granola with beet tapioca, topped with a goat cheese mousse, beet greens and dessicated beet chips. It was refreshing and light, especially suited for the warm evening weather, and I also joked with Mr. Chang that his dish was a big "fuck you" to the San Francisco chefs, who always brag about their clean flavors and fresh produce. David just laughed knowingly. Taking a cue from Mr. Chang, the chefs of Torrisi Italian Specialties also decided to make a dish highlighting vegetables: a pickled cucumber salad with corned lamb tongue. Simple yet flavorful, it was also a perfect dish for the evening weather. I was honored that Mr. Carbone and Mr. Torrisi remembered me from their very first dinner at their restaurant, and I congratulated them on their success both at Torrisi and during the San Gennaro Festival, where they served Chinese-influenced Italian dishes roadside. I promised them that I would visit the restaurant in the near future.

The Neapolitan-style pizza bianco of David Sclarow of Pizza Moto in Brooklyn had a chewy crust with a slightly soggy center and a nice char to it: just wonderful. Jeremy Fox of Plum Restaurant in Oakland brought out a trio of vegetable dishes: the grilled peaches with a grilled peach puree and nasturtium flowers had a nice balance of sweet and herbal notes, but I truly loved the Marcona almonds dusted with sugar and flavored with lavender: they were truly addictive! I also passed by the PDT booth helmed by mixologist Jim Meehan and tried their Parkside Fizz: it was a refreshing and cool cocktail for a balmy night.

My only disappointment that night was the scallop with smoked stone fruit emulsion and licorice herbs by James Syhabout of Commis, Oakland. The scallop was wan and lacking freshness, an unavoidable hazard in such an enterprise, and the fennel seed and salt used to season the scallop were a bit overpowering. I did enjoy the emulsion made from smoked plums and peaches, and the licorice herbs emphasized the flavor of the fennel seed.

It was a lovely night, but I decided to leave early to escape the growing crowds. It was fun connecting with old friends and enjoy some good food in the process, and I cannot wait for next year's celebration. To the organizers: Merci beaucoup and Au revoir!

The Redhead

2010-09-19T19:50:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: The Redhead burger; low country shrimps with grits; Newport steak with spinach and tater tots; buttermilk fried chicken with corn muffin and salad; and caramel cake with peaches and bourbon-pecan ice cream.

When Frank Bruni chose East Village bar and restaurant The Redhead to be his last restaurant review in August 2009, the selection perfectly encapsulated the changing landscape of the New York City food industry during the past few years, as haute cuisine moved from the showcase restaurants and vanity projects to the bars and taverns, food trucks and humble storefronts. Mr. Bruni celebrated the simple yet polished Southern-influenced fare served at the Redhead, especially the buttermilk fried chicken and the shrimp and grits; he compared the latter dish to the best Louisiana had to offer. The fried chicken has since be named the best fried chicken in the city, and the restaurant has become a go-to destination in the East Village. A year after Mr. Bruni's review, I decided to pay the Redhead a return visit to see how things have changed at the restaurant. I am glad to report that the food and the place remains as comforting and welcoming as ever. The buttermilk fried chicken remains as juicy and as well-seasoned as I can remember, and the outer crust is not too bready and just crunchy enough to provide contrast to the tender meat. An accompanying salad of spinach, strawberry slices and almonds echoed the crispness of the chicken skin, while providing a nice earthy and tart contrast to the seasoning. There was also corn bread with the chicken: it was thankfully moist and not overly sweet, but I've had better. The shrimp and grits were also wonderful: the grits were smooth and buttery, yet still had texture, while the shrimp were not overcooked and the andouille sausage provided meaty and spicy goodness to the dish. The salty, sour and savory aspects of the dish were well-balanced, and it was a pleasure to eat. An eight-ounce Newport steak was perfectly seasoned and cooked medium rare, and the accompanying sauteed spinach with garlic was a lovely contrast to the beef. I also loved the side of tater tots: crunchy and salty on the outside, yet creamy and warm on the inside. The only disappointment was the Redhead burger: the brioche bun did not hold up well, and the beef patty, which was cooked properly, was nonetheless underseasoned. The housemade potato chips that came with the dish were also good and not very oily, but a few of the chips came out a bit stale. Dessert was a sublime caramel cake topped with peaches and served with whipped cream and bourbon-pecan ice cream. The cake was topped with a citrus-bourbon glaze, giving it added moisture and flavor. The bourbon-pecan ice cream could have done better with less bourbon and more pecan flavor; however, it was a nice accompaniment to the cake.

