08
Mar

Picholine – NYC

by ccwynne812   {6:51 pm}

PICHOLINE – NYC

 35 W. 64th St. (nr. Central Park West) New York, NY 10023

Date dined: 11.21.11

In my family we always celebrate birthdays with a nice meal somwhere in the city. For my dad’s birthday this year I chose Picholine for the occasion. Besides being known for their exquisite food, Picholine has to be one of the best values in all of Manhattan. For $145 you can enjoy a luxurious 8-course tasting menu (which ends up being more like 12) of creative and flavorful dishes. Chef Terrance Brennan has been creating his French inspired cuisine at his flagship restaurant since 1993 and after undergoing a revamp of the decor a few years back the decor is said to be vastly improved.

We went on a Monday night so the dining room was quiet but the service was friendly (although maybe a bit too friendly…at one point I thought our waiter might pull up a chair) and it did not at all have the feel of a stuffy old French restaurant. The portions in the tasting menu are nicely sized so that by the end of the meal you are satisfied but don’t feel like you are going to die at any moment which is often the case with large tasting menus.

Entrance to Dining Room

We were greeted with a selection of amuse bouches that included crispy salsify, a savory bon bon, gougère and a small dish of cauliflower panna cotta with a crispy caper.

Amuse

Poached quail egg with caviar: If I had a top 10 bites list this would be at the very head of that list. The crisp crepe-like exterior encased a perfectly poached egg topped with a hint of chive and a dollop of fresh salty caviar. Say no more.

Quail Egg

The next bite was a combination of some of my other favorite flavors.  A spoonful of airy whipped potato topped with a generous slice of rich white truffle. Sadly, this was just one small bite.

Whipped Potato

The menu continued to touch on my favorite things and uni was next- sea urchin panna cotta with “chilled ocean consommé” and caviar. The creamy panna cotta was seasoned by colorful seaweed and more caviar. The dish could be eaten accompanied by an airy rice crisp or simply enjoyed by the spoonful.

Uni Panna Cotta

They gave a choice for the next course of fois gras prepared in a Japanese or French style. I chose the Japanese version which was was prepared “shabu shabu” style or warm in a sweet and sour bouillon. The soup was both light and rich and very delicate in flavor.  

Fois Gras Japanese Style

The other preparation was a fois gras torchon – the pâté was fresh and not over-cooked or over-cured but smooth and melt in your mouth.

Fois Gras French Style

Next I had a chestnut tagliatelle with wild game bolognaise. The nutty pasta was cooked al dente for some nice bite and coated in a rich meaty sauce with a few Brussels sprout leaves for color and finely shaved chestnut rather than parmesan cheese.

Chestnut Tagliatelle

Next was a choice of various wild Scottish game which were each prepared differently. I had the hare prepared two ways which was incredibly tender and a light gamey flavor. The deep colored glaze was sweet and savory and went very nicely with both the sliced loin and the croquette. I was also lucky enough to find some stray shot (well, supposedly lucky) in the meat after being instructed to chew carefully so as to avoid any chipped teeth.

Scottish Hare

The next dish was very interesting – a selection of roquefort textures. This included a roquefort mousse, a carmelized meringue and sherbert with a side of sauternes geleé. Salty, creamy and, obviously, textured. 

Roquefort Textures

Another spoonful of molecular creativity served as the palate cleanser before dessert. A peanut butter and jelly bite that was made of peanut butter ganache and a concord grape cloud. Just like mom used to make…sort of.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bite

Finally, dessert. We all decided to have the chocolate sphere which was a small dome the size of a tennis ball brushed with gold powder. The waiter then poured a hot liquid chocolate over the top which melted the entire object revealing a pistachio and chocolate filling.

Chocolate Sphere

Chocolate Sphere

Happy Birthday Dad!

Picholine is a great restaurant for a special occasion or a place to meet for a pre-theater drink or meal.

Filed Under: Family Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment
07
Mar

Casa Mono – NYC

by ccwynne812   {6:03 pm}

CASA MONO – NYC

52 Irving Pl. (nr 17th), New York, NY 10003

Date dined: 2.17.12

Casa Mono

Casa Mono is one of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s partnerships but rather than Italian food, this little Gramercy gem features regional Spanish fare. The menu is inspired by Chef Andy Nusser’s hometown on the Costa Brava but also maintains the theme which crosses all of Batali and Bastianich’s restaurants which is to use only the finest ingredients and to highlight their flavors while preserving their integrity as best possible. Nusser has been with Batali since early in his career at Batali’s first restaurant Po and then later working at Babbo.  

