I have enlisted the help of some tools to help me pick a restaurant, get there and report it. These items are really no different than ones I would use on a regular dining experience nor are they unusual. They do require some explanation and, perhaps, justification.
I have proclaimed my fondness for Zagat's food rating. The book helps influence my restaurant selection. Being a bit of a food snob, I want to eat at the highly rated restaurants. However, I am not adverse restaurant not in Zagat's, but there has to be good "user reviews" or buzz associated with that restaurant. There are a lot, and I mean, A LOT of crappy restaurants in New York City. I am not just talking about Times Square and its plethora of chain restaurants and tourist traps, but all over the city. Which brings me to my next tool, my "StreetSmart Manhattan" map.
You can get a "StreetSmart" map anywhere in the city. I love mine and use it often, mainly for subway stops and how far I have to walk from there to my destination. I refer to it all the time. I don't care if someone thinks I am a tourist. Once you get below 14th street things start to get a little more complex that the familiar grid configuration. It gets me to my next reservation. Which brings me opentable.com where I will likely reserve my next lunch.
Opentable.com is great to reserve your spot at a terrific restaurant. I actually got a reservation for Per Se off opentable. If you plan early enough in advance to go out to dinner (a couple weeks), you can get reservations at some of the hardest to get into restaurants. Lunches are easier. I usually have a place in mind for my next Prix Fixe lunch and try to make the reservation a week in advance. There are also points you can get for using opentable.com which translate into cash after enough reservations are made and kept on your account. It is a free service, so you really can't go wrong. There are some restaurants that do not take reservations and some that do not participate with opentable, camping outside a restaurant or picking up the phone are also options. I like reservations best either by opentable or phone. I will go to a restaurant before peak time or Monday, if they don't take reservations.
After repeated advisement from my friends, I take picutres of each course of my party's meal. I also use someone else's pictures to illustrate my dining experience. Sure, you may get some curious looks as you snap a shot of your dish, but there are far worse things you could do at a nice restaurant that would get unwanted attention or an injury, like falling down the steps. I actually did that at Daniel going to find the bathroom. I had not been drinking. . . really, I hadn't. Thankfully, no one saw, but maybe a secuirty camera. I arranged my big feet a different way down the remaining short, steep steps and limped to the toilet.
The items listed above are my tangible tools. My palate, personality and organization skills pave the way for new reviews and commentary. I have written about my palate's resume in "Let's Review". As far as my personality, most of you know me or will get to know by reading this blog. I try to be pretty easy going and a lover of food. My organizational skills are strong, but still evolving. These last traits are what make these reviews worthwhile, fun and educational.
zagat.com about.com and search Manhattan map opentable.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Marea, $34, March 2010, Central Park South
I am a Zagat-whore. I follow its ratings and indices routinely to determine which restaurant I will dine at for my Prix Fixe lunch, Monday night dinner date with my husband and most other dining engagements. That being revealed, I treat the food rating strictly as a suggestion. The rating helps me determine where my expectations should be. I generally skip the decor and service ratings. I don't really care what a restaurant looks like as long as it is sanitary and the food is good. Also, I am a pretty easy going diner. I find most service is decent if you are polite, patient and, sometimes, humorous. The first two qualities are generally all you need to demonstrate because some restaurants are not places to pretend to spit out your wine after your tasting or joke that the food is horrible as the waiter clears an empty entree plate.
This is a more expensive Prix Fixe lunch at $34, two courses and pricey options from restricted categories. My dining partner was the wonderful, Mee-Ryung. We ordered the two-course option. There are many Primo choices which include the Crudo and Antipasti section. The Crudi offerings are small tastes of raw fish with various imaginative and complimentary flavors. You can get a taste of three for an $8 supplement (cha-ching). Here's a tip: the Antipasti section has more substanial options. I went with the Antipasti special, lentil soup with cod cheeks. It was very good and a bit unusual. The salty cod cheeks complimented the mild flavored soup. M had the Polpo. It was a nice size octopus tenacle grilled and marinated with some blue potatoes and a vinagrette. It was very tasty. So far Marea is holding on to its rating.
The Secondo choices include Pasta and Pesce e Carne. M got the risotto with seafood, a $5, supplement. It was worth it. The dish was superb. The risotto was done perfectly and the seafood was tender and flavorful. The day's special scallop entree was fantastic, too. The scallops were done perfectly and even more delectable was the fried polenta block that, when the crispy outer layer is broken open soft, creamy polenta flowed out. How did they do that? There were also figs and a fig sauce on the plate that I overlooked because the flavor was not my favorite.