Like an old pair of shoes, The Redhead provides comfort and relief to the weary gourmand after one too many an extravagant meal. Grab a stool at the bar and enjoy a cold one as you savor the wonderful comfort food: you will not regret it!

Park Avenue Autumn

2010-09-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Bread basket with pumpkin bread, flatbread and onion roll; halibut with black truffles and brioche-crusted poached egg; orange mousse popsicle with grapes; caramel apple amuse bouche; veal chop with green-garlic bread crumbs and sauteed mushrooms; and warm pumpkin and molasses cake.

I love autumn: waking up each morning to a perceptible chill in the air; watching the leaves in the trees change color; enjoying tight ends and linebackers have at it as football season begins; and counting down the days before the most important holidays of the year arrive (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas). With the season finally upon us, I decided to celebrate with dinner at Park Avenue Autumn this weekend.

For New York foodies, nothing heralds the arrival of fall quite like the debut of Park Avenue Autumn: in the dining room, the bright yellows and whites of the Italian Riviera are replaced by the metallic and earth tones of the North American forests; the menu reflects the tastes and smells of the upcoming holidays, such as sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, pumpkin, venison and root vegetables; and the wine list is dominated by pinot noir and more full-bodied wines. The cheerfulness of summer converts to the introspection of fall, making the dining experience more thoughtful and gratifying.

Dinner began with an amuse bouche of caramel apple: a Granny Smith apple ball drenched in caramel and topped with sage crumbs, then served on a skewer. It was a playful bite, melding the sweet with the savory and tart, and it was certainly representative of the fall menu. The bread basket also reflected the flavors of fall: harvest pumpkin bread with molasses-coated sunflower seeds; a roll containing sweet caramelized onions, honey and thyme; and flat bread made from red lentil, bulgar wheat and quinoa. The pumpkin bread was mildly sweet and nutty; the onion roll was savory yet with a hint of sweetness; and the flatbread was both nutty and earthy. All were just wonderful. The first course was an oyster pan roast, which was served with foie gras croutons: it was flavored with tarragon, contained potato cubes which added heft to the dish, and was topped with a yuzu foam, which helped cut through the richness of the dish. The second dish was a succulent pan-roasted halibut filet, cooked and seasoned perfectly, and served with a brioche-crusted poached egg, which added hints of sweetness and creaminess to the dish. The sweet and savory aspects of this dish were heightened by the addition of a balsamic vinegar reduction, and onion-and-garlic puree, arugula, and black truffle shavings. It was a lovely fish dish. The final dish was a 10-ounce pan-roasted veal chop encrusted in green-garlic bread crumbs, and served with sauteed chanterelles and royal trumpet mushrooms. The garlic gave the dish a bitter aftertaste that was a bit off-putting, but the chop was tender and seasoned properly, and the sauteed mushrooms emphasized the umami aspects of the dish. For dessert, my server recommended the warm pumpkin and molasses cake; the dessert plate turned out to have four different components: an impossibly tender pumpkin/molasses cake topped with molasses foam; a sour cream panna cotta topped with Graham cracker crumbs; a pumpkin mousse contained in puff pastry; and a molasses mousse topped with a lit candle and surrounded by a pumpkin tuille. All four components were beautifully constructed and utterly delicious: a testament to the talents of executive pastry chef Richard Leach. At the end of the meal, I was surprised by an extra dessert: an orange mousse popsicle served with concorde grapes. Creamy, sweet and tart: a wonderful combination for such playful a dessert, and a nice way to end of the meal. After dinner, I took a quick tour of the kitchen and the private dining room located within the kitchen area. I wanted to thank Kevin Lasko for an excellent meal, but he was hard at work, and I decided not to bother him. It was a privilege to see him in his element, and I will hopefully have the opportunity to express my gratitude personally once Park Avenue Winter opens its doors. It is one reason to look forward to the winter season!