The tiny space resides on a quiet street in Gramergy and feels very cozy with bottles of wine lining the walls and a small open kitchen. Though the menu says “tapas” these small plates are really quite large. My friends and I definitely over-ordered but also really enjoyed tasting all of the wonderful creations. If you are just looking to have a glass of wine and some jamón or cheese, Bar Jamón next door might be your best bet.

To start the meal we ordered some freshly carved jamón Iberico and pan con tomate. It is amazing how something so simple can be so delicious.

Jamón Iberico

Pan Con Tomate

Next we sampled the pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas. Crispy on the outside with just a bit of sweet and creamy filling.

I stole a taste of the beets with blue cheese and house-made bacon from my friend’s plate. Although one would expect to have a whole bunch of beets when ordering a beet salad, not many people can down an entire plateful of dense vegetables at the outset of a meal and still be hungry for their main. This salad was good balance of beets with the other ingredents meaning there were greens and blue cheese for every bite.

Croquettes and Beet Salad

The razor clams a la plancha were a veritable mountain of meaty razor clams stacked to resemble a log pile and garnished with fresh herbs. These were the heartiest razor clams I have ever had and were tender and juicy. The buttery sauce highlighted the flavor of the seafood but did not feel fatty in any way.

Razor Clams

We next had another salad of fennel and grapefruit topped with pulpo. The mini octopuses were cooked in some way that made them completely flat and a little bit crunchy- almost like an octopus chip or crouton to add texture to the paper thin slices of fennel beneath. While this was interesting, I think I prefer a more traditional preparation to this interpretation.

Pulpo

I love sweetbread and the sweetbreads with fennel al Mono do not disappoint. These were prepared very simply with a very light sauce on top of some braised fennel.

Sweet Breads

Anything prepared with white truffles will be ordered without a doubt if I am at your table. The duck egg was a no brainer. A runny duck egg created a slightly gamey sauce for the roasted fingerling potatoes beneath. The thin slices of ham on top added salty seasoning and the earthy truffle added more depth of flavor.

Duck Egg

By this point in the meal- and halfway through our second bottle of wine-  we were starting to get a bit full but the last two dishes were too pretty not to taste.

The crispy pork belly with sunchoke puree and confit artichokes was a combination of some of my favorite flavors. This was an incredibly rich dish though and a bit too much to take at the end of the meal.

Pork Belly

Our final dish was lobster with spicy saffron sauce. The lobster was tender and nicely cooked and the sauce was delicate and not overpowering.

Lobster

 Casa Mono is a great restaurant for an intimate dinner with a great atmosphere any time of year.

 

Filed Under: Date Spot, Drinks Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
06
Mar

Recette – NYC

by ccwynne812   {6:34 pm}

RECETTE – NYC

328 West 12th Street (at Greenwich) New York, NY 10014

Date dined: 3.4.12

Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

Recette is a tiny New American restaurant in the West Village that has a sophisticated take on traditional foods. Chef Jesse Schenker is playful and creative with his dishes and each one is a beautiful masterpiece on a plate. Dessert at Recette is equally as impressive as the main meal with creations by Pastry chef Christina Lee (formerly of Per Se). 

Sunday was a day for catching up with some old high school friends and the quiet, relaxed spot was the perfect meeting point.  The restaurant is a small space with paned windows on two sides – a traditional touch you don’t often see anymore in newer restaurants. The location is perfect for people watching as the surrounding Meatpacking area is bustling no matter what time of year it is.

We all started with the Noisette cocktail which was a combination of frangelico, sparkling wine and topped with a fresh raspberry.

As uni serious lovers three of us ordered the hamachi appetizer- a beautiful combination of marinated hamachi, uni, sea beans and accented by an airy harissa mousse. The dish was a well balanced and the delicate flavors were all complimentary of each other.

Hamachi and Uni

As my main dish I ordered the braised oxtail which was served on a crunchy hashbrown and blanketed with two fried eggs with a few small scoops of rich bone marrow and fresh arugula. The braised oxtail was rich and tender on top of the hashbrown and the runny yolks of the eggs created a nice sauce for the dish.

