21 Club
Aureole
Becco
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian
Centrico
Cones Ice Cream Artisans
The Darby
Doughnut Plant
Esca
Felidia's
Fresco by Scotto
Gotham Bar and Grill
Gramercy Tavern - Dining Room
Gramercy Tavern - Tavern
The Harrison
The Hurricane Club
Kefi
Kin Shop
Maialino
Manzo
Mesa Grill
The Modern
The National
Neely's Barbecue Parlor
North End Grill
Telepan
Union Square Cafe
Manhattan, NY
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The National 557 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
(Dinner - Summer Restaurant Week 2012)
First impressions are always crucial. The National showed its simple, rustic and vibrant character with a delicious bread basket of olive bread, white bread, and bread with oats. For the first course, the Shrimp Salad was cooked perfectly and seasoned with a lot of flavor. The grilled peaches that accompanied the shrimp was the star of this appetizer. In addition, the Gazpacho with avocado and croutons was refreshing and flavorful. For the main course, the Roast Chicken had an amazing crispy skin that rested in an herbaceous barley risotto. The Grilled Branzino was a great dish with a tasty corn chowder. The Ricotta Cheesecake for dessert was amazing with a unique balsamic ice cream that beautifully paired with the cheesecake and figs. The Yogurt Panna Cotta was scrumptious, as was the passion fruit sauce that it sat in. As a bonus to my meal, I had the opportunity to meet the very gracious and friendly Geoffrey Zakarian. I had a wonderful meal at The National that I hope to repeat soon.
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The Harrison 355 Greenwich St. & Harrison St. New York, NY 10013
(Dinner - Summer Restaurant Week 2012)
At The Harrison, everything is done right. The Chilled Corn Soup was a fresh and flavorful dish with a pleasant smokiness courtesy of the smoked trout. The Crispy Pork Belly was a surprisingly cold dish that was absolutely unique. The scrumptious pork belly was served with pieces of watermelon and cilantro. For the second course, the Almond Crusted Bluefish was a buttery masterpiece. The perfectly cooked fish sat on top of an amazing leek puree and string beans. In addition, The Pulled Pork was great with crumbly and yummy cornbread and corn and black bean salad. Lastly, The Sunday Sauce was a beautiful dish of pasta, sausage, and creamy mascarpone that rounded everything out. Both dessert selections were scrumptious. The Chocolate Tart with caramel and maldon sea salt was made even better by the sweetness that counteracted the tartness of the crème fraiche. The Peach Melba was an awesome interpretation of a classic. This almond semi freddo was accompanied by peaches and raspberries. Overall, the service was very inviting, which always adds to the experience, making my meal at The Harrison incredible.
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Cones Ice Cream Artisans 272 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014
(February 2012)
It is safe to say that Cones has some of the best ice cream I have ever had. Their unique flavors will blow your mind. I stopped in for a quick snack. One scoop Corn, another scoop Zabayone. The corn ice cream was amazing. One lick and the genuine sweet corn flavor takes you over. The dusted cinnamon on top seals the deal. It is an unforgettable, insanely powerful, heavenly scoop of ice cream. The Zabayone ice cream is so very good. Its intense wine flavor is spectacular. The ice cream at Cones Ice Cream Artisans is delicious and I look forward to my next visit. There are more flavors to try and others to get it again, so I will be back soon.
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Doughnut Plant 379 Grand Street, New York, NY, 10002
(January 2012)
The best doughnuts can only be found at Doughnut Plant. This little shop produces big and unique flavors. The doughnuts I tried were Creme Brulee, Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam, Pistachio, and Blackout. My favorite was the Creme Brulee doughnut. It was a yeast doughnut and had a crunchy, burnt sugar top, filled with a vanilla bean cream. It was absolutely perfect. The Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam doughnut was another standout, with homemade peanut butter and homemade jam. This was a yeast doughnut that was very moist. You could taste the freshness in every aspect. The Pistachio doughnut was a cake doughnut dipped in a pistachio glaze. It is an outstanding doughnut. The Blackout doughnut was great. It was a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate running through it and a chocolate crumble topping. This doughnut was rich and scrumptious. The Doughnut Plant changes their menu seasonally, with exciting and new flavors rotating. This is a place that cannot be missed.
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North End Grill 104 North End Avenue, New York, NY 10282.
(Lunch - January 2012)
North End Grill can be summarized with one word, passion. When entering the restaurant, the open kitchen immediately stands out. Chefs busy at work allowing the diner to see the action. On the walk to the dining room, past the kitchen, one will see a raw bar followed by an espresso bar. The dining room is beautiful. The appetizers were great. The Hamachi Sashimi with Sesame Seaweed Salad was a fresh and flavorful dish. The seaweed salad was texturally amazing as there were miniscule cubes of candied ginger as a surprise that emerged every few bites. Next, the Cod Throats Meuniere were very good with a slightly spicy and delicious sauce. The Tuna Tartare with Fried Quail Egg and Crispy Shallots was outstanding. A well cooked quail egg with an oozy yoke, sitting upon a cold, crisp mountain of tuna. Very unique in flavor this tartare is not one to be missed. The Coddled Egg with Lobster (normally with Peektoe Crab), Bacon, and Leeks was the shining star of the meal. A perfectly coddled egg incorporated in grits with fatty bacon and rich lobster made for a dish that will only leave you dreaming about it for many nights to follow. For entrees, the "BPC" Melt was incredibly good. This was a slice of focaccia toast with bacon, pears, and cheddar as well as a bechamel beer sauce along side an arugula salad. This indulgence was unique and unforgettable. The Chicken Burger with pickled cucumbers and slaw was delicious. The burger was sandwiched between a spectacular pretzel roll and came with a sriracha mayonnaise. The Grilled Sea Bream with Salsa Verde, Cabbage, and Bacon was such a well put together dish. Sea Bream is a white fish with a similar flavor profile to snapper. The cabbage was acidic and almost like a sauerkraut and the bacon added great flavor. For side dishes, the Charcoal Grilled Shishito Peppers and Cippolini Onions was very good. The peppers had a nice char on them and tasted great. This dish went great with anything as did the Hashed Brussels Sprouts and Lentils. The Brussels Sprouts were shaved and tossed with a few lentils. For dessert, the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Ginger Ice Cream was absolutely amazing. The cake was moist and the ginger ice cream perfectly cut out some of the sweetness. The Chocolate Pecan Layer Cake with Pecan-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was beautiful to look at and quite delicious. And finally, do not miss the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Chocolate Streusel and Single “Maltmallows” was very good. When you dive down into it, past the crunchy chocolate streusel and the custard-like pot de crème, you find a caramel delicacy at the bottom.The hospitality at North End Grill was amazing and if this is the dining experience one week since opening, then I can not wait to see what this restaurant becomes and look forward to dinner.