Il Manzo at Eataly NY

2010-09-02T16:38:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Dolci di Manzo (almond mousse with peaches, creme anglaise and chocolate); calf's brain mezzalune with oxtail ragu; ricotta gnudi with fonduta and sugo d'arrosto; taste of razza piemontese; "lifter steak" with trumpet royale mushrooms and bone marrow marmellata; and beef tongue and heart spiedoni with baby lettuce, peporanata and horseradish

I visited the recently opened mega-food establishment Eataly NY last night, and it is truly a food lover's paradise, but of all the wonderful places to eat at the complex, the one that intrigued me the most was Il Manzo, the reservations-only and white tablecloth restaurant located in the heart of the superstore. Could fine dining exist in such a commercial environment? After a 20-minute wait for seats, I was about to find out for myself.

Il Manzo is situated in a slightly isolated area in the complex which remains open to foot traffic, more sidewalk bistro than megamall food court. It does not allow for much privacy, allowing the public full view as you dig into your pasta and sip your Barolo. The staff for the most part were professional, attentive and very friendly: my waiter was more than happy to answer my questions with regards to the food, and the sommelier (who previously worked at Del Posto) made some excellent recommendations with regards to wine pairing. The menu is divided into antipasti, primi, secondi and contorti, and there are also three different tasting menus to choose from. After a little deliberation, I decided to try the beef tasting menu, which I paired with a lovely Nino Negri Spursat 2006 which hinted of both oak and fruit notes.

The meal started with the Taste of Razza Piemontese: beef carpaccio topped with lardo and Parmesan cheese; beef tartare topped with a quail egg and enoki mushrooms; and slices of three-week old dry-aged beef topped with slices of green apple and chives. Nothing particularly inventive here, but I did enjoy the tartare and the carpaccio a lot. The carne sala, however, elicited some head scratching for me: the deep, meaty flavors of the beef did not mesh well with the acidity and sweetness of the green apple. The second course was the ricotta gnudi served with a fontina fonduta and a sauce made with the drippings of both roast beef and veal. The gnudi was perfectly pillowy soft and delicate, and the sugo d' arrosto, though a tad bland, did not overwhelm the dish, contented with playing second fiddle to the pasta. This was followed by mezzalune stuffed with calf's brains and topped with an oxtail ragu. The ragu was quite salty, and as a result, I could not appreciate the presence of the brains in the mezzalune, which was a pity. The fourth course was pieces of beef heart and tongue, grilled and skewered, served with a salad of baby lettuce and peporanata; horseradish shavings topped the salad. The pieces of organ meat were tender and delicious, and the salad's texture and flavor contrasted well to the minerality of the meat. The final savory course was a "lifter steak" from Dickson's Farmstand. The meat comes from the shoulder of the cow, and it was cooked perfectly medium rare and well-seasoned. It was served with slices of trumpet royale mushrooms and a wonderful bone marrow marmellata; both components amplified the umami aspect of the dish. A delectable almond mousse served with peach slices, creme anglaise and chocolate ended a satisfying meal.

It is a promising debut, to be sure, and with fine-tuning, I envision Il Manzo matching the quality and consistency of the other restaurants in the Batali-Bastianich empire. That is something I look forward to.

15 East Restaurant and Sushi Bar

2010-08-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Sashimi omakase; slow poached octopus with sea salt; tofu amuse bouche; rice pudding tempura with sake-kasu ice cream; grilled Japanese spiny lobster; almond tofu with blood orange sorbet; Japanese conch cooked with green tea; and sushi omakase.

My friend Jared is a sushi fanatic, and he is my go-to guy when it comes to the best sushi in the city. After an excellent dining experience at the West Village's Soto, I was looking forward to our next sushi outing, and this weekend, he invited me to dine at 15 East Restaurant and Sushi Bar near Union Square. It may not have been as superior a meal as the one we had at Soto, but I nonetheless had some wonderful Japanese food that night.