Braised Oxtail with Eggs

One of the other girls ordered the PB&J “pain perdue” with earl grey milk jam, and fresh strawberries. Of course I had to sample this ridiculously enormous piece of French toast which was surprisingly not overly doughy. It was very crisp and golden brown outside and filled with the creamy peanut butter and jam. A bit over the top but worth a taste.

PB & J

Apple Smoked Bacon

With a pastry chef who is a veteran of Per Se it is hard to pass up one of her creations. The “s’mores” is the signature dessert here which is a deconstructed version of the simple treat. Graham cracker ice cream atop “hot” chocolate ganache sprinkled with cacao nibs and adorned with a swish of toasted marshmallow around the side. This version just may be better than the original.

S'mores

 Recette is consistently good food and is the perfect place for a date, small group or a nice dinner with parents.

 

Filed Under: Brunch, Date Spot, Family, The List Tags: , , , , 1 Comment
04
Mar

Co-op Food & Drink- NYC

by ccwynne812   {11:48 am}

CO-OP FOOD & DRINK- NYC

107 Rivington St (Btwn Ludlow & Essex) New York, NY 10002

Date dined: 3.3.12

Co-op

Co-op is a new American restaurant that features locally sourced and sustainable foods and has a menu inspired by Executive Chef John Keller’s Seafood background (of Le Bernardin, Nobu) as well as Stephen Wong’s Japanese background (of Sushi of Gari, Megu).

Finding a place to host a 26 people for a birthday dinner at a restaurant that is lively but also has good food is quite a tall order. Co-op was the perfect solution for the dinner I went to last night. The back room was a big space with towering ceilings and big color photographs of New York icons and celebrities covering the walls. The center table was one long cross section of a tree big enough for the whole group. Places that are designed to accommodate groups of this size often don’t have the best food but I was pretty impressed with everything we were served in our Asian inspired meal of small bites.

We started with dishes of blistered shisito peppers with yuzu citrus glaze. Shisito peppers are one of my newest food obsessions but I thought they could have used a little salt to contrast with the sweet glaze.

Shisito Peppers

Next was a kale caesar which was a mix of Tuscan and purple kale topped with sliced Asian pears. The salad might have been better without the croutons which may not have been freshly made so they were a bit underwhelming.

Kale Caesar

The Co-op roll was a spicy tuna roll with spicy rock shrimp tempura and a bit of jalapeño for even more kick. This combination always seems to work but the freshness of the ingredients really made it delicious.

Tuna and Rock Shrimp Roll

The miso black cod was next and was served on butter lettuce and topped with shredded phyllo for texture. This was a nice new way to have a miso glazed fish.

Cod in Butter Lettuce

The mini ceviche tacos with aji amarillo sauce and mango-avocado salsa were crispy and refreshing. The fresh tuna was cool and finely minced in the crisp shell. The avocado salsa was smooth and creamy with just a hint of yuzu that added a nice tanginess.

Ceviche Tacos

The Co-op chicken lollipops glazed in a creamy siracha sauce and toasted sesame were reminiscent of the chicken satay at Philippe – a personal favorite.

Chicken Lollipops

Lower East Sliders: Sliders can often be somewhat disappointing leaving you wishing you had just ordered a regular sized burger. These little guys packed a huge punch.  Tender dry-aged beef with short rib and braised pork belly, white cheddar cheese and seasoned with a siracha mayo created a winning combination. A few micro greens, tomato and a cornichon pickle on top cut a bit of the richness.

Lower East Sliders

Dessert was a sticky toffee cupcake with bourbon cream and brown sugar buttercream. Gooey and dense, one bite of this sweet cupcake was just enough to satisfy.

Sticky Toffee Cupcake

Happy birthday Katherine and Christen!!

