NYC Blog Post - 10.8.2013

This week's post has a couple East Village newbies but for the most part I headed uptown to traverse some new territory.  So for those in the UWS and Midtown who have felted neglected... enjoy!

EAST VILLAGE

Apiary
Apparently this restaurant has been around since 2008 yet hasn't "blown up" and I have no idea why.  Every time I walk by it I always think "this place is so cute; I need to try it!"  So when an old coworker from L.A. dropped into town I knew exactly where I wanted to go.  We did the chef's tasting menu which they adjust for allergies and also for "diner excitement."  What I mean by "diner excitement" is that if there is a dish on the menu you HAVE to try they will incorporate it into the tasting menu.  I think that's really cool.

The food was beautifully presented and delicious.  It took them awhile to take our order but that could've been because we were so busy catching up that they didn't want to disturb us.  The standouts were the Creekstone New York Strip steak with roasted shallots, creamed spinach and red wine jus (yes, we insisted on this one and it costs extra), the Grilled Octopus with romesco, baby arugula and lemon (another request) and the Hamachi Crudo with avocado, hearts of palm and jalapeno.  Everything just tasted like it came straight from a local farm/ocean.  And the warm chocolate cake and peach tarte tatin were the perfect desserts!  So impressed with this place.  Perfect for a date, family dinner or coworker outing.  Love it!

 

 

 

Babel
My friend was looking for the perfect place for her birthday.  Her criteria was to find a place that she didn't need a list to get all her friends in yet had a club feel with good dance music/vibe that didn't insist on us buying three bottles for an exorbitant amount of money to have the tiny table in the corner.  The fact that they serve hookah was a huge plus!

Babel was the perfect solution.  We had no problem getting everyone in and the manager even gave the birthday girl free shots.  When some of the birthday party got a little too rambunctious dancing on the booth they were very politely asked to get down (no one getting thrown out rashly, etc).  At one point a hookah was broken accidentally and they were still super nice about it.  I was really really impressed.  And it was worth it because I'm pretty sure we spent three times what we expected to because we were having so much fun.  THAT'S how you run a business!  I would 100% come back and highly recommend it for a night out with friends or a birthday.  On another random note I liked how it was a nice combination of lounge and hookah bar.  It wasn't overly themed.

Photo Credit: Babel Website

LOWER EAST SIDE

Chloe
I continue to have a love-hate relationship with this place.  I love the look of it, the fact that it's underground and the bouncer (he is the sh*t).  What don't I like?  The people there can be kind of weird/pretentious, it's often too empty to want to dance like an idiot (granted I'm there on random nights), and last time I was there a guy who worked there kept taking pictures of us without permission which was really off-putting and made me want to leave.  Not cool.  Hence this place is sort of dropping on my list of places to hit up late night especially when my alltime fav, Hotel Chantelle, is across the street.

 Photo Credit: Chloe Website

NOLITA

Ken and Cook
Another one that's been on the list for awhile.  I didn't even mean to eat here on Saturday.  My friend and I were running the East River knowing that we would "run to brunch" but I actually had a different place in mind.  Then my friend managed to get a side ache right in front of Ken and Cook and I thought to myself... how convenient!!

Best decision ever...this place is adorable and delicious.  I had the smoked salmon toast (it was a toss up with the fried chicken and biscuits but they had run out of biscuits so forget that).  The toast was thick and warm and toasty just the way I like it.  There was generous helping of fresh smoke salmon and a roast tomato that literally melted into tomato butter when I sunk my knife into and spread it on the bread.  I was in HEAVEN for the 60 seconds it took me to scarf this down.  I wanted to order another one.  I highly recommend and will definitely be back soon.

 Photo Credit: Ken and Cook Website

UPPER WEST SIDE

Jacob's Pickles
This place is all about two things: Pickles and Biscuits.  You don't say.  Those are two of my favorite things!  It took me about two seconds to order a plate of pickles and biscuits with all the fixings (house strawberry and orange preserves, clover honey, and organic butter).  This pretty much meant I just doused everything in honey.