Like most Japanese restaurants, 15 East has a minimalist aesthetic which is both elegant and serene; however, the acoustics leave a bit to be desired: one can hear conversations going on at neighboring tables. Service is professional but slow: plates were not cleared from the table promptly, and an order for after-dessert coffee went unfilled. Fortunately, the food made up for the spotty service. An amuse bouche of their well-regarded tofu was both silky smooth and creamy, resembling a rich egg custard. Slow poached octopus was both succulent and meaty, tasting almost like luncheon meat. Japanese conch was grilled in shell with green tea, which intensified the smoky flavor of the resulting dish. Parts of a Japanese spiny lobster were grilled in shell on a Hira Konyo grill: the lobster meat was sweet and tender. The sushi and sashimi omakase consisted of nine different types of sushi and six different kinds of sashimi: the raw fish were fresh and delicious, but unlike the sushi at Soto, the rice lacked seasoning with vinegar, necessitating a dipping sauce to provide some much needed flavor. For dessert, we tried the rice pudding tempura served with sake-kasu ice cream and almond tofu with blood orange sorbet, sake syrup and almond tuille. The rice pudding had the consistency of sticky rice, and we all felt that the sake ice cream did not go well with the pudding. However, the tofu was again silken and creamy, and the sorbet and almond were a perfect contrast to the soybean confection.

All in all, 15 East is one of the better sushi restaurants in the city, and if you are at Union Square and have money to spend on some high-grade sushi, it is worth a visit.

Casa Mono

2010-08-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Pulpo with fennel and grapefruit; rabbit with anticuchos and habanero cuajada; bacalao croquetas with orange alioli; pork belly with sweet corn and sandia; duck egg with mojama; and Mono sundae with Emilio Hidalgo PX.

Mario Batali infuriates me: he is obviously talented, and his unique take on Italian cuisine has been celebrated and honored for years now, but not all his restaurants reflect his particular genius when it comes to food. For every sublime experience at Del Posto, there is a corresponding disappointment at Babbo. It may surprise you to know that I have never eaten at Casa Mono, Mr. Batali's foray into Spanish cuisine, and for good reason: I was not sure if he could bring his considerable skills to bear on all things Iberia, having read the conflicting reports and reviews available in print and on the Internet. Most of the negative comments fell into two categories: the food was too salty, and the service was horrendous. However, egged on by my chef friends, I finally decided to take the plunge and have dinner at Casa Mono last week. I daresay it was a most delightful experience.

Dinner began with an appetizer of croquettes made with bacalao or salted cod, served with an orange-infused alioli. Bacalao is inherently salty, so I was not particularly bothered by the amount of sodium in the croquettes, and the subtle sweetness and acidity in the alioli helped temper the salinity somewhat. This was followed by a salad of pan-roasted baby octopus seasoned with cumin, served with fennel shavings, grapefruit, black olives and a citrus viniagrette: a lovely symphony of savory, sweet and tart. Cumin also played a prominent role in a dish of rabbit, which consisted of a barbecue sauce glazed rabbit leg, deep-fried battered rabbit back meat, and a skewer of grilled rabbit back meat and organ meats, served in a habanero-spiced cuajada sauce. The rabbit meat was tender and well-seasoned, and the spicy cuajada sauce was a perfect foil to the earthiness of the dish. I also tried pieces of Hudson Valley pork belly which was deep-fried till cripsy: the fattiness of the pork was well-balanced by the acidity of pickled red onions and watermelon, as well as by the creamy sweetness of a sauce made from sweet corn puree. However, my absolute favorite dish of the evening was a fried duck egg on a stack of pan-roasted fingerling potatoes, topped with slices of dried and smoked tuna meat resembling jerky, and black truffle shavings, and drizzled with black truffle oil. The dish showcases some very strong and heavy flavors, and yet the resulting dish is surprisingly light and extremely delectable. I can imagine having this dish for breakfast every day. For dessert, I decided to forego the well-received bread pudding and my favorite creme brulee for the deceptively simple Mono sundae, made with plum brandy ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, prune slices, and paprika-dusted almonds. It was a wonderfully rich dessert made even more delicious with the addition on Emilio Hidalgo PX sherry, which provided an additional layer of sweet and savory to the dessert.

As for the service, I am glad to report that I did not encounter any rude or condescending behavior during my meal. My server was attentive, cordial and extremely helpful with the menu and wine list, as he cheerfully answered my questions with regards to the components of each dish. I really had a good time at Casa Mono, and although it can be an expensive meal, it was certainly worth it.

Payag Restaurant, Woodside, Queens

2010-08-16T16:04:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Fish in coconut cream sauce ("isda sa gata"); crispy fried pork belly ("lechon kawali"); avocado cheesecake with kiwi and berries; fried egg rolls, Shanghai-style ("lumpiang shanghai"); and sauteed rice noodles with summer vegetables, pork and shrimp ("pancit bam-i").

Philippine cuisine does not receive the proper recognition it deserves. It is not as ubiquitous as Chinese and Japanese food, nor is it as exotic as Thai and Indian food, but anyone who has worked in the health care field can attest to its deliciousness and desirability. It is somewhat surprising that Philippine cuisine is not more popular: its marriage of Spanish, Chinese and Malaysian influences should appeal to the discerning gourmand, and should lend itself to re-invention and re-interpretation by the talented chef. Moreover, efforts to elevate Philippine food to the level of haute cuisine have not been all that successful: Filipinos like their dishes highly seasoned and bountiful, and any deviation from the norm is not particularly welcome. However, some restaurants have persevered: witness the efforts of Romy Dorotan with Cendrillon and Purple Yam, and King Phojanakong with Kuma Inn and Umi Nom. To this list add Payag Restaurant, which recently opened in Woodside, Queens, New York.

"Payag" is Filipino for agree, and this restaurant strives to be agreeable to both Filipino and American palates, with mixed results. The particular Filipino cuisine highlighted at this restaurant hails from the island of Cebu: the food is quiet elegant, and is characterized by the use of native coconut vinegar and chili peppers in the dishes. However, most of the dishes that I tried at the restaurant came out bland, probably in an effort to appeal to Western tastes, and the servings were smaller than what is usually offered at other Philippine restaurants. The dish I loved the most was the pancit bam-i: sauteed rice noodles with summer vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, pork and shrimp. The noodles were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, with plenty of meat and vegetables in the mix. Another favorite was the lechon kawali: cripsy fried pork belly served with pickled bitter melon and a mignonette made with native coconut vinegar. In most restaurants, the pork belly is cooked till crunchy, removing almost all of the moisture from the meat; however, the meat in Payag's lechon remained moist and tender, even as the pork fat was rendered well and the pork skin was perfectly crispy. Pan-roasted pompano filet served with julienned ginger and bell peppers, and cilantro in a coconut cream sauce, was delicately flavored and slightly spicy, but the fish could have been seasoned more. Miniature fried egg rolls filled with minced pork, shrimp and vegetables were appropriately crispy but again lacking flavor; the accompanying sweet-and-sour dipping sauce overpowered the egg rolls and added little to the dish itself. For dessert, I tried an avocado cheesecake topped with a berry compote, kiwi slices and whipped cream: the avocado flavor in the cheesecake filling was totally absent, and the graham cracker crust was too firm and difficult to cut with a fork; however, the kiwi slices and the berry compote were lovely touches to the dessert.

I wanted to like the ambience of the restaurant: the decor was meant to evoke a bahay kubo or nipa hut, which is the native dwelling in the Philippines, and the dining area was spacious and well-lit. However, any attempt to create an elegant atmosphere was defeated by the piped-in music, mostly covers of popular music. The staff was pleasant but not particularly professional, and service was slow. Payag is a nice addition to the Philippine restaurant scene, but it still has ways to go before it can call itself a fine dining establishment.

Commerce Restaurant

2010-08-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Chocolate souffle; braised beef short ribs; "ragu of other things"; cripsy pork belly; and duck and foie gras rilletes terrine.

A friend of mine recently suggested I try out Commerce Restaurant in Greenwich Village. I have read about this restaurant in the food blogs in the past, and I was sufficiently intrigued to take my friend up on his recommendation. Commerce is tucked away in a quiet section of the Village, sufficiently divorced from the hustle and bustle of city life to allow diners to enjoy their meals in relative calm. The vibe in the restaurant was part speakeasy, part neighborhood pub: think Minetta Tavern Lite. The front of the house was professional but initially aloof; only later did they warm up to me. The wine selection is quiet varied for a restaurant of this caliber, and I was pleased to find a red from the Jura region in the list: I seemed to have impressed the wine director, who mentioned that the Philippe Bonard is one of his personal favorites as well. The music selection blaring in the background was an eclectic mix, leaning heavily towards country, a surprising choice considering the restaurant setting. This juxtaposition of contrasting elements was also reflected in Chef Harold Moore's food: the dishes attempt to marry Mr. Moore's culinary skills honed at Daniel and Montrachet to regular pub fare, with mixed results. My meal started with the duck and foie gras rilletes terrine, served with a frisee salad, slices of walnut-raisin bread, and black cherry-shallot jam: the jam was not overly sweet and, when combined with the acidity of the dressing in the salad, was sufficient enough to balance the richness of the terrine. This was followed by the so-called "ragu of other things": hand-rolled orecchiette served with tripe, oxtail and trotters in a tomato sauce. The pasta was a tad too chewy for my tastes, and I would have preferred a richer tomato sauce to balance the fattiness of the properly cooked meats, but it was an interesting dish nonetheless. By then, the kitchen apparently became aware of my presence, and it sent out a complimentary dish of crispy pork belly. I found this dish quiet intriguing: the pork belly had a nice crispy exterior albeit a tad charred on one side, but the interior was impossibly tender, and the pork fat was rendered well. I felt strongly that the pork was cooked sous vide, but Mr. Moore, who came out of the kitchen to exchange pleasantries with me, claimed that the pork was slow cooked. I loved the combination of sweet, tart and earthy in the pickled watermelon and frisee salad that accompanied the pork dish, but the pork cracklings added textural contrast but not much more, and their addition to the dish seemed superfluous at best. For an entree, I decided to go for the braised beef short ribs: the ribs were extremely tender and flavorful, with a spice combination that included coriander and possibly cinnamon: Mr. Moore was not telling. The accompanying basil potato puree was velvety smooth and seasoned well, but the basil flavor was not particularly prominent. There is also a tomato-fennel-carrot relish, which came out slightly bland and did little to enliven the dish. I ended the meal with a chocolate souffle, topped with creme anglaise. I prefer my souffles to have a crunchy exterior to contrast with the creamy interior, and this souffle had neither, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Despite the missteps, I did enjoy my meal at the Commerce: the food may not always match the lofty ambitions of its chef, but when it did, it was magic. I do intend to return for more!

New Soft Serve Flavors at Momofuku Milk Bar

2010-07-28T18:42:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from left: Purple Drink; Creamed Corn;

and Barbecue Soft Serve Flavors

Christina Tosi unveiled her new soft serve ice cream flavors today at the East Village branch of Momofuku Milk Bar and Bakery, and they are inspired by the flavors found in an afternoon barbecue. Of the three new confections, the one I enjoyed the most was the creamed corn soft serve: silky, not overly sweet and with a prominent corn taste. The second flavor is purple drink: think Kool-Aid grape juice in ice cream form. It is super-sweet, with a slightly bitter after-taste; it will definitely appeal to lovers of grape juice. The last flavor is the strangest and the least appealing of the three: barbecue. Imagine mixing your favorite barbecue sauce in vanilla ice cream: that is the essence of the barbecue soft serve flavor. Intriguing, yes, but not a flavor I look forward to trying again. I recommend the creamed corn and possibly the purple drink flavors; try the barbecue ice cream only if you are curious!

A Return Visit to the Brooklyn Fare

2010-07-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of renovations, Cesar Ramirez unveiled the new and improved Kitchen at the Brooklyn Fare earlier this month. Along with a larger dining table which can accomodate 18-20 diners, Mr. Ramirez also raised the price of his dinner, from $95 to $135; he also installed a new wine refrigerator, which shall contain a selection of wines he will choose to serve during dinner, once the liquor license arrives. Otherwise, it remains BYOB: a sink full of ice serves as a communal wine bucket, and the requisite stemware and corkscrews are available to all the diners for use during the meal. Photography is no longer allowed at the Brooklyn Fare; Mr. Ramirez had mentioned in the past his disdain for foodies who would rather take pictures of the food rather than enjoy it. However, he seemed more at ease with us diners, taking time to talk with us and even share a glass of wine. As for the food, he continues to offer a slew of amuse bouches prior to the actual meal. Some of the appetizers were new, such as an infusion of hibiscus topped with hibiscus-flavored foam, which was both a sublime and refreshing way to start the meal. Other appetizers I remember from previous meals, including the excellent potato crisp topped with sardine and sage; the luscious katafi-encrusted king crab lump meat served with a cucumber-dill aioli; the bluefin toro served with mustard and topped with soy sauce; the Kumamoto oyster served with both yuzu and oyster liquer gelees; and the crab meat topped with hollandaise sauce and caviar. The main meal consisted of seven savory courses and a dessert of macerated strawberries served with a yogurt sorbet. Of the seven, I particularly enjoyed the scallops with pork belly cooked sous vide, and served with corn puree; the tomatoes three ways, especially the slowly stewed tomato, which brought out the natural sugars of the fruit; the delicious ravioli stuffed with rabbit meat; and the succulent veal served with mustard greens and asparagus sauce.

Even at $135, dinner at the Brooklyn Fare remains one of the best deals in the city: if you want to enjoy well-executed dishes with flair and imagination in a casual environment (shades of Momofuku Ko?), make a beeline to the corner of Schermerhorn and Hoyt in Downtown Brooklyn. You will not regret it!

Minetta Tavern

2010-07-17T16:38:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Pommes aligot; chocolate souffle; hamachi crudo with radish and radicchio; veal porterhouse chop with mushrooms and veal sweetbreads; and the Black Label burger with pommes frites.

I had dinner with a friend recently at Minetta Tavern, and I must report that it remains as busy as ever: I still cannot get reservations between 7:00 and 9:00 PM, and even at 6:00 PM, the bar is two- to three-person deep in diners waiting for a table to open up. In my previous visits to the restaurant, I usually ended up eating roasted bone marrow and the New York strip steak, but this time, I decided to try other dishes in the menu, to see if the kitchen's expertise with food extends beyond red meat. Armed with a Gin Blossom from the bar, and fortified with bread from Balthazar Bakery, we went to work. For an appetizer, we decided on one of the specials of the evening: hamachi crudo dressed with a quince dressing, and served with radish and radicchio. It was a pleasant dish: the fish was firm and with a slight sweetness, contrasted well by the bitterness of the radish and radicchio, but the quince dressing did not provide enough acidity to brighten up the dish. For the main course, my friend chose the Black Label burger, while I went for the veal porterhouse chop; both were cooked medium rare. The burger -- topped with caramelized onions and served with lettuce, tomato, pickle and pommes frites -- remains one of my favorite burgers in the city: juicy and with a healthy dose of gamey flavor. The veal chop was a revelation: moist and well-seasoned, it was plated with a sweetened jus made from its drippings and served with honshimeji mushrooms and veal sweetbreads, which added much more earthy goodness to the dish. I also ordered a side of the famous pommes aligot: the mashed potatoes were unbelievably smooth and thickened with cheese, and it is just a delight to eat. Dessert was a chocolate souffle for two, made with Valrhona chocolate: bitter yet sweet, with a lovely outer crust and a creamy inside, it was a souffle to die for. Service remains competent, if a bit aloof, and the noise level in the restaurant remains tolerable if a bit loud at times. I had a good time at Minetta Tavern, and I plan to return to try the rest of the menu.

SHO Shaun Hergatt at One Year

2010-07-11T13:00:00.001-07:00

Clockwise, from upper left: Lobster salad with apple-ginger gelee; "peaches and cream" dessert; crispy skin amadai with edamame and daikon; Colorado lamb with fermented garlic and riberry jus; quenelle of foie gras with strawberry and pistachio; summer corn soup with peekytoe crab roulade; salt-pressed trout with nashi pear and kalamansi dressing; and chocolate tart with wattleseed ice cream and apricot puree.

SHO Shaun Hergatt will always have a special place in my heart: my positive review of the restaurant in June 2009 not only put my piddling food blog on the map, but it also garnered much needed good press for the fledging establishment. In the year since SHO Shaun Hergatt opened its doors to the public, I have seen it earn critical acclaim among food critics but continue to struggle to find a receptive audience to its brand of Asian-inspired French cuisine. The two-star review by New York Times food critic Sam Sifton, with its reference to the "anachronistic" nature of Hergatt's cuisine and decor, continues to weigh heavily on the minds of the chef and staff, yet they soldier on, adapting to both the difficult financial climate and the fickle tastes of the eating public. One year into their debut, I decided to return to SHO Shaun Hergatt for dinner, and I am pleased to say that the quality of the food and service remain excellent.

I am a creature of habit: I usually make 6:00 PM reservations because it is early enough to avoid the prime time crowd, allowing me to enjoy the food and to converse with the staff if feasible. I arrived at SHO around 5:30 PM; Mr. Hergatt was on the way to the kitchen when he spotted me, and we exchanged pleasantries. I was going to sit at the bar until 6:00, but before I could settle down, the hostess approached me to lead me to my table. As expected, the dining area was empty except for the waitstaff; I later surmised that Mr. Hergatt wanted me to have the whole dining area to myself in order to enjoy my food in relative peace. I have gotten to know some of the waitstaff during my previous meals at SHO, and have also become friendly with restaurant sommelier Emilie Garvey. She always finds interesting wines to pair with the food, and it is a pleasure talking wine with her during dinner. There was a four-course anniversary dinner menu available that evening, but I decided to go for the seven-course Chef's Imagination tasting menu. The meal started with a trio of canapes: a goat's cheese tuile, smoked salmon on a pommes dauphine and topped with wasabi puree, and a lobster-gruyere gougere. My favorite was the gougere, which I found just as delectable as those served in Paris and at Per Se. An appetizer of lobster salad topped with pickled apple and ginger gelee followed: I would have wanted the lobster meat to have been served a tad cooler, but the apple and ginger gelee was subtle and a wonderful accompaniment to the seafood. First course was salt-pressed trout which topped pieces of nashi pear and was drizzled with a calamansi dressing. Again, I appreciate any chef who uses my beloved calamansi in his food, and the highly tart dressing was a nice counterpoint to the salinity of the fish and the roe. The nashi pear tasted like turnips, and added little to the flavor of the dish, although texturally it was an interesting contrast to the firmness of the fish. The trout was then followed by a velvety smooth summer corn soup served with corn kernels and a peekytoe crab roulade: Mr. Hergatt's nod to the crab-and-corn soup popular in Chinese cuisine. The third course was a dish I was familiar with: quenelle of Hudson Valley foie gras, this time served with strawberry tartare rather than rhubarb, and served with house made pistachio brioche. As expected, the acidity and sweetness of the strawberries cut through the fattiness of the foie gras and the nuttiness of the pistachio, and the brioche was just flaky and moist. The fourth dish was also my favorite of the night: pan-fried amadai with its skin and scales fried till crispy, served with edamame puree and pickled daikon. The fish filet was cooked to perfection, and the crispy fish skin was just terrific as a textural contrast to the fish. The pickled daikon was both tart and peppery, and the edamame puree added hints of sweetness and earthiness to the dish. The last savory dish was the Colorado lamb: the loin is coated in chocolate dust prior to roasting, while the lamb belly is cooked sous vide. This provided another contrast in textures: the loin remained firm yet fork-tender, while the belly was creamy and succulent. The fermented garlic and riberry jus were nice foils to the slight gamey flavor of the lamb. Pre-dessert was what Mr. Hergatt called "Peaches and Cream: a silky blanc mange was served in a peach soup, and was topped by a raspberry-cardamon tuile and peach sorbet. It was a nice summer dish, combining sweetness, tartness and a touch of spice. The last course was also a familiar dessert: chocolate tart topped with wattleseed ice cream and plated with apricot puree. Wattleseed has a mild flavor similar to mint; the ice cream was refreshing and well-paired with the bitterness of the chocolate and the piquancy of the apricot. Even after all that food, I had to end the meal with a choice of petit fours -- macarons, pistachio-butter sables, apricot gelee, mini-s'mores, pistachio-cream cheese cookies, and pistachio financiers -- and a choice of chocolate bonbons, filled with salted caramel, passion fruit puree or hazelnut. Just wonderful.

By the time I finished dinner, I noticed that the dining area was about 2/3 full, an encouraging sign. In a time when the city is witnessing the casualization and the dumbing down of haute cuisine, it is vital that restaurants such as SHO Shaun Hergatt be allowed to prosper, if only to remind diners of better days and finer food. I applaud Mr. Hergatt's efforts to buck the trends, while remaining true to his way of cooking, and I will remain a loyal fan of his restaurant. May more people find their way to Broad Street!