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Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian 119 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019
When entering the beautiful Le Parker Meridian, not many expect to find a burger joint, covered with graffiti from bottom to top, hidden behind a curtain leaving only a small neon sign of a burger as a clue to what's in store for those who wait on line.The menu is cheeseburger or hamburger and has a very small selection of toppings. They also serve french fries and chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshakes. The burgers were great and very juicy. The french fries were average and the shakes were very good. The entire experience was excellent as the service was rude and there were barely any seats. It had this great burger joint feel to it and amazing that this delicious dump is housed in the breath taking Le Parker Meridian.
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Fresco by Scotto 34 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022
At Fresco by Scotto the dining experience is not just about the food but also the incorporation on hospitality and cordiality. Marion Scotto was up in the front but constantly back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen, keeping everything running smoothly and checking in on diners. The food itself was sensuous and comforting. For appetizers the Duck Meatballs alla Toscana were delicious. The flavorful meatballs sat on a creamy whipped mascarpone and sweet sun dried cherry port wine and veal reduction. Also the Yellowfin Tuna and Avocado Tartare was refreshing. The spicy kick from the horseradish and the crunch from the shaved raw cucumber made the tartare complete. Next is pasta! The Pappardelle with Duck and Wild Mushroom Ragu was outstanding. The dish was very comforting. The Tagliolini with Shrimp "Fra Diavolo" was very tasty. Although it was not very spicy the shrimp was great. The Ravioli Fresco is a special that changes every night. The night I dined it was filled with veal and it was spectacular. Another pasta special that I had was gnocchi with diver sea scallops in a lemon sauce. This dish was very rich and delicious. For the entrees, I tried a special which was short ribs on top of creamy polenta with a barolo sauce. The meat was fork tender, the polenta was perfect, and the barolo sauce just made it all even better. Moving on to dessert, Tuscan Autumn Apple Cake made with chestnut honey and accompanied by a sour cream toffee ice cream. This warm, moist cake was absolute decadence, only to be made greater by the sour cream ice cream. The Bomboloni was amazing. The fresh cinnamon coated donuts dipped in a pumpkin and maple mascarpone dipping sauce was heavenly. The Homemade Tiramisu was exquisite. My heart skips a beat as I reminisce of my spoon diving into the layers of espresso soaked lady finger, vanilla mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder. The dining experience at Fresco by Scotto makes you feel at home, with great food and hospitality.
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Kefi 505 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024
(Dinner - September 2011)
Kefi serves unique and flavorful food. To start off my meal at Kefi, I ordered the Selection of Spreads, which was Yogurt, "Caviar", Eggplant, and Chickpea. I loved all the spreads but my favorite was the Eggplant. For appetizers I liked the Grilled Octopus, Bean Salad. The octopus was tender and flavorful. The House-made Cypriot Sausage, Cucumber, Radish, Olives, Tzatziki. The sausage was very tasty especially dipped in the Tzatziki. The Crispy Cod, Garlic Potatoes, Tomato was very good. The fish itself was delicious and so were the potatoes. The White Bean Soup was good but I didn't love it. I liked the texture but I felt it needed something more to boost the flavor. For entrees I loved the Pork Medallions, Spicy Peppers, Capers, Lemon. The sauce accompanying the pork was incredible. The Shrimp, Orzo, Spinach, Tomato, Feta was delicious. The shrimp was tender and tasty. The Sheep Milk Ravioli, Brown Butter and Sage were very good. It was simple but delicious. The Hanger Steak, Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Manouri, Sun-Dried Tomatoes was very good. The steak was cooked well and the sausage was unique and good. For dessert the Walnut Cake, Walnut Ice Cream was the best. It had a very interesting texture and a great taste. The Galaktobouriko, Orange Spoon Fruit was very unique. It had a great orange essence to it. The Yogurt, Nuts, Fruit was very good. It had candied fruits on top and some of the syrup from the fruit oozed down the two scoops of yogurt. The sweet fruit and the tangy yogurt made a great dessert. The Chocolate Mousse & Halva, Sesame Ice Cream was good. The halva was house-made and very good. The Rice Pudding, Candied Apple Marmalade, Nuts was a nice treat. I enjoyed the texture of the rice pudding. Kefi is good, casual restaurant.
- Grilled Octopus, Bean Salad is really good.
- Pork Medallions, Spicy Peppers, Capers, Lemon is a must get.
- Walnut Cake, Walnut Ice Cream is really unique and delicious.
- Galaktobouriko, Orange Spoon Fruit is very good.
- Service was decent and friendly.
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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
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Union Square Cafe 21 East 16th 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.
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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
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Gramercy Tavern - Dining Room 42 East 20th Street, New York, NY 10003
(Lunch - July 2011)
Gramercy Tavern was AMAZING! The service was incredible. My waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. I had asked her if Danny Meyer was at the restaurant but he wasn't. She had told the Assistant General Manager, Scott Reinhardt. Scott came over to my table and greeted me and the rest of my table. We spoke for a while and he then offered to give me a tour of the kitchen when the meal was over. Shortly after he left, the Executive Chef, Michael Anthony came over and spoke to us for a while. He told some stories and explained how so many chefs in other Danny Meyer restaurants originally had their start in Gramercy Tavern. At the end of the meal, Scott came over to give the tour. I visited the kitchen at the very end of lunch service so all the lunch service chefs were leaving and the dinner service chefs were finishing up prep. The kitchen was very big and very cool. After Scott showed us the kitchen, we got to see the private dining room which was really beautiful. Next, we went downstairs to all the offices and prep area. Scott told us that when Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe he didn't have a lot of office space. Because of the little office space, they made sure to have a lot of office space when they opened Gramercy Tavern. Overtime, Danny Meyer moved out of this office space to another location. Scott gave a great tour and made this meal an unforgettable one. Now moving on to the food! Gramercy Tavern is split into two restaurants. The tavern is more casual and the dining room is more upscale. I ate in the dining room. For the first course my favorite dish was a special. It was a fettuccine dish with duck confit and corn. It is one of the best things I ever ate. The duck was delicious and the whole dish was perfect. I also loved the Smoked Trout which came with a cipollini puree and pickled onions. It was irresistible. This dish was smokey and also went well with the acidity from the raspberry vinaigrette. Another appetizer that was delicious was the Open Ravioli of Duck and Carrots. It was sweet and very flavorful. I thought this dish was very good. For the second course, the best dish was the Pasture Raised Chicken. The chicken was sous vide (sous vide means to seal food in an airtight plastic bag and then cook it in a water bath) and then the skin was crisped. This chicken was so moist and it was sitting on sugar snap peas, pickled ramps and almonds. This nutty mixture went amazing with the chicken. A unique and scrumptious dish, was the Pork Croquette. The croquette itself was delicious. Accompanying the croquette was red cabbage, aji dulce peppers and a spiced port sauce. On the lighter side, the Striped Bass was amazing. The striped bass was in a great beet broth also with turnips, radish, and bacon. For dessert my favorite dish was the Lemon Pudding Cake. It was refreshing and delicious. It came with fresh raspberries, raspberry ice cream, and toffee crumbs. It was fantastic. My second favorite was the Apricot Upside Down Cake. Beside it was sour cream ice cream which was so good with the apricot cake. One more dessert that was good was the Roasted Almond Panna Cotta. It didn't stand out to me but was still good. For a more decadent dessert, my favorite was the Peanut Butter Semifreddo. It came sandwiched in between two scrumptious chocolate macaroons. Another delicious, decadent dessert was the Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding with cocoa nib ice cream. The ice cream was amazing and very unique. My only complaint was the bread pudding was too soft for me. Gramercy Tavern was the complete experience. I definitely recommend that the next time you go out to eat make your reservations at Gramercy Tavern.
- Sevice was great. The Assitant Genera Manager, Scott Reinhardt, gave me an unforgettable tour of the restaurant.
- Food was fantastic.
- Incredible fettuccine appetizer special.
- Delicious Pasture Raised Chicken
- Unique Pork Croquette
- The best dessert ever: Lemon Pudding Cake
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Maialino 2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
This restaurant is absolutely in my top three favorite restaurants ever. Maialino was so spectacular. Not only did I have an incredible food but I also had amazing service which made a perfect overall experience. To start off, I must talk about the incredible service. I don't always spend a lot of time in a review to talk about the service but with the service I had, it must be expressed. To start off our waitress was great. Se was personable and knowledgeable. I had asked my waitress if Danny Meyer happened to be at the restaurant and she said unfortunately he wasn't. About ten minutes after I asked her, she gave word to the general manager who walked over to our table and said that Danny Meyer was not in town but if he was he would have called Danny to come. He said he was sorry about that and if there is anything I need, just ask him. Already I was pleased to know that both the waitress and general manager made an effort to make my experience the best it could possibly be. Then it got even better. The dining room manager, Irulian Dabbs, walked over and apologized that Danny Meyer wasn't there. After that she offered to give me a tour of the kitchen. I was very excited. I met the sous chef and he showed me this pig that had marinated over night. He said he was getting ready to cook it very soon at a very slow pace. This pig is served at dinner. I hope to get to try that soon. Also I got to visit the pastry section where I met the head pastry chef, Rachel Binder. She was very nice and when I returned to my table she brought over two Brioche Caramellato (brioche with a toffee glaze; like a sticky bun) that weren't on the menu. They were delicious. The service was truly great from the wait staff, the chefs, and the management. Now on to the food! My favorite appetizer was the Carciofini Fritti which was fried artichokes and an anchovy bread sauce. This dish was delicious. The saltiness from the anchovy sauce gave the artichokes even more amazing flavor. My second favorite dish was the Polpetti Affogati which was seared baby octopus with black olives and scallions. It was very flavorful and very refreshing. My favorite entree was the Chicken under a Brick. The chicken was very moist and full of flavor. Also there were little chilies in the dish that gave the dish some heat. They actually grow those chilies on the roof of there building. My second favorite dish was the Bombolotti all’Amatriciana which was with a spicy tomato sauce and guanciale. I also enjoyed the Malfatti al Maialino which is a suckling pig ragu with arugula. It was very delicious. For dessert everything was incredible. My favorite would be the Blueberry Tart. It was a great dessert that was just perfect. My second favorite dish was the Panna Cotta which is a buttermilk custard that came with a strawberry compote. I also loved the Brioche Caramellato that I mentioned earlier. Those are normally on the brunch menu. Everything was incredible. I recommend to check out Maialino very soon.
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The Modern - Bar Room 9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
(Dinner - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
The Modern was incredible. I am already planning my return the restaurant. I ate off the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course, my favorite dish was the Braised Tripe (Tripe is most commonly known as the lining of a cows stomach). This dish was outstanding and unique. It came with chickpeas and harissa aioli spread on a little slice of toast. The chickpeas added a different texture and taste to the dish. I absolutely loved it all. My second favorite dish was the Wild Mushroom Soup with a toasted chorizo ravioli. The soup was very good but what truly made the dish incredible was the toasted chorizo ravioli. It was full of flavor and when dipped in the mushroom soup it is even better. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Spicy Steak Tartare with a quail egg an toast. It tasted delicious and I enjoyed the softness of the steak tartare and the crunch from the toast. One more dish which I thought was very good would be the Upside Down Tuna Tarte. This dish was basically a tuna tartare with fennel, Japanese cucumber, and aioli. My least favorite dish was the Alsatian Country Soup. It was cooked with Benton's ham which gave the soup a very hammy taste. I liked it but out of all the other dishes I tried it didn't compare. For the second course my favorite dish was the Duck Confit a l'Orange. The duck was delicious and it came with cauliflower and fingerling potatoes that were scrumptious. A very close second to this dish would be the Beer Braised Pork Belly with sweet pea puree and a ginger jus. This dish was incredible the pork belly was very tasty and the ginger jus cut through some of the fat which gave the dish a perfect balance. Plus the sweet pea puree was delicious. My third favorite dish was the Homemade Alsatian Country Sausage. This dish was based off the chefs family recipes. It came with an amazing whole grain mustard sauce and delicious sauerkraut. I also liked the Maine Lobster Pappardelle au Poivre. This also had spinach and tomatoes in it. The lobster was very fresh and I thought it was very good. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Scottish Salmon with a horseradish crust. The salmon was not too fishy and went great with the cabbage and Riesling. For dessert, my favorite dish was the Dark Chocolate Tart. It was so delicious. It had a strong and decadent chocolate flavor and had a very smooth texture with a little crunch on the top. I could of definitely had a second slice of this tart. Another spectacular dish was the Coffee Caramel Dome. This little dome left a huge flavor impact. It came with vanilla ice cream and an amaretto gelee. My third favorite dessert was the Modern Cheesecake. It came with an almond crumble, raspberry and fromage blanc sorbets. The cheesecake itself was delicious and the almond crumbles plus the sorbet was a bonus. This was seriously good. One more dessert that was quite refreshing, bright and scrumptious, was the Citrus Carpaccio. It was sliced orange and grape fruit with a sugar and lime mixture, lemongrass gelee, and a green apple basil sorbet. When it all combines, the flavor's mesh to create a great dessert especially on a hot day. The service was impeccable and the decor was very modern and beautiful (what else do you expect). I will definitely be back at The Modern and hopefully in the near future.
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Gotham Bar and Grill 12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
Gotham Bar and Grill was really good. I ate off of the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course I had Chilled Potato Leek Soup. On it's own the soup was good but then you get a spoonful with their house-made bacon and the shallots and a slice of the golden zucchini this dish was outstanding. For the second course my favorite dish was the Pan Roasted Day Boat Haddock. The fish was cooked to perfection and the potato puree was delicious. The white wine lemon emulsion was outstanding and brought the whole dish together. I also greatly enjoyed the Sweet Corn Tortellini. The broth that the tortellini was in, was really good and the pecorino pepato was a great subtle addition to the dish. I also tried the Grilled Hanger Steak which was good but was very basic and had nothing very special about it. I would much more prefer the other two choices because of how unique and delicious they were. The hanger steak came with sautéed spring squash and crispy fingerlings with a red wine bordelaise. Everything for dessert was scrumptious. My favorite dish was the Carrot Cake. The cake itself was really great. It came with a cream cheese mouse and blueberry sauce with hazelnut ice cream on the side. The whole dish was really decadent and delicious. I also liked the Gotham Chocolate Cake. It was served warm and was very rich but very good. My least favorite dish (which I still liked a lot) was the Frozen Lemon Verbena Parfait. It came with macerated greenmarket berries. This dish was refreshing and tasty. Overall, I liked Gotham Bar and Grill a lot and recommend it.
(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
This restaurant is absolutely in my top three favorite restaurants ever. Maialino was so spectacular. Not only did I have an incredible food but I also had amazing service which made a perfect overall experience. To start off, I must talk about the incredible service. I don't always spend a lot of time in a review to talk about the service but with the service I had, it must be expressed. To start off our waitress was great. Se was personable and knowledgeable. I had asked my waitress if Danny Meyer happened to be at the restaurant and she said unfortunately he wasn't. About ten minutes after I asked her, she gave word to the general manager who walked over to our table and said that Danny Meyer was not in town but if he was he would have called Danny to come. He said he was sorry about that and if there is anything I need, just ask him. Already I was pleased to know that both the waitress and general manager made an effort to make my experience the best it could possibly be. Then it got even better. The dining room manager, Irulian Dabbs, walked over and apologized that Danny Meyer wasn't there. After that she offered to give me a tour of the kitchen. I was very excited. I met the sous chef and he showed me this pig that had marinated over night. He said he was getting ready to cook it very soon at a very slow pace. This pig is served at dinner. I hope to get to try that soon. Also I got to visit the pastry section where I met the head pastry chef, Rachel Binder. She was very nice and when I returned to my table she brought over two Brioche Caramellato (brioche with a toffee glaze; like a sticky bun) that weren't on the menu. They were delicious. The service was truly great from the wait staff, the chefs, and the management. Now on to the food! My favorite appetizer was the Carciofini Fritti which was fried artichokes and an anchovy bread sauce. This dish was delicious. The saltiness from the anchovy sauce gave the artichokes even more amazing flavor. My second favorite dish was the Polpetti Affogati which was seared baby octopus with black olives and scallions. It was very flavorful and very refreshing. My favorite entree was the Chicken under a Brick. The chicken was very moist and full of flavor. Also there were little chilies in the dish that gave the dish some heat. They actually grow those chilies on the roof of there building. My second favorite dish was the Bombolotti all’Amatriciana which was with a spicy tomato sauce and guanciale. I also enjoyed the Malfatti al Maialino which is a suckling pig ragu with arugula. It was very delicious. For dessert everything was incredible. My favorite would be the Blueberry Tart. It was a great dessert that was just perfect. My second favorite dish was the Panna Cotta which is a buttermilk custard that came with a strawberry compote. I also loved the Brioche Caramellato that I mentioned earlier. Those are normally on the brunch menu. Everything was incredible. I recommend to check out Maialino very soon.
- Service was so amazing from the waitress to the managers
- Chicken Under a Brick was the best
- Blueberry Tart was amazing
- Brioche Caramellato was scrumptious
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The Modern - Bar Room 9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
(Dinner - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
The Modern was incredible. I am already planning my return the restaurant. I ate off the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course, my favorite dish was the Braised Tripe (Tripe is most commonly known as the lining of a cows stomach). This dish was outstanding and unique. It came with chickpeas and harissa aioli spread on a little slice of toast. The chickpeas added a different texture and taste to the dish. I absolutely loved it all. My second favorite dish was the Wild Mushroom Soup with a toasted chorizo ravioli. The soup was very good but what truly made the dish incredible was the toasted chorizo ravioli. It was full of flavor and when dipped in the mushroom soup it is even better. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Spicy Steak Tartare with a quail egg an toast. It tasted delicious and I enjoyed the softness of the steak tartare and the crunch from the toast. One more dish which I thought was very good would be the Upside Down Tuna Tarte. This dish was basically a tuna tartare with fennel, Japanese cucumber, and aioli. My least favorite dish was the Alsatian Country Soup. It was cooked with Benton's ham which gave the soup a very hammy taste. I liked it but out of all the other dishes I tried it didn't compare. For the second course my favorite dish was the Duck Confit a l'Orange. The duck was delicious and it came with cauliflower and fingerling potatoes that were scrumptious. A very close second to this dish would be the Beer Braised Pork Belly with sweet pea puree and a ginger jus. This dish was incredible the pork belly was very tasty and the ginger jus cut through some of the fat which gave the dish a perfect balance. Plus the sweet pea puree was delicious. My third favorite dish was the Homemade Alsatian Country Sausage. This dish was based off the chefs family recipes. It came with an amazing whole grain mustard sauce and delicious sauerkraut. I also liked the Maine Lobster Pappardelle au Poivre. This also had spinach and tomatoes in it. The lobster was very fresh and I thought it was very good. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Scottish Salmon with a horseradish crust. The salmon was not too fishy and went great with the cabbage and Riesling. For dessert, my favorite dish was the Dark Chocolate Tart. It was so delicious. It had a strong and decadent chocolate flavor and had a very smooth texture with a little crunch on the top. I could of definitely had a second slice of this tart. Another spectacular dish was the Coffee Caramel Dome. This little dome left a huge flavor impact. It came with vanilla ice cream and an amaretto gelee. My third favorite dessert was the Modern Cheesecake. It came with an almond crumble, raspberry and fromage blanc sorbets. The cheesecake itself was delicious and the almond crumbles plus the sorbet was a bonus. This was seriously good. One more dessert that was quite refreshing, bright and scrumptious, was the Citrus Carpaccio. It was sliced orange and grape fruit with a sugar and lime mixture, lemongrass gelee, and a green apple basil sorbet. When it all combines, the flavor's mesh to create a great dessert especially on a hot day. The service was impeccable and the decor was very modern and beautiful (what else do you expect). I will definitely be back at The Modern and hopefully in the near future.
- Service was fantastic, the waitress knew exactly what she was doing, had great recommendations, and was always checking on the table and on the ball
- Decor was beautiful
- Food was perfect
- INCREDIBLE Braised Tripe. It is a must get!
- Dark Chocolate Tart is delicious and be warned, you will be dreaming about it for days
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Gotham Bar and Grill 12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
Gotham Bar and Grill was really good. I ate off of the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course I had Chilled Potato Leek Soup. On it's own the soup was good but then you get a spoonful with their house-made bacon and the shallots and a slice of the golden zucchini this dish was outstanding. For the second course my favorite dish was the Pan Roasted Day Boat Haddock. The fish was cooked to perfection and the potato puree was delicious. The white wine lemon emulsion was outstanding and brought the whole dish together. I also greatly enjoyed the Sweet Corn Tortellini. The broth that the tortellini was in, was really good and the pecorino pepato was a great subtle addition to the dish. I also tried the Grilled Hanger Steak which was good but was very basic and had nothing very special about it. I would much more prefer the other two choices because of how unique and delicious they were. The hanger steak came with sautéed spring squash and crispy fingerlings with a red wine bordelaise. Everything for dessert was scrumptious. My favorite dish was the Carrot Cake. The cake itself was really great. It came with a cream cheese mouse and blueberry sauce with hazelnut ice cream on the side. The whole dish was really decadent and delicious. I also liked the Gotham Chocolate Cake. It was served warm and was very rich but very good. My least favorite dish (which I still liked a lot) was the Frozen Lemon Verbena Parfait. It came with macerated greenmarket berries. This dish was refreshing and tasty. Overall, I liked Gotham Bar and Grill a lot and recommend it.
- Pan Roasted Day Boat Haddock is an unforgettable and amazing dish
- Carrot Cake was scrumptious
- Decor was beautiful and elegant
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Aureole 135 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)
Aureole was incredible. The food was out-of-this-world. To start, the bread selection was delicious. The choices were a cheese biscuit, a baguette, a brioche role, and a focaccia. All the breads were amazing and didn't need anything like butter or oil to accompany it. It was incredible. Out of both Restaurant Week Appetizer choices I liked the
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Neely's Barbecue Parlor 1125 First Ave. New York, NY 10065
(Dinner - July 2011)
Overall, Neely's Barbecue Parlor is a very good restaurant. The food was very good. My favorite appetizer was the Fried Green Tomatoes. They came with an onion relish and all the flavors and textures worked so well together. I also liked the Candied Thick Cut Slab Bacon. This bacon had so much flavor and had an amazing spice blend. My favorite entree was the Pork Sampler Platter. On that platter my favorite was the Spare Ribs. The flavors were incredible and very smokey which I loved. Also on the platter was the Pulled Pork and the Baby Back Ribs. I liked the Pulled Pork better but both had a very one note flavor profile. Another delicious entree was the Texas Style "12 hr" Smoked Beef Brisket. The brisket was so smokey and flavorful. I also liked the KC Style "Sweet & Sticky Ribs. These ribs were fun and messy in a good way. I liked this dish a lot. My favorite side dish was the Spicy Pinto Beans With Burnt Ends. It wasn't very spicy at all but I still liked the taste. I also tremendously enjoyed the Molasses Baked Beans. It tasted delicious and had a mild sweetness to it. One more good dish was the Cole Slaw. It was very refreshing and tasted good but it wasn't the best Cole Slaw ever. For dessert the best dish was the Red Velvet Cake. This was probably the BEST Red Velvet Cake I have ever had. The cake was so moist and the cream cheese frosting was delicious. One person that was with me hates all cheese which includes cream cheese. The cake was so good, she ate all around the cream cheese even though the cake was touching the cream cheese. The portion was also pretty nice. The funny part was that I was never going to order the Red Velvet Cake but then one of the managers came over with the heavenly cake and asked if we wanted it since he had an extra. Of course we said yes cause it's free! And that is how I stumbled across the best Red Velvet Cake ever. Another good dessert was the Pecan Pie a la Mode. It was nothing special but tasted good. One more dessert that I tried was the Mississippi Mud Pie. It was too rich for me so it was probably my least favorite dessert. I truly liked the Neely's Barbecue Parlor and I definitely plan on returning to the restaurant.
- Food was delicious
- Great Spare Ribs
- Best Red Velvet Cake ever!
- Service was friendly but a little slow (Then again it was their first night and everything ran fairly smooth besides the fact that the drinks took forever to come)
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Kin Shop 469 6th Avenue New York, NY 10011
(Lunch - July 2011)
Chef Harold Deiterle really knows how to make amazing Thai food. At Kin Shop the food is full of bold flavors and some dishes has heat that can truly pack a punch. My favorite appetizer was the Spicy Duck Laab Salad. On the menu it shows how hot the dishes are and this dish was the spiciest. To me, the spice in this dish was not overwhelming at all. The initial bite had a lot of heat but rather than the heat lingering, the heat almost completely disappeared in less than a minute. To me this is the perfect amount of heat to a dish. My next favorite appetizer was the Garam Masala & Tomato Soup. This soup was a very close second to the Spicy Duck Laab Salad. The taste was very bold and unique. Another dish that was delicious was the Fried Pork & Crispy Oyster Salad. It had peanuts, celery and a mint and chili-lime vinaigrette. I liked all the flavors as well as the texture the oyster and pork gave to the dish. For the entrees my favorite dish was the Stir Fried Wide Wonton Noodles. There was also chicken sausage inside which was delicious. All the flavors worked really well together. Another dish that I liked a lot was the Fresh Egg Noodle & Maitake Mushroom Broth. I loved the poached duck egg on top with the noodles and mushrooms. I also tremendously enjoyed the Crispy Roti (Roti - South Asian unleavened bread). It came with three different condiments which were a Chili Jam, Coriander Nam Prik, and Plum Chutney. Moving on to desserts, the menu was very small but very delicious. Kin Shop only serves ice cream, sorbet, and a root beer float. The root beer float was incredible. It had Galangal Ice Cream, which is similar to ginger. On the side there are ginger snap cookies. These ginger snap cookies were unbelievably amazing. Besides the root beer float I also tried Thai Coffee-Chocolate Ice Cream, Calamansi Sorbet, and Lychee sorbet. They were all good and my favorite out of the three would be the Calamansi Sorbet which is a citrus fruit that taste like a cross between a lime and an orange. Overall Kin Shop was very good and is definitely a place I plan on returning to.
- Service was good
- Atmosphere was great
- Food was outstanding
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Esca 402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036
(Dinner - March 2011)
Esca is amazing. The seafood is so fresh and everything is done right. To start off they serve these olives soaking in delicious olive oil. The bread they serve is a good white bread and a delicious focaccia bread. I loved dunking the focaccia bread in the oil that the olives were siting in. Now for appetizers, the best dish, in my opinion, was the Polipo which was grilled octopus with giant corona beans and preserved sorrento lemon. I loved the octopus itself and the corona beans were so good with the octopus. My second favorite dish was the Calamari which was grilled squid with rucola (like arugula), radish and chianti wine vinaigrette. the dish was well put together and very fresh. My least favorite dish was the Vongole which was baked local little neck clams with La Quercia prosciutto and cherry bomb peppers. I didn't dislike this dish but the whole dish just wasn't anything special. For entrees I liked every dish we got although my number one favorite was the Spaghetti Neri which was house made squid ink spaghetti with cuttlefish, green chilies, and scallion. The squid ink spaghetti was incredible and the cuttlefish and the green chilies were such a spectacular combination. The Spaghetti Neri was a super stand out and the other dishes, in my opinion were equally delicious but couldn't compare to the Spaghetti Neri. One of those dishes was the Gnocchi di Ricotta which was old chatham sheep's milk ricotta gnocchi, tomato and bufala mozzarella. The gnocchi were like little pillows and they were immensely flavorful. Another great dish was the Spaghetti with a one pound lobster, chilies and mint. It was really good and the lobster was delicious. The last great dish was the Maccheroni alla Chittara which was house made guitar cut spaghetti with sea urchin and crabmeat. The sea urchin melted right into the pasta and the dish was incredible. Moving onto desserts everything was good but nothing stood out. My favorite dessert was the pineapple upside down cake. It also had coconut in the cake which added great flavor and texture. Another dish I liked was the Budino di Pana which was house made bread pudding with Coach farms goat milk ricotta gelato and rum toffee sauce. One more dish that was good was the Affogato di Caffe which was carmel gelato drowned in espresso. The whole dish was beautiful to the eye and to the mouth. We also got one more dish which I didn't like that much which was the Cannoli which was salted Gianduja ricotta with chili hazelnuts and chocolate sauce. The dish just wasn't amazing to me. My only complaint of the whole restaurant is they are not very accommodating to making any change to a dish. One of us wanted to change her dish to fit her dietary needs and they wouldn't accommodate at all. Overall I really liked Esca.
- Great food, especially the seafood (which was almost the whole menu)
- Simple and elegant decor
- Decent service
- Not accommodating to the changing of any dish
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Mesa Grill 102 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
(Lunch - February 2011)
Unique? Absolutely. Quality? A+. Taste? Unimaginable. Mesa Grill is a really great restaurant. To start off I want to discuss the bread. I love the cornbread. It was so different and so delicious. Moving to the appetizers, I couldn't pick a favorite. I guess I will just tell you about them in alphabetical order. Starting with the Blue Corn Pancake. So good and so flavorful. The blue corn pancake was filled with incredible barbecued duck and had a habenero chile star anise sauce. The next dish was the Sweet Potato Soup. It is one of my favorite soups ever which had smoked chiles, maple crema, and marcona almonds. The texture and taste was really good (also I had to mention, at all of Bobby Flay's restaurants I have been to in the past, he never fails to make an incredible soup). And the last appetizer we got was the Pan Seared Squid with new mexico chile, toasted garlic, tangerine and watercress. It is so scrumptious. It was very refreshing and definitely had bold flavors. In my opinion pan seared squid is way better than fried squid. So now heading to the entree's, my favorite dish was the Grilled Swordfish Club with bacon, avocado, tomato, arugula, chipoltle aioli, and southwestern fries. Everything worked really well together and the fish was cooked great. Another dish that was delicious was the Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Hash with a poached egg and green hollandaise sauce. The taste was incredible. I love how Bobby Flay put an awesome twist on your classic Eggs Benedict. The other dish we had which I thought was good was the Mesa Burger with double cheddar cheese, grilled vidalia onions and horseradish mustard on a house roll with southwestern fries. Really good and full of flavor. For dessert we got this incredible Pear Buttermilk Upside Down Cake drenched with a decadent butterscotch sauce and a spiced ice cream. The dish had such an immense flavor. Another dish we got was an Apple and Grape Pot Pie with caramel ice cream. Simple and delicious. The last dish we got was Mexican Chocolate Pudding with a gingersnap crumble. It was very good but didn't compare to the other dishes. I unquestionably recommend Mesa Grill. Everything was delicious.