It wasn't until my friend received her order that the food envy began.   I'm pretty sure this is the Southern B.L.T.  which is a biscuit with buttermilk fried chicken, fried green tomato, pickle slaw, and Niman ranch bacon.  As you can see from the photo it was a monster.  She had about two bites and tapped out at which point this B.L.T. and I tangoed.  After demolishing all of it I felt like a winner... until 30 minutes later when my large intestine tried to digest it.  Maybe next time I'll split!  Anyways, it was delicious, our waiter was hilarious and the restaurant has fun picnic table style seating conducive to making new friends.  My only comment was it was kind of expensive for pickles and biscuits.

I wouldn't go back just for a meal there since I'm lazy and this is in the UWS but if you happen by that area definitely make a pit stop.

Osteria Cotta
If you see a theme it's because I spent all day in the UWS.  Osteria was where my day began as part of a 20 person brunch.  We of course did the 2 hour unlimited drink menu with the purchase of a brunch entree.  The drinks were actually really good (mimosas, bloody mary, sangria) considering usually they are watered down or overly alcoholic when you do all-you-can-drink. 

We ordered the Eggs in Purgatory which is eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce with creamy polenta.  It was ALOT of polenta and not much egg but I still thought it was really good.  We also ordered a pizza (my friend and I shared our plates) and it was pretty good too although it had too much lettuce on it.  The waitress was a sweetheart and very patient and attentive considering the size of our party and the restaurant itself is cozy and homey.  I don't need to go back but I would recommend it if you find yourself on the UWS.

 

MIDTOWN

Akdeniz
I was uptown for a lunch meeting and my coworker suggested this place.  He said it was probably the best Turkish food he'd ever had.  It was quite the recommendation and I've always been fairly unimpressed with the food in midtown.  It was SO good!  I had the chicken kebabs and they were juicy and huge.  The assorted "salads" that we got before (babaganoush, hummus, etc) filled me up so I had to take half of it home.  It was just as good as a leftover.  Can't wait to hit this place up again.

Tre Dici Steak
I went here for a work dinner and was surprised at how good the food was considering we were ordering from a prix fix menu.  The winner of the night was the slow baked macaroni with homemade crushed plum tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, hand rolled mozzarella and fontina di val’dosta  finished with basil oil.  It was steaming hot.  The steak I was less impressed with as it was kind of over-done.  I snagged a bite of the lamb chops though and they were excellent.

Photo Credit: Tre Dici Website

 

 

NYC Weekly Blog Post - 3.26.2012

I hit up some new areas of Manhattan in the past two weeks which was super exciting!

CHELSEA

Ainsworth
I've been meaning to go here for awhile and just recently got around to it. Even with a group of four girls we still had to wait in line for over 20 minutes so ladies don't expect preferential treatment. The bar is huge with high ceilings which is a relief considering how packed it gets on sports weekends. Even when crowded it is relatively easy to get a drink from the bar. I would definitely come back here although it's much more "sports bar" than Bounce.

Photo Credit: Ainsworth Website

Red Cat
I'm always excited to discover new restaurants in Chelsea because I sometimes feel like Chelsea is under-loved in comparison to the West Village, Lower East Side, etc, when it comes to great food. Red Cat was half hit/half miss for me.

Photo Credit: Yelp.com

I'd been told the Saute of Zucchini with toasted almonds and pecorino was the most amazing thing ever and I found it pretty tasteless and overly cheesy.


My grilled salmon with sautéed baby bok choy, cremini and red curry butter was relatively good. The crust was really crispy which I really liked.


But the two dishes that impressed me the most were the burrata with eggplant caponata, sliced prosciutto and roasted peppers and the pistachio semifreddo with hot fudge, creme fraiche and brownie. The prosciutto was some of the best I've ever tasted and completed the dish.


The semifreddo was one of the best desserts I've ever had (and I'm a dessert freak). I do think the description on the menu was misleading. It's not so much a brownie as a dark cookie crust which has the mound of semifreddo on top covered with the hot fudge almost like a shell. Again. AMAZING. Would come back just for this.