We gave into dessert, it was reasonably priced. We shared a panna cotta which was good, but not the highlight of the meal.
I cannot forget about the wine list. The by-the-glass menu paired well with the menu. The wines are from regions that are coastal or by a major water body. The bottle menu largely continued that theme. The prices varied and there are nice, affordable selections.
I would definitely go back for lunch. The portions and selection of dishes make it perfect for lunch. Without dessert, the lunch is affordable and not overindulgent.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A Voce, $29, March 2010, Columbus Circle, pilot #2 with pictures
A Voce at Columbus Circle scores cachet because of its location. The restaurant has a hip and modern vibe. It is a good place for a celebrity sighting. It has great potential to be a great dining experience, but, with a 24 Zagat food rating, it is a shade higher rating than some of your better neighborhood haunts.
The selection for the three-course lunch is limited, kind of a bummer with only nine items. They do offer a regular menu. Both menus change periodically. The wine list, I have to admit, I do not remember much about. The restaurant boasts a selection of 850 wines. I am sure there is a wine to compliment any meal.
I had lunch with my beautiful friend, Mee-Ryung, who took the pictures. We were presented some lovely, rustic bread with a fresh mozzarella and olive oil spread. It looked promising, but the flavor was flat. I ordered the Caprese Salad Antipasti. The arugula hid the caprese of dried tomatoes and mozzarella, which again was flat. M's Antipasti was a "french onion soup". It looked delicious, a little stewy and hearty with creme fraiche and, my favorite, croutons. Again, it was flat in flavor. It had such potential to be decadent and lovely. Then, the wait staff made an egregious mistake, they took away M's dish before she was done! I thought it was just an "oops!" by an overzealous busser. I can forgive an innocent mistake.
Our Secondi followed the same protocol: beautiful dishes lacking flavor. I ordered beef short ribs over polenta, not a very imaginative offering, but a good stand-by. It was rich and stick-to- your-ribs. M ordered Boreta alla Graisana, a beautiful name for a fish soup. It was covered by a branzino fillet and a piece of crusty bread, again, great potential. Then the table clearing offense happened again, M still had spoon in hand! To me these mistakes, not only added to the snobbish air, but also diminished our overall dining experience by rushing our special time together. Those offenses negate any redeeming qualities I could mention for the mediocre food.
The desserts were beautiful and flavorful, probably because they did not rely on salt for flavor. Desserts are made by totally different people in a different part of the kitchen. I had coffee granita with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. M had the chocolate panna cotta on a hazelnut cookie.
A Voce is a place to see and be seen, not eat and enjoy. That opinion may be a little harsh, but this place exhibits an unfounded pretension that does not sit well with me.
The selection for the three-course lunch is limited, kind of a bummer with only nine items. They do offer a regular menu. Both menus change periodically. The wine list, I have to admit, I do not remember much about. The restaurant boasts a selection of 850 wines. I am sure there is a wine to compliment any meal.
I had lunch with my beautiful friend, Mee-Ryung, who took the pictures. We were presented some lovely, rustic bread with a fresh mozzarella and olive oil spread. It looked promising, but the flavor was flat. I ordered the Caprese Salad Antipasti. The arugula hid the caprese of dried tomatoes and mozzarella, which again was flat. M's Antipasti was a "french onion soup". It looked delicious, a little stewy and hearty with creme fraiche and, my favorite, croutons. Again, it was flat in flavor. It had such potential to be decadent and lovely. Then, the wait staff made an egregious mistake, they took away M's dish before she was done! I thought it was just an "oops!" by an overzealous busser. I can forgive an innocent mistake.
Our Secondi followed the same protocol: beautiful dishes lacking flavor. I ordered beef short ribs over polenta, not a very imaginative offering, but a good stand-by. It was rich and stick-to- your-ribs. M ordered Boreta alla Graisana, a beautiful name for a fish soup. It was covered by a branzino fillet and a piece of crusty bread, again, great potential. Then the table clearing offense happened again, M still had spoon in hand! To me these mistakes, not only added to the snobbish air, but also diminished our overall dining experience by rushing our special time together. Those offenses negate any redeeming qualities I could mention for the mediocre food.
The desserts were beautiful and flavorful, probably because they did not rely on salt for flavor. Desserts are made by totally different people in a different part of the kitchen. I had coffee granita with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. M had the chocolate panna cotta on a hazelnut cookie.
A Voce is a place to see and be seen, not eat and enjoy. That opinion may be a little harsh, but this place exhibits an unfounded pretension that does not sit well with me.
Del Posto $29 Prixe Fix, Feb. 2010, 10th Ave @ 16th,the pilot episode
Del Posto is fine Italian dining. It has no red checked tablecloths, no "That's Amore" playing overhead, no kitschy communal benches, just pure elegance and grandeur. The menu is a marriage of the Italian we all love (pasta e fagioli and bolognese) and French influenced luxury. The menu leans Italian in its straight forward description of some familiar regional options and French in its sophisticated plating and "just enough" portions. It is, as the cliche goes, a marriage made in heaven.
The wine by-the-glass selection is very appealing. I got the impression any of the wines would compliment the meal. The bottle selection is dizzying, for the assortment of wines, vintages and prices. I didn't really take the time to study it, but I can tell you it is very heavy, if not exclusively Italian. What do I know, though? I like wine, especially white. I am familiar with a lot of different types, not so much vintages or regions. So when I say a wine selection is good, it means, I would be happy with the taste of most of the offerings on the menu and those offerings would not be found on a menu at Chili's/Applebee's or a sports bar, not that I haven't or will never again imbibe those "choice" vintages. Just so you know, I believe white zinfandel is not a wine, it is just crap.
My friend, Anthony, was my lunch partner. Thankfully for him, the "Jacket Required" rule did not extend to lunch (I got away with black jeans). The three course lunch includes a primo, a choice of primi or antipasti item, a secondo and a dolci, all of which can be interchanged, as long as you don't get more than three courses. The primo had more than a dozen choices, three with a supplement or $10 - $15. I had the Cotechino and Anthony had the Roasted Autumn vegetables. I really didn't know what I was getting, I hadn't heard of Cotechino until that day, now I see it everywhere, at the grocery, bodega, green market, deli, in magazines and blogs. Cotechino is an Italian summer sausage, like Hickory Farms, but way better. It was served with a lentil sauce and some mustardy figs. Anthony's root vegetables were presented beautifully with one of each of the roots in attendance with sweet hazelnuts. It may not sound like much, but it was wonderfully flavorful.
For our secondo, Anthony ordered another primi, Pasta e Fagioli. I went for protein, my favorite, duck! Anthony's soup came in a bowl with one piece of pasta (really!), a couple of beans, vegetable pieces and a piece of meat. We took a long look at the bowl, then a long, shocked look at each other and then the waiter poured the velvety broth over the foundation of the soup. My duck was perfectly cooked with a sweet, but not too sweet, Asian influenced sauce. The portions are small, which was OK because dessert is next.
Now, I am not a sweets person, I can go for days without a sugary treat, but I do enjoy a sweet ending to a meal every now and then. We ordered the Tartufo and Tortino. Both were served to us looking like they were first prize at a dessert competion. You hate to destroy the pageantry of the plating, but you have to taste it. It filled us up and finished off our lunch sublimely. To top it off would have been an espresso, but Starbuck's is cheaper.
I would definitely go back. The menu is so varied and exciting. It is definitely worth the trip to west Chelsea. The waitstaff was pleasant and accommodating, but a bit pretentious for lunch. I bet they kick ass at dinner service.
The wine by-the-glass selection is very appealing. I got the impression any of the wines would compliment the meal. The bottle selection is dizzying, for the assortment of wines, vintages and prices. I didn't really take the time to study it, but I can tell you it is very heavy, if not exclusively Italian. What do I know, though? I like wine, especially white. I am familiar with a lot of different types, not so much vintages or regions. So when I say a wine selection is good, it means, I would be happy with the taste of most of the offerings on the menu and those offerings would not be found on a menu at Chili's/Applebee's or a sports bar, not that I haven't or will never again imbibe those "choice" vintages. Just so you know, I believe white zinfandel is not a wine, it is just crap.
My friend, Anthony, was my lunch partner. Thankfully for him, the "Jacket Required" rule did not extend to lunch (I got away with black jeans). The three course lunch includes a primo, a choice of primi or antipasti item, a secondo and a dolci, all of which can be interchanged, as long as you don't get more than three courses. The primo had more than a dozen choices, three with a supplement or $10 - $15. I had the Cotechino and Anthony had the Roasted Autumn vegetables. I really didn't know what I was getting, I hadn't heard of Cotechino until that day, now I see it everywhere, at the grocery, bodega, green market, deli, in magazines and blogs. Cotechino is an Italian summer sausage, like Hickory Farms, but way better. It was served with a lentil sauce and some mustardy figs. Anthony's root vegetables were presented beautifully with one of each of the roots in attendance with sweet hazelnuts. It may not sound like much, but it was wonderfully flavorful.
For our secondo, Anthony ordered another primi, Pasta e Fagioli. I went for protein, my favorite, duck! Anthony's soup came in a bowl with one piece of pasta (really!), a couple of beans, vegetable pieces and a piece of meat. We took a long look at the bowl, then a long, shocked look at each other and then the waiter poured the velvety broth over the foundation of the soup. My duck was perfectly cooked with a sweet, but not too sweet, Asian influenced sauce. The portions are small, which was OK because dessert is next.
Now, I am not a sweets person, I can go for days without a sugary treat, but I do enjoy a sweet ending to a meal every now and then. We ordered the Tartufo and Tortino. Both were served to us looking like they were first prize at a dessert competion. You hate to destroy the pageantry of the plating, but you have to taste it. It filled us up and finished off our lunch sublimely. To top it off would have been an espresso, but Starbuck's is cheaper.
I would definitely go back. The menu is so varied and exciting. It is definitely worth the trip to west Chelsea. The waitstaff was pleasant and accommodating, but a bit pretentious for lunch. I bet they kick ass at dinner service.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Let's Review
With a little bit of digging you find that most of the premier restaurants in New York City have Prix Fixe menus. I am not talking about the Pre-Theater, Holiday or Sunday Brunch, I am talking about our second favoirite meal, lunch. Anywhere from around $22 to $35 you can have a multi-course meal and with a small upcharge, wine pairings and decadence. What a bargain!
Read my blog. I can properly review a restaurant and know a nut about food and dining because I love food. I am a chef by training. I graduated from The French Culinary Institute in 2007 and have been working in catering since. I had another career before 2007, I was a pharmacist for 13 years. My husband is an attorney. We have no children and lots of disposable income. So, we have been able to dine out. . . a lot. . . and at really nice places. We have experienced Per Se, saw Charlie Trotter before we ate at his reataurant in Chicago and have eaten great meals in Europe at restaurants the locals go to. On the flip side, I like Domino's pizza with ham and banana peppers after a few beers, stadium food is worth saving calories for and I love a veggie and cheese subway sandwich periodically. What does this make me? Well, a bit of a food snob, but down to earth. My mother didn't like to cook. I grew up on Duncan Hines cake mix, canned soups, jello salad and squeeze margarine, but my family traveled a bit and we dined quite well and often. I don't remember being a picky eater except for a periodic episode here or there of excluding certain foods, that never stuck. My sisters and I dined by the food philosophy of my parents "you can't say you don't like it if you don't try it." I try to pass this wisdom on to any picky eater I meet.
My love of food has grown gradually. As I have visited different areas of the country, the Carribean, London, Paris and Italy, I have welcomed new and different foods into my culinary experience manifest. I even ordered a meal in Italy pointing at a menu item just to see what I get. I am not exactly Andrew Zimmern, I am safer.
Anyhow, I hope you get the picture. I love food, I eat food and write about my special lunches. Read on!
Read my blog. I can properly review a restaurant and know a nut about food and dining because I love food. I am a chef by training. I graduated from The French Culinary Institute in 2007 and have been working in catering since. I had another career before 2007, I was a pharmacist for 13 years. My husband is an attorney. We have no children and lots of disposable income. So, we have been able to dine out. . . a lot. . . and at really nice places. We have experienced Per Se, saw Charlie Trotter before we ate at his reataurant in Chicago and have eaten great meals in Europe at restaurants the locals go to. On the flip side, I like Domino's pizza with ham and banana peppers after a few beers, stadium food is worth saving calories for and I love a veggie and cheese subway sandwich periodically. What does this make me? Well, a bit of a food snob, but down to earth. My mother didn't like to cook. I grew up on Duncan Hines cake mix, canned soups, jello salad and squeeze margarine, but my family traveled a bit and we dined quite well and often. I don't remember being a picky eater except for a periodic episode here or there of excluding certain foods, that never stuck. My sisters and I dined by the food philosophy of my parents "you can't say you don't like it if you don't try it." I try to pass this wisdom on to any picky eater I meet.
My love of food has grown gradually. As I have visited different areas of the country, the Carribean, London, Paris and Italy, I have welcomed new and different foods into my culinary experience manifest. I even ordered a meal in Italy pointing at a menu item just to see what I get. I am not exactly Andrew Zimmern, I am safer.
Anyhow, I hope you get the picture. I love food, I eat food and write about my special lunches. Read on!
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