NYC Restaurant Review - Gramercy Tavern - Tavern

Hello foodies! Yesterday I dined at Gramercy Tavern for dinner in the more casual Tavern. The meal was great. Delicious food and great service. I was also very fortunate to meet Nancy Olson who is the pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern. (Nancy Olson is also doing a cooking class at De Gustibus for the fall season. The De Gustibus calendar has been released so I will be posting a little bit about the calendar of events soon.).

Gramercy Tavern - Tavern                        42 East 20th Street,  New York, NY 10003

(Dinner -  August 2011) 

Gramercy Tavern is amazing and perfect. To start, the service was incredible. My server, Rob, described food in an exciting and fun way and knew a lot about the food that he serves. For the food, my entire meal was delicious. For appetizers, I tremendously loved the Mussels. This dish was more Spanish inspired with chorizo and a cilantro broth. It was very tasty and the vibrant flavor from the broth brought the dish together. The Sweetbreads was another great dish. It was in a very yummy broth which included hen of the woods mushrooms, bok choy and almonds. The sweetbreads itself was delicious. The Fish Croquette and Spinach Salad was another tasty and delicious dish. It came with a smoked oyster sauce that had a subtle smokiness to it and it wasn't overpowering. Also as an in between course we ordered cheddar and bacon biscuits and they were scrumptious. For entrees my favorite dish was the Smoked Pork Shoulder. It came with cornbread, salsify, and bacon broth. The pork itself was great and the smokiness from the bacon and the rich butter flavor from the cornbread made a delicious and complete dish. Another great dish was this special I ordered which was a Pork Tenderloin with apricots and heirloom tomatoes. The dish was very good and I liked the sweetness from the apricots. Moving on to dessert. The Strawberry Pie was so great. The strawberry filling was very sweet and the ginger ice cream took away just enough sweetness to make the dish incredible. The Salted Pecan Crumb Topped Peach Pie was spot on delicious. The crust was perfect as well as the sweet gooey inside. Together it made a masterpiece. The Blueberry Corn Sundae was scrumptious. It was corn ice cream with a blueberry jam and then topped with toffee popcorn. It was texturally great as well as great taste. It was so fresh and seasonal. The corn taste really came out (Nancy Olson told us this dish is only on the menu during this very short season. It is a must try so get to Gramercy Tavern fast before it is off the menu). My meal was great and I really can't wait to return to Gramercy Tavern.

• Mussels are a must get!
• Sweetbreads are delicious and unique.
• Smoked Pork Shoulder is so rich and irresistible.
• Strawberry Pie is sweet and scrumptious. 
• Salted Pecan Crumb Topped Peach Pie is perfectly balanced and full of flavor.
• Blueberry Corn Sundae is seasonally sensational (and will be off the menu soon since the season for it is very short)
• Service was the best. My waitor, Rob was really great and made my meal even better

Gramercy Tavern was delicious and I can't wait to return. Keep checking back to Foodie Finders NYC for more restaurant reviews as well as for more events in New York City and Long Island.

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Union Square Cafe

Hey foodies! I recently ate at Danny Meyer's, Union Square Cafe. I had a great meal with the best service.  Here is my review.

Union Square Cafe    21 East 16^th Street, New York, NY 10003

(Lunch - August 2011)