EAST VILLAGE

The Redhead
Another place that has been on the list for months, I finally had a reason to head to the Redhead. This restaurant features a twist on Louisiana cajun food that I found both interesting and delicious. Not to mention they serve drop biscuits which are my favorite things on Earth. ALMOST as good as John O Groats which is a bold claim.

Photo Credit: The Redhead Website

We started with the housemade soft pretzels served with kentucky-style beer cheese which were okay. We had to wait almost an hour for a table as they won't even put you on the wait list until your entire party is there which is really frustrating.

But the dinner and the service more than made up for the wait and hey, it was a peak time on a Friday night so understandable. Our server's name was Bill which I wanted to point out because he was great! He even gave me a side of biscuit which isn't a normal side because I so desperately wanted some and they only come with the fried chicken plate which I didn't want for dinner even though I've heard it's amazing.


Instead I went with the red wine braised short rib pot roast with sweet carrot puree and pot vegetables. The short rib was perfectly cook and melted in my mouth. It also wasn't too sweet which was nice.


I also got a taste of the roasted duck gumbo with andouille sausage and carolina rice. That dish packs a KICK but was delicious.


Whiskey Town
I can't remember if I referenced this bar back at the beginning of the blog when I visited New York in October of 2011 but the location I went to had closed and I thought this bar was gone forever. Turns out it just moved! The new location fits the theme of the restaurant even better. Granted I'd just had my birthday and walked up with an expired ID so they almost didn't let me in. Luckily my friend is close with the owner who made an exception just this once so I didn't have to go all the way home to get my passport. The place obviously focuses on whiskey drinks so that's what I suggest getting there. I drank wine which wasn't very good but expected. You can also order beers which come in a Whiskey Town koozy that you get to keep! I probably won't be back simply because I'm not a huge whiskey fan but if you are you should definitely check this place out.

Photo Credit: Dave H. from Yelp.com

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Bridge Cafe
I met up with friends for brunch at the Bridge Cafe near the South Side Seaport. The cafe is part of a building that has been around since 1794 which adds a cozy history to the place. It's agreed to be the oldest drinking establishment in New York City (older than McSorley's). However, the "establishment" has changed names and purposes from bar to porter house to brothel to cafe.

Photo Credit: Bridge Cafe Website

You can order the Bridge Cafe brunch for $24 which includes an alcoholic drink (Bloody Mary, Mimosa, etc), an appetizer and an entree. It's way too much food. I ordered the corn & red onion fritters which were to carb-y for me but the jalapeno cheddar sauce they came in was tasty although not spicy enough.


Since I'd gone savory with the appetizer I opted for the honey glazed fruit crepes with sweet peppered apple wood smoked bacon and over roasted potatoes and onions. I was already full but the crepes were still well done. The bacon was WAY too sweet and the texture was moist and honestly disgusting. The potatoes were mushy and cold. I was not impressed. The Bloody Mary was overly salted and didn't come with any vegetables - LAME.

While it was cool to eat in a historical landmark I can't say it will last long with this menu.



MEATPACKING

Fig and Olive
I have been desperate to go to this restaurant and I have never been more disappointed! I ordered the 3 for $10 crostinis which came on kind of soggy bread and were pretty tasteless considering they were topped by some of my all-time favorite ingredients.

• Roasted Bell Pepper, Ricotta, Caper
• Copa, Chèvre, Scallion, Honey, Almond
• Prosciutto, Ricotta, Fig, Olive, Walnut

I was so unimpressed that I tried again and ordered the French Omelet with fine herbs, scallion, chive, asparagus and goat cheese. The only difference is I ordered it as a scramble instead an omelet. Also tasteless!


It was a huge shame because the decor of the restaurant is light, airy and beautiful. Almost like eating in a cloud. And the menu from a glance has all the types of foods I love. I am honestly astounded at how bland the actual dishes were. I left feeling really bummed! Not to mention hurting in the wallet - way expensive considering how bad the food was.

Photo Credit: Fig and Olive Website

LOWER EAST SIDE

Ella Lounge
Yet another one on the list, I randomly ended up here very late on Saturday to meet up with some friends who had a table. You definitely need a name to get at that time on a Saturday even as a lone girl showing up. The bouncer at the front was at least apologetic and not a jerk about it until I referenced the name on the table at which point I was immediately let in.