THEPICURIST with Emily and Erica

 

 

Filed Under: Drinks, Groups Tags: , 2 Comments
02
Mar

Seäsonal Restaurant- NYC

by ccwynne812   {6:25 pm}

 SEASONAL RESTAURANT AND WEINBAR – NYC

132 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019
 
Date dined: 2.29.12
 

Photo courtesy of Michael Falco for The New York Times

When I am planning a nice meal out with friends I don’t generally crave Austrian food. Nor do I generally try to plan something in midtown. Seäsonal, however, which holds a Michelin star has been on my list for a few years now and I finally had an appropriate evening to plan a dinner there. The experience did not disappoint. While the atmosphere is a bit austere, as one might expect from a fine Austrian or a German establishment, and the crowd is skewed to the older side, the overall feel is serene, refined and clean. The food is presented in a similar way on large elegant white dishes highlighting the thoughtfulness of the presentation and the delicateness of the flavors. Many of the dishes at Seäsonal are deconstructed and incorporate interesting ingredients which made the meal somewhat adventurous.  

Upon entering I was lucky enough to meet one of the two chefs- Wolfgang Ban who is partners with Eduard Frauneder. As I waited for my friends to arrive I sipped some wine as he walked me through the menu in detail and everything sounded amazing. In addition to an a la carte menu there is also a chefs’ tasting menu and a seasonal menu. We opted for the seasonal tasting menu which was seven courses.

Each table had a small flower arrangement that reminded me of a Monet – big leaves and pastel tulips.

Bread and Tulips

To start we were served several beautifully arranged objects over which was poured a light chicken consommé to create a potato soup. The broth and the whipped potato became the base with bits of speck and chives and in the center was a cube shaped leek ravioli which was slightly sweet on the inside. All the flavors you would want in the best baked potato ever but in a soup.  

Potato Soup

The second course was a gorgeous Japanese scallop crudo which was propped up above a cloud of potato mousse by two perfectly cylindrical columns of potato. It was then topped off with a bright green taragon oil.

Japanese Scallop

It seemed that each dish of the meal was somehow better than the last. We were next served a soft poached egg with chunks of lobster, meaty hen of the woods mushrooms all surrounded a pumpernickel crumble that was a bit salty and seasoned the dish.

Poached Egg

The next dish was glazed pork belly with endive and cornbread. The pork was glazed with a sweet mustard seed sauce and it was very tender and juicy. My only critique on this dish was that although it was not intended to be a crispy dish, I prefer the skin to be rendered and have some bite to it.

Glazed Pork Belly

Of course one cannot go to an Austrian restaurant without sampling their wiener schnitzel. The chef was nice enough to incorporate the dish into our tasting menu so that we wouldn’t have to share one plate 5 ways as we had originally intended on ordering. This rendition was executed very well – a tender, finely pounded veal in an airy crispy crust and a lingonberry sauce. The two side dishes were surprisingly tasty as well- a traditional potato salad with a tangy sauce and a pickled cucumber that was shredded into extra-fine noodles and then rolled neatly into a quenelle.

Weinerschnitzel

The last of our mains was crescent duck with red cabbage, kohlrabi and poppyseed. Duck has a tendency to be quite tough unless prepared properly. This was the most tender duck I have ever had cooked to a precise medium rare. The kohlrabi on the side was tender and lightly flavored by the poppy seed sauce. My one critique here is the same as before- the skin could have been rendered a bit more so the it created a more texture on the meat.

Duck

This was one of the most creative desserts I have had in a very, very long time. The flavors were so original and delicious I wanted a refill immediately. A scoop of pear ice cream was surrounded by two different powders which turned out to be fig and chocolate. The waiter then came over and poured a thick creamy eggnog which tasted a bit like coconut over the entire thing to create the most decadent dessert soup.

Pear Ice Cream with Eggnog

Seäsonal is a wonderful restaurant for an elegant dinner with friends or family.
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29
Feb

Monument Lane – NYC

by ccwynne812   {11:48 am}

MONUMENT LANE – NYC

103 Greenwich Avenue (at West 10th), New York, NY 10014

Date dined: 2.26.12

Monument Lane opened a few months ago and is a quaint little boutique restaurant tucked into a corner of  the West Village.  According to their website, the restaurant is named after the road which New Yorkers would travel down in order to reach the countryside in the late 1700’s. Today we know this road to be Greenwich Avenue and while it is now very much built up, the restaurant serves traditional American dishes featuring seasonal ingredients inspired by regional farmers. The menu changes weekly ensuring the freshest ingredients and also promotes sustainable products.

Upon entering is a small bar and the rest of the space is filled with charmingly battered farmhouse furniture. On each table was a tiny arrangement of fresh flowers whose colors immediately gave me spring fever. Not a seat was left untaken in the tiny space which was brightly lit by large windows on two sides.  On this particular day I had brunch with a small group of friends and we all sampled a few of their dishes.

“Our Bread Basket”: The bread basket is one of the items that changes with the seasons. We had a delicious assortment that included a pumpkin spiced muffin, banana walnut muffin and a buttermilk biscuit. Each of the pastries was fresh and still warm out of the oven and was served with a few different jams. The biscuit in particular was amazing and probably had about 1.5 sticks of butter crammed into. This was not so much a light colored flakey biscuit but more of a rich buttery brown pastry.

Bread Basket

In my attempt to be healthy I ordered the escarole and black kale salad with parmesan, croutons, soft egg, and garlic – anchovy dressing. This was basically a caesar salad and was a bit salty from maybe a few too many anchovies but still a good order to lighten up the meal. The soft cooked egg was absolutely perfect and the yolk was still runny while the white was firm but tender.

Black Kale and Escarole Salad

The splurge of the meal was the buttermilk fried half-chicken with a bissuit and “Claire’s honey” topped with aleppo – a type of Turkish pepper. I don’t order fried chicken very often but this was one of the best I have had in recent memory. Served piping hot with juicy meat the chicken was a very nice texture and was coated by a perfectly seasoned crispy crust. Definitely worth at least sharing with the table.

Check out Monument Lane for a date, brunch or dinner with a small group of friends or even after a workout at Equinox which is conveniently located right across the street- then you won’t have to feel quite so guilty about the fried chicken.

Spring Table Setting

Filed Under: Brunch, Date Spot Tags: Leave a comment
17
Feb

Saxon & Parole – NYC

by ccwynne812   {4:32 pm}

SAXON & PAROLE – NYC

316 Bowery (at Bleeker), New York, NY 10012

Date dined: 2.11.12

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/dining/reviews/saxon-parole-nyc-restaurant-review.html?_r=1

In the old Double Crown space has emerged a new restaurant- Saxon & Parole. Amazingly, this restaurant was able to revamp itself and reopen before most people even noticed that it had closed in the first place. I actually really enjoyed Double Crown but my recent meal at Saxon & Parole was also very good. Chef Brad Farmerie has fairly basic dishes on the menu that are spiced up in unexpected ways.

The interior is very similar to the old space although now covered in lighter colored wood, white-washed brick and accented with equestrian themed items. It actually feels a bit like you are walking into a barn out in the country. A surreal feeling coming off of bustling Bleeker street.

There was some slight confusion with our table because there were four of us seated at a table ideally set for three. We happily managed to squeeze and it didn’t really affect our meal in any way. Our server was also very friendly and helpful, not overbearing and had a charming British accent (always a plus).

We were starving when we sat down so welcomed a nice board of warm bread. I always appreciate when a restaurant puts in the extra effort to spice up the bread in some way. These home made mini sourdough rolls were light and airy served with both a salted butter and a fois gras butter.

Bread & Butter

Our meal began with three really delicious appetizers.

The first was an amazing Brussels sprouts dish- Brussels sprout leaves with a poached egg, toasted hazelnuts, maple bacon lardons, and truffle-yuzu hollandaise. We probably finished this before the plate had even hit the table and all of us were licking our forks. With every ingredient in perfect proportion- creamy egg, tangy yuzu, smokey truffle, salty bacon, earthy hazelnuts- this is a must order.

Brussels sprouts

We also had the hand-cut salmon tartare with fried capers, roasted peppers, soft-boiled quail egg. I must admit that I loved this despite the roasted peppers (there weren’t that many of themand they could barely be tasted). The thickly cut tartare was fresh and had a good texture, the fried capers added a bit of salty seasoning and the quail egg a touch of creaminess.

Salmon Tartare

Our more decadent appetizer was the foie gras with kumquat and mustard seed marmalade served with toasted brioche. The brioche was so fresh and delicious that the butter could be tasted in every bite. And what is better than fois gras plus butter? I loved the accompaniment of the kumquat. These little spunky fruits are making appearances on more menus lately and I am all for it. They have a very unique citrus flavor about them and a bit of the tartness contrasted nicely with the rich fois.

Fois Gras

We shared two mains as a group – the big Guinness and five spice glazed short rib made a grand entrance on our table first. The massive piece of tender meat was served bone-in with a few large objects that at first appeared to be bone marrow but were actually turnips which was probably for the better. A few bites of the rich tender beef were enough for me and then it was over to the fish.