- Good Service
- Bold and bright decor
- Great food
- Recommend:
- Blue Corn Pancake
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Pan Seared Squid
- Grilled Swordfish Club
- Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Hash
- Mesa Burger
- Pear Buttermilk Upside Down Cake
- Apple and Grape Pot Pie
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The Darby 246 West 14th St., New York, NY 10011
(Dinner - February 2011)
The Darby is more than just a restaurant, it is a food experience. The whole feel takes you to a different place. The band, who was really good, played music in the background to compliment every bite of food. To start off, the bread was spectacular. They serve probably the best brioche you will ever have. It also comes with a peppercorn butter that is out of this world. Anyway, we ordered two appetizers to share and both did not disappoint. The veal bacon was incredible. It had some homemade mustard that just added another delicious depth of flavor to the dish. The other dish we ordered was the soup of the day and the soup for that day was a sunchoke (Sunchoke- also known as a Jerusalem artichoke; is a vegetable grown underground that is a similar cross between a potato, water chestnut, and a rutabaga; is not grown in Jerusalem and is not a type of artichoke) soup that was outrageous. Moving to entrees my favorite dish was the homemade ricotta ravioli's. Everything about it was so good. Another dish I liked was the flattened chicken breast that came on a bed of broccoli rabe and with some mustard on top. The chicken was moist and everything went together. My third favorite dish was the salmon with was cooked really well and came with delicious sunchokes and an acidic lemon type sauce that tied the whole dish together. My least favorite dish was the branzino which was cooked well but the whole dish just didn't do it for me. We also order a few sides that were very good. In my opinion, the best was the potatoes that were hollowed out before being cooked. It was crispy and the flavors were incredible. Another side dish that I enjoyed was the beats. The beats were just really refreshing and very tasty. My third favorite side was the onion rings. They were really good. My least favorite is the only side dish I wouldn't order again which is the three cheese macaroni. It just was heavy and was just okay. For dessert everything was very good but nothing stood out during dessert. My favorite was the apple brown betty. It had that warm feeling
- Amazing service
- Decor was nice
- Food was really good
- A little pricey but worth it
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Centrico 211 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
(Dinner - February 2011)
Holy Guacamole! Centrico is so good. First of all, the chips and guacamole were spectacular. The chips had a lot of great texture and had lots of salt on the chips which I loved with the guacamole. For the appetizers the the best by far, was the Camarones y Pozole. The creamy guajillo sauce that the shrimp was sitting in was dynamite. It had just enough of a kick and just bursted with flavor. Another dish that was good was the Tamal de Huitlacoche. I thought it was missing something and was a little dry but pretty much the flavors were on par. For the entrees, both dishes were really yummy. The Birria al Estilo Jalisco was really delicious. It was braised short ribs in a ancho chile broth. It also came with great corn tortillas and some chopped onions and garlic. Mix it all together with the short ribs that fall apart to the touch and just a squeeze of lime and I was set. The other amazing dish was the Pollo a Las Brasas which was just incredible chicken. Full of flavor and very moist. Also even though it wasn't on the Restaurant Week menu i had to order a Queso Fundido off the regular menu. I thought the dish was good but not the best Queso Fundido I ever had. Anyway, now onto dessert. The Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake was really chocolaty and rich but the ice cream with it wasn't too good. I thought it just shouldn't have been there. The other dish we got was the Moist Cake with Three Milks. I had expected it to be like a typical Tres Leches but it was a little different but still good. It definitely grew on me as I ate it but I had a problem with the cherry sauce drizzled on top. Over all I still thought it was a good dish. I thought the service was good and the decor was nice. I enjoyed that the kitchen was open and the whole place was small but not too small which makes you feel very crammed. I recommend this restaurant to all food lovers without a doubt
- Good service
- Nice decor, open kitchen and warm feeling
- Great food
- Recommend:
- Camarones y Pozole
- Birria al Estilo Jalisco
- Pollo a Las Brasas
- Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake
- Moist Cake with Three Milks
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Telepan 72 West 69 Street, New York, NY 10023
(Dinner - Winter Restaurant Week 2011)
Telepan is a must go to restaurant. Everything is so delicious. Starting off with appetizers the House Smoked Trout is a definite favorite of mine along with the Lobster Bolognese. The bolognese had such great flavor and the lobster was amazing alone. I also liked the Fallen Polenta Souffle. The white corn hominy gave the dish a wonderful texture and the cornbread brown butter was to die for. Another two appetizers I liked were the Kobacha Squash Pierogi and the Ricotta Gnocchi. For entrees the Heritage Pork was outstanding. The sauerkraut was incredible and the pork was cooked to perfection. The potato pierogi that came wih the pork was delicious too. Besides the pork the Diver's Scallops was equally amazing. It was so sweet and the whole dish worked beautifully. My least favorite dish that was ordered was the Leg & Shoulder of Organic Lamb. it was good and the black kale it sat on was yummy and the lamb was cooked good but it just didn't have that wow factor that every other dish I had gave me. For dessert, don't even get me started. Everything was spectacular. It is too hard to pick a favorite so I am just going to tell you everything. To start, the Lemon Cake was impeccable. Super fresh and very moist. Next, the Apple-Cinnamon Profiterole. It was such a great combination and the caramel sauce on top just bound it all together wonderfully. Also the Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding was very good and the truffle with it was very good. Lastly, the Cookies and Confectionaries were delicious. I always look for a good cookie plate at at a restaurant and I can never found one. After my visit to Telepan I can't say that there is no restaurant I have been to who doesn't have a good cookie plate. The service was good and the decor was nice. I absolutely, positively recommend Telepan, highly.
- Amazing food
- Decor nice
- Good Sevice
- Recommend:
- House Smoked Trout
- Lobster Bolognese
- Fallen Polenta Souffle
- Kobacha Squash Pierogi
- Ricotta Gnocchi
- Heritage Pork
- Diver's Scallops
- Lemon Cake
- Apple-Cinnamon Profiterole
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Cookies and Confectionaries
Wake up call! Brunch at Telepan is the best. To start off for $28, all year round, you get a spectacular breads and sweet things basket followed by your first course and than you second course. The breads and sweet things basket was so good. They came with homemade raspberry jelly that might be one of the best jellies you will ever have in your life. For the first course, my favorite was the Hazelnut Cream Crepes that came with bananas and a decadent brown sugar sauce. I love a restaurant who can improvise. One person in my party didn't want bananas with their crepe so the chef made a crepe with dried fruits like raisins and cranberries and put it with a honey compote. Both crepes were equally good. Another great first course dish is the Apple Sausage with a poached egg, duck prosciutto, and watercress. One more great dish which is on their brunch, lunch and dinner menu is the House Smoked Brook Trout which I love especially with the buckwheat-potato blini. For the second course my favorite dish was Apple Walnut French Toast. My only problem with the dish was that it was a little too sweet. One more dish I like is the Omelet With Salad & Hash Browns which we got with bacon and aged cheddar. Another dish we got which was good is the Fallen Pancake Souffle. It came with brown sugar bacon and a huckleberry syrup. I liked it but it just wasn't amazing. Everything overall was great. I absolutely recommend Telepan for brunch.
- Okay Service, been here before and had better service
- Good decor
- Great food
- Recommend:
- Hazelnut Cream Crepes
- Apple Sausage
- House Smoked Brook Trout
- Apple Walnut French Toast
- Omelet With Salad & Hash Browns
- Fallen Pancake Souffle
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21 Club 21 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019
(Dinner - Winter Restaurant Week 2011)
The 21 Club was a good restaurant but didn't have any real stand-out feature to, that is according to the Restaurant Week menu. I went with a group so we all tried each others dish. Almost every dish on the tasting menu was ordered. I personally thought that nothing on the menu was bad but you could have two completely different experiences. You could order good or you could order bad. In my opinion the best appetizer by far was the Grilled Calamari. It was so tender and had so many layers of texture from the chorizo to the fennel to those braised lima beans. It was all tossed together in a jalapeno dressing. MUST get it. Anyway the other appetizers, which I thought were okay were the Salmon Tartare and the Seasonal Soup. The Salmon Tartare I thought was good and fresh but it was very 2 - dimensional in my opinion. The Seasonal Soup was Manhattan Clam Chowder. I can't say not to get the soup since it changes daily but I just thought this sou was just okay. For entrees i thought everything was good, it just wasn't amazing. The Cauliflower Risotto was probably my favorite. My only problem was that I just wasn't a fan of the cauliflower in the risotto but I still recommend getting the risotto. I also thought the Seared Chicken Breast was pretty good. It was seasoned well and the broccoli rabe that was with it was good. The Grilled Pork Belly had a very unique flavor. It wasn't out - standing but it was good. The home-made sauerkraut that came with it was delicious. My least-favorite dish which was still okay was the Flax Seed-Crusted Salmon. It was nothing special. Salmon was cooked fine and it was sitting on beet and root vegetable faro and that was delicious. When it came to dessert nothing was great but they were good. The Rocky Road and Salty Caramel Bombe was the best out of them all. My next favorite was the lemon tart. The tart shell was just okay but the inside was good and the blueberry compote was delicious. My least favorite was the Creme Brulee with the ginger shortbread. The best part was the ginger short bread. It was really good. On the other hand the Creme Brulee just wasn't to good. The food was good not spectacular. Service was fair and the decor was a little strange but cool. The reason it was strange was that toys and football helmets were hanging from the ceiling but the dress code was jackets required. If the dress code wasn't so fancy the decor would make more sense. After the dinner we knew that there was a secret wine cellar and we asked if we could go see it. Someone took us down and it is this cement wall that has this thin, long key that you poke into this tiny pin hole and then you push the really heavy door. There is tons of wine and saved bottles from celebrities and presidents. Then if you go farther in there is a room where you could host a party. It was very cool. If you go definitely ask to see it. Anyway, I am not rushing back to the 21 Club but it was still a good restaurant.
- Food was okay, nothing was bad though
- Decor was interesting
- Service was fair
- Wine Cellar in the basement was cool, recommend asking to see it
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Felidia's 243 E. 58th Street, New York, NY, 10022
(Dinner - December 2010)
To sum up Felidia's in one word it would be amazing. Food was impeccable, decor was very nice and service was fair. Everything the Foodie Finders NYC crew and I ordered was really good. The bread was really good and my favorite bread in the basket was the cracker like flat bread made with squid ink. There was also a good bean dip (but wasn't as good as Becco's bean dip). We got a few appetizers to share with the table and they were all very good. We got the Polipo which was octopus grilled and mosaic with tomatoes and marinated eggplant (delicious), we got the Bianconeri which was a black and white pasta with sweet shrimp and squid and oven dried tomato-almond pesto (very good), and we also got the Fegatini which was chicken liver with onion and tuscan crostino ( My favorite dish out of the three). Now for the entrees. I am going to list my favorites from greatest to least starting with my favorite dish, the risotto. The risotto was made with squash, bacon oil, goat cheese and a little bit of 25-year aged balsamic vinegar which complimented the dish beautifully. We also had the Pappardelle with braised duck. We got the Manzo which was also very good. The Manzo was roasted all-natural angus beef flat Iron with mushrooms, hanger steak tagliata, and a summer bean ragu. We got the Grigliata di Pesce which was a plate of seafood which includes calamari, lobster, shrimp, scallops and razor clams cooked in "alla piastra", tomato, cucumber and onion. The last dish we got which was still delicious, just my least favorite out of the other dishes, was the Spinosini Con Vongole which is a thin spaghetti with razor clams, mussels, zucchini and bacon oil. Now for dessert it was all so good just like everything else. We got the hazelnut torte with nutella gelato and marsala zabaglione (delicious), the tiramisu (very good), and the pecan tart (spectacular). Over all Felida's was delicious.
To sum up Felidia's in one word it would be amazing. Food was impeccable, decor was very nice and service was fair. Everything the Foodie Finders NYC crew and I ordered was really good. The bread was really good and my favorite bread in the basket was the cracker like flat bread made with squid ink. There was also a good bean dip (but wasn't as good as Becco's bean dip). We got a few appetizers to share with the table and they were all very good. We got the Polipo which was octopus grilled and mosaic with tomatoes and marinated eggplant (delicious), we got the Bianconeri which was a black and white pasta with sweet shrimp and squid and oven dried tomato-almond pesto (very good), and we also got the Fegatini which was chicken liver with onion and tuscan crostino ( My favorite dish out of the three). Now for the entrees. I am going to list my favorites from greatest to least starting with my favorite dish, the risotto. The risotto was made with squash, bacon oil, goat cheese and a little bit of 25-year aged balsamic vinegar which complimented the dish beautifully. We also had the Pappardelle with braised duck. We got the Manzo which was also very good. The Manzo was roasted all-natural angus beef flat Iron with mushrooms, hanger steak tagliata, and a summer bean ragu. We got the Grigliata di Pesce which was a plate of seafood which includes calamari, lobster, shrimp, scallops and razor clams cooked in "alla piastra", tomato, cucumber and onion. The last dish we got which was still delicious, just my least favorite out of the other dishes, was the Spinosini Con Vongole which is a thin spaghetti with razor clams, mussels, zucchini and bacon oil. Now for dessert it was all so good just like everything else. We got the hazelnut torte with nutella gelato and marsala zabaglione (delicious), the tiramisu (very good), and the pecan tart (spectacular). Over all Felida's was delicious.
Pros
- Delicious food
- Nice decor
- Had private rooms for individual tables for 6 or 8 people which was very appealing (we were fortunate and got a private room)
- All supporting staff, including the coat checker was friendly, which in my opinion, makes a great restaurant.
- The matradee was exceptionally nice and really welcomed all of his guests. He made the experience feel very warm and at home
- Felidia's was a fine dining restaurant without the stuffy feel to it.
- Our waiter was very knowledgeable but not very personable.
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Becco 355 West 46th Street, New York, NY, 10036
(Dinner - December 2010)
Imagine yourself in an ideal Italian home with ideal Italian food. Well now picture that place in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, on Restaurant Row. If you are imagining this place right it is Becco one of the best Italian restaurants ever. At Becco right from the start they have the best bread with this white bean dip sitting in a little bit of olive oil that is delicious. Their Caesar salad is a must have and then when you get to the Entree's there is so much great food to choose from. One really good dish is the Sinfonia Di Pasta which is an unlimited serving of three different pasta's changed every evening. Just when it is time for dessert and you are ready to explode from all this food, the dishes hit the table and suddenly you don't care if you explode. The zabaglione is really good and the pannacotta is good too. On top of it all the service is impeccable. The only problem about Becco is that it is hard to walk out and leave all the great food.
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Manzo 200 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10010
(Dinner - December 2010)
Fresh. Clean. Delicious. All great words to describe this restaurant masterpiece. Manzo, found within Eatlay, has good food and good service. The Tajarin Al Sugo D' Arrosto was absolutley delicious. It was a pasta dish with tons of meat and it looked like a ragu but was even better. Really all of the pasta dishes were spectacular especially the risotto. The risotto was in a butternut squash sauce that was to die for with black truffle shavings on top. Manzo was a typically excellent Batali, Bastianich restaurant with scrumptious and irresistible food.