Dining at Union Square Cafe is an amazing experience rather than just a great meal. The service was excellent especially the Dining Room Manager, Talia Berman. For appetizers, the Peaches and Cream Soup with Crispy Guanciale was very unique. It was more on the sweeter side and refreshing, but what really made the dish outstanding was the crispy guanciale. For the pasta dishes, the Frascatelli alla Romana with Pancetta, Corn, and Black Pepper Cream was spectacular. Frascatelli is similar to spaetzle. The flavors were addictive and rich in flavor. The Saffron Pappardelle with Zucchini, Fresh Tomato, and Basil was delicious and interesting. The Pappardelle had saffron in it. The zucchini and tomatoes were great with the Pappardelle. Moving on to main dishes, the Wild Salmon with Fresh Corn Polenta, Husk Tomatoes, and Chanterelles was incredible. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the polenta was outstanding. The husk tomatoes were very unique. They are tomatoes encased with a husk. But these husk tomatoes taste nothing like a typical tomato. They are very sweet and have a nutty taste to it in my opinion. Others say it is more along the lines of a pineapple-like taste (They are available at the Union Square Greenmarket around this time of year. The husk tomatoes are great for just snacking on or making into a jam.). The Grilled Smoked Shell Steak, Roasted Spring Onions, Bone Marrow-Mashed Potatoes was another scrumptious dish. The steak is cold smoked and then cooked. It was different and delicious as was the mashed potatoes. The USC Burger with Melted Cheddar and Crisped Bacon– Grilled and Served on a Homemade Poppy Seed Bun with French Fries. It was very tasty and the french fries were yummy. I also tried the Yellowfin Tuna Burger with Ginger-Mustard Glaze, Grilled Red Onion, and Creamy Cabbage Slaw. The glaze was a bit salty for my taste. For dessert, My favorite dish was the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart with Candied Peanuts and Vanilla Ice Milk. It was decadent and delicious. I also loved the Blueberry Pie with Sweet Corn Ice Cream. The crust was amazing and the Sweet Corn Ice Cream went great with the pie. The Peach Cobbler with Sour Cream Ice Cream was very good. The slight tang from the Sour Cream Ice Cream was delicious with the sweetness from the peaches. The Robiola Panna Cotta with Greenmarket Strawberries and Aged Balsamic Syrup was spectacular. The panna cotta had a little tangy taste to it from the cheese. The strawberries were so fresh and sweet and the balsamic syrup tied it all together. Union Square was an unforgettable meal with immpecable food and service.

• Service was warm, inviting, helpful which creates a restaurant that is above all the rest. 
• Must get the Frascatelli alla Romana. It is so good.
• Must get the Wild Salmon with Fresh Corn Polenta, Husk Tomatoes, and Chanterelle. The salmon was cooked perfectly and may have been the best salmon I have ever ate.
• Must get Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart with Candied Peanuts and Vanilla Ice Milk. It is great.

I had a great meal at Union Square Cafe. Check back for more restaurant reviews and events going on in New York City and Long Island. 

-Mike 

   

   

NYC Restaurant Review - The Hurricane Club

Hello foodies! A few days ago I ate at The Hurricane Club. The meal was spectacular. Check out my review.

The Hurricane Club       360 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10010

(Lunch -  Summer Restaurant Week 2011)

I had the most amazing meal at The Hurricane Club. I ordered off the Restaurant Week menu. For the appetizer course my favorite dish was the Coconut Shrimp Poppers. This dish was shrimp which was lightly breaded in coconut and came with a mayonnaise based coconut sauce. They were delicious. A very close second to the poppers, was the Croque Monsieur Spring Rolls. These spring rolls were filled with ham and cheese and came with homemade mustard. They were crunchy on the outside with a gooey cheesy interior. Another great dish was the Hamachi Sashimi. This dish came with tomatoes and avocado which made it very refreshing. For the entree course, my favorite dish was the Lobster Noodles Fra Diavolo. This dish was very flavorful and had a little spicy kick to it. Another delicious dish was the Crispy Calamari Salad. The dish was very good but the dressing was very sweet and made it hard to eat as I got toward the bottom. One more great dish was the Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Thai Basil, Mint and Lotus Root. These ribs were very tasty. One other delicious dish was the Tri Tip Steak Skewers. They came with a horseradish sauce and  a soy based dipping sauce. The meat was spectacular as well as the sauces that accompanied it. For dessert my favorite dish was the Thai Coffee Ice Cream. The ice cream was amazing and it came with sesame seed brittle which was unique and delicious. Another sweet treat was the Pina Colada Ice Cream. This ice cream came with shaved coconut all over it. The ice cream itself was refreshing and tropical. The meal was great.

• Service was very friendly and knowledgeable
• Decor was beautiful
• Coconut Shrimp Poppers are a must get
• Croque Monsieur Spring Rolls are delicious
• Lobster Noodles Fra Diavolo is amazing
• Thai Coffee Ice Cream is unique and spectacular

That concludes my review of the Hurricane Club. Check back soon for more restaurant reviews as well as foodie events and festivals in New York City. Bon Appetit!

-Mike