Short Rib

The whole roasted branzino stuffed with parmesan, toasted panko bread crumbs, smoked paprika was deboned and then presented as a whole fish. This was very nicely done and the tartar sauce was a nice pairing but it was the least popular of all our dishes so far.

Stuffed Branzino

On the side we ordered the cauliflower and gruyère gratin which was well executed in the traditional way. The sautéed edamame with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese was surprisingly good as I expected it to be a little bland. Lastly the crispy Brussels sprouts in chili-caramel. Ok, so we double-dipped in the Brussels sprout department. In our defense though, shared four ways two Brussels dishes wasn’t that much. And they were so different! This version was sweet and crispy, served almost burned. Also very good.

Brussels sprouts

Edamame

For dessert we wanted something light to go with our espresso so we were easily coerced into waiting the additional 15 minutes necessary for the kitchen to whip up a chocolate soufflé. Beautifully crispy on top and airy and melty on the inside. The whisky ice cream was a nice touch on the side.

Chocolate soufflé

Saxon & Parole is a great place to go with a group or on a date. If all goes well on your date, head on through the secret door to the tiny British-colonial themed Madame Geneva for one of their signature gin cocktails with homemade marmelade.

Filed Under: Date Spot, Drinks, Groups Tags: , , Leave a comment
14
Feb

The Spotted Pig – NYC

by ccwynne812   {6:33 pm}

THE SPOTTED PIG -NYC

314 W. 11th St. (at Greenwich st), New York, NY 10014

Date Dined: 1/29/12

Photo courtesy of: http://www.eat-tori.com

Chef April Bloomfield’s renowned gastropub resides on a quaint West Village corner with an entrance draped in its signature vibrant greenery year-round. This is one of the coolest foodie hangouts partly because so many notable people of the food world (including Mario Batali and Ken Friedman) were involved in the creation of this cozy gem. It is one of the most casual places that still maintains sort of a see-and-be seen aura about it.

The ambiance is extremely low key with rustic wood walls covered in images of farm animals (naturally dominated by silhouettes of swine). The bar stools at both the upper and lower bars are covered in intentionally mismatching fabrics and the servers and clientele are equally eclectic making this a very entertaining place for indulging in some people watching.

A few days ago some friends and I went to the Pig for a leisurely Sunday brunch heavily lubricated by mimosas (champagne to oj ratio is right on) and bloody Marys. We enjoyed some of the Spotted Pig classics that every New Yorker (or well informed visitor) must indulge in at some point.

We started off with some oysters- East coast briney little bites, fresh and vinegary with the home made mignonette. Always a favorite brunch starter.

Oysters

Next we had some deviled eggs. If I had a top 10 list for deviled eggs these would be up there on the list. The beautiful creamy filling is the perfect balance of smooth and tangy with a tiny bit of heat from the red pepper flakes that garnish for color.

Deviled Eggs

I was super excited to see a Dutch baby on the menu because I had learned how to make one  just the day before (thank you Food Network) and had never actually eaten one before. This version was more like a crêpe than a pancake and topped with an incredibly thick cut smoked bacon. The salty bacon and sweet maple syrup on top made this into a sort of decadent bacon candy. 

Dutch Baby

Bloomfield prides herself on simple cooking with the freshest seasonal ingredients. She also happens to be pretty well known for her burger. This burger falls somewhere near the top of the lineup in my Top 10 burgers. It also also falls into the pricy category and will set you back $17 which actually seems pretty affordable in comparison to the Minetta burger. Inside of a buttery grilled bun is a perfectly shaped beef patty, expertly cooked to the right temperature (medium rare) and dressed simply with a nice melty roquefort cheese. No additional condiments needed! When it comes to simplicity it can’t get much more basic than this combination but the differentiator is the pride that Bloomfield takes in the preparation of her ingredients. It can definitely be tasted.

Burger

I am very particular when it comes to fries. I generally really don’t like shoestring fries because they get cold instantly and end up being a fancy / complicated potato chip. The Spotted Pig’s shoestrings are a completely different story. They are incredible. Cut the teensiest bit thicker they are able to retain some heat. What also makes them special is that they are fried with paper fine garlic, rosemary and some other herbs to really infuse the potatoes with the fragrant oils. If you happen to be passing by the Pig, it is worth it to stop by the bar for an espertly mixed cocktail and a shoestring snack.

Burger with oozing blue cheese

There are few things that better close out a weekend than a great Sunday brunch with friends and the Spotted Pig is the perfect place to do just that.

 

Filed Under: Brunch, Date Spot, Drinks, EPIC PICKS Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
12
Feb

Kittichai – NYC

by ccwynne812   {11:27 pm}

KITTICHAI – NYC

60 Thompson Street  New York, NY 10012

Date Dined: 1.28.12

Kittichai is located in the trendy boutique Thompson hotel on Thompson street, not to be confused with Thompson hotel LES which I have done myself one too many times.  Kittichai is one of those restaurants that was very cool to go to early on when it opened especially during impromtu trips to the city from college for a nice night out on the town. It seemed so sophisticated and sexy. Now, a few years later, I think the large Asian-themed restaurant trend has passed us by but Kittichai remains because their Thai food is actually quite good and they also managed to avoid the whole restaurant-into-nightclub trend that has taken over.

The ambiance of the restaurant is like a sultry bamboo garden. Black slate floors and light colored walls are made more romantic by a koi pond at the center of the dining room over which dangles an ethereal cloud of individual floating orchids. Another fun detail to look out for the is bird cage filled with fish by the hostess at the entrance. In nicer weather diners can also sit at some of the tables out front under tents. This is actually not a bad option as Thompson street is relatively quiet.

Chef Ian Chalermkittichai hails from Thailand proper and before starting Kittichai spent some time at the Four Seasons in Bangkok. While the menu has many Thai ingredients and the dishes are deeply inspired by Thai cuisine the food here tends to be a bit adapted to American tastes and shies away from a lot of the punchy heat that is found in traditional cooking.

I was with a group of seven the other night and, for some reason, while they did not appear to be super busy it took the restaurant 45 minutes to seat us. Luckily this resulted in a few complimentary cocktails but still seemed unnecessary. Once seated the server seemed a bit frazzled by everything so we decided it might be easiest to order one of the tasting menus. Everything in the four courses plus dessert was served family style.

The dishes in the first course were shrimp, a green papya salad and a red snapper ceviche.

The crispy rock shrimp was tempura battered and served with grilled eggplant in a palm sugar-tamarind sauce.  This was a very nice dish, crispy and sweet with the soft grilled eggplant for another texture.

The Thai red snapper ceviche with coconut and ginger-lemongrass marinade was good but a tiny portion for 7 people. It may have been marinated for a bit too long as the bits of fish were chopped up into very tiny pieces.

Rock shrimp & ceviche

The green papaya salad with dried shrimp and chili cashew dressing was refreshing and lightly dressed allowing the flavors of the produce to shine through.

Green Papaya Salad

The next course included a Thai beef salad with chinese long beans and roasted sticky rice powder. This dish looked like a Thai cooked version of a beef tartare. Again, tiny bits of beef made this dish a bit complicated to share with chopsticks but was nicely seasoned.

Thai beef salad

Baby back ribs in Mekhong whisky barbeque sauce are a bit messy to eat before an evening out but also quite yummy. The ribs might have been a bit overcooked for my taste leaving them a little dry despite the slathering of sweet barbeque sauce.

Ribs

I may have been most excited for the seared duck breast, Asian pear salad in a light soy and black vinegar dressing but the dressing was so salty that it required a sip of water after each bite.

Duck salad

Next was a course of fish and vegetables.

The baked Chilean sea bass in salted yellow beans with morning glory was good but probably wouldn’t rival most miso-glazed versions I have had.

Sea bass

Wok- seared tiger prawns with citrus red curry sauce. More prawns? Don’t get me wrong I am a huge fan of prawns/shrimp and these were delicious but 3 dishes with shrimp seems a bit much. Served head-on (my favorite) in a thick curry this was probably one of the spicier dishes of the meal and was still fairly mild.

Tiger prawns

Stir-fried Asian vegetables with garlic and ginger-soy sauce were a fine side and a welcome green addition to the menu.

Last on the tasting menu was the organic chicken green curry, Thai eggplant and sweet basil. I love green curry. This was my favorite dish but sadly because it was served at the end because we were all so full by that point. I also didn’t have a chance to taste the short ribs (pictured below).

Green curry and short ribs

We somewhat regretted ordering a few extra dishes, as if what we were served was not enough already, but they were both very good. In addition to the four courses we had the crispy pork belly and a few extra bowls of their fried rice which is topped with cashews. The pork belly was super crisp and almost bacon-like. Delicious meatiness with the rich fat layered in between.

Pork belly

Fried rice

Since the service was bit lacking and we were seated so late, by this point half the table was pretty anxious to get up and leave to continue on with their Saturday evening plans.

Finally, for dessert we were served a flourless Valrhona chocolate cake with fresh cream wrapped in a banana leaf. The cream was unsweetened which I actually like but the cake was fairly aerated and bland so the two did not compliment each other well.

Chocolate cake

The more inspired of the two desserts was the banana spring rolls served with burnt honey ice cream. I love cooked bananas so this warm, crispy spring roll with gooey banana was a nice end to the meal.

Banana spring rolls

Kittichai is a fun restaurant for a group (if you are a bit luckier with the service), perfect for a work event or a date.

Filed Under: Drinks, Groups Tags: , , , Leave a comment
26
Jan

Crif Dogs / PDT – NYC

by ccwynne812   {1:29 am}

CRIF DOGS / PDT – NYC

113 St. Marks Place (nr. Ave A) New York, NY 10009

Date Dined: 1/17/12

Crif Dogs Entrance

With dozens of combinations to choose from and a few dogs created by famed NYC chefs, Crif Dogs is a foodie favorite spot of the Lower East Side in Manhattan. In honor of the recent long weekend, a few friends and I decided to meet for some drinks at PDT (Please Don’t Tell), a hidden cocktail lounge that can only be entered through a secret phone booth in the divey hot dog shop. Although it could be interpreted as gimmicky, one of my favorite trends of the past few years in the food and drink world has been all things secretive (think speakeasy). I am always intrigued by what lies behind a hidden door or at the end of a seemingly random alleyway. PDT is known for its excellent cocktails and also for the hot dogs they serve from their neighbor but the secrecy makes them all the more mysterious.

All of the dogs served at CD are made of naturally smoked beef and pork and dressed up in different ways(unless you want it naked!!). Some  sometimes people criticize it for having too many toppings that overshadow the hot dog itself. That may be true but I am definitely guilty of using the hot dog as a vehicle for as many toppings as possible myself so I wasn’t complaining by any means. We decided to do a tasting of a few hot dogs and a few sides. Apologies for the blurry photography which had to be done kind of sneakily…

Chang Dog: Chef David Chang’s dog was bacon wrapped and deep fried with Momofuku kimchi. It was crispy and juicy with the spice of house-made fermented vegetables. Good, but definitely a slightly acquired taste.

Chang Dog

Wylie Dog: I had high expectations for this one from the description- a deep fried dog with a Wd 50 hot dog bun, battered deep fried mayo, tomato molasses, shredded lettuce and dried onions- but in reality it turned out to be kind of bland. Too much bun and lettuce…??

Wylie Dog Front, Jack's Dog in Back

Jack’s Luxury Oyster Dog: Chef Nick Licata’s bacon wrapped deep fried dog with house made cocktail sauce , anchovy butter and shoestring potatoes blew the other Crif Dogs (and all other dogs) out of the water. This one had the perfect dog- to-bun-to-topping ratio and the crispiness of the bacon and fried potatoes added texture while the cocktail sauce gave a little tang. Delicious.

The Chihuahua: The Chihuahua is a simple combination that could probably be replicated at home. Crif Dogs’ hot dog wrapped in bacon and fried for some crunch topped with a refreshing combination of sour cream and avocado. Simplicity and freshness.

The Chihuahua

Tater tots: Sueños chef Sue Torres contributed to the menu with Mexican deep fried tots topped in chihuahua cheese, chorizo gravy, chile de arbol, chipotle cream and scallions. Although very flavorful, the meaty gravy made the tots pretty soggy and kind of gross to share with a bunch of people. Maybe this would work better on regular French fries?

Tater Tots

PDT is a great spot to indulge in well mixed libations and enjoy Crif Dogs’ over-the-top snacks with friends or with a date.

If you disagree, eat me.

Filed Under: Cheap Eats, Date Spot, Drinks Tags: , , , , 1 Comment