The place is tiny but has great music and awesome Moulin Rouge-esk decor. The upstairs is almost completely taken up by the bar and few tables while downstairs in the "cellar" are more booths and a dance floor. Most people who have tables are downstairs so don't be discouraged. The guy at the top of the stairs had no idea that my friend had a table so I had to be pretty firm until he went down and checked.

Great dance party, drunken crowd. I'm actually going back tonight.

Photo Credit: Ella Website

Viktor and Spoils
My friend had her birthday here on a Friday which meant immediate entry into this difficult-to-find bar. Once inside I was blinded by the crazy decor which includes a wall covered in highlighter-filled liquor bottles. The DJ that night was amazing and the margaritas and mini tacos also looked pretty fantastic although they were HORRIBLY expensive. I spent $68 on three mixed drinks and a glass of wine which is ridiculous. I had a good time although the crowd could've been better. It was a little too tame for me.

Photo Credit: Viktor and Spoils Website

WEST VILLAGE

Little Owl
I finally resigned myself to bearing the two hour wait to eat here because I so badly wanted to try it. Saturday dawned with a deluge of raindrops causing the streets of New York to clear out. So I walked in for brunch and got a table immediately. SCORE. I had the beignettes with nutella and raspberry sauce and the gravy meatball sliders made with a combination of beef, pork, veal and pecorino.


The beignettes were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside although a little too raspberry-tasting for me (not a huge fan of fruit sauce). They were still almost perfect though. The sliders on the other hand were perfect. The three meats combined together gave them a unique, delicious taste and they had been cooked in the gravy rather than having it poured on top which made them seem healthier and also not too rich.


The place itself was small and very homey. The staff seemed a little all over the place but they were still very friendly. I would definitely come back but probably for dinner as the brunch menu was somewhat limiting...

Photo Credit: Little Owl Website

Mole
I've lately been on a quest for non-Italian food in New York because I've been eating a ton of Italian. Coming from Los Angeles, I'm always nervous about Mexican restaurants but I was having a bad day and nothing makes a day better than an amazing margarita. And boy does Mole have amazing margaritas. I tried the Sex in a Mexican Prison (tequila, cranberry juice and a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice) and the Smoky Margarita (tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice and Mezcal float). Not to sweet and definitely strong.

My Mexican restaurant go-to is always enchiladas so I had to order the enchiladas de "Mole Poblano" which is three chicken enchiladas with imported mole sauce and melted cheese. They were very good and a large portion which was nice but the mole sauce was a little too chocolatey and rich for me. I could barely eat half of one.


Since enchiladas are such standard fare, I asked the waiter for a unique dish that we could also try that we can't find at every Mexican restaurant. We ended up with the craziest sounding dish on the menu - the Cochinita Pibil with is a traditional “Yucatan” platter of shredded pork marinated in “axiote paste” then wrapped and roasted in banana leaves, served with the traditional pickled onions, salsa verde and black beans. It was BUENO. The axiote paste is VERY spicy though (my stomach was pretty angry at me the next day) so it is not for the faint of heart. The pickled onions were pretty done and it comes with flour tortillas so you can make a wrap with all the ingredients. A great dish - I'm so glad I gambled.


Lastly, the restaurant itself was hopping for a Tuesday night. It was packed both at the tables and at the bar which was impressive. One thing to note is if you are looking for a romantic place to have a quiet chat or a place for a large group it will be hard to do here since you are packed in right next to each other but for a dinner with a friend to lift the spirits it was perfect.

Photo Credit: Mole Website

Spasso
Watch out ABC Kitchen because Spasso is SO close to passing you up! This place I randomly ran by about a week ago and it looked cute so I decided to go there with a friend just because. We had the pappardelle with braised oxtail ragu and ricotta salata and the risotto with braised pork belly, burrata, and caramelized onions. Both pastas were INCREDIBLE. The pasta was super fresh, the meats perfectly cooked and the cheese was added in just the right amount. I was literally stunned. The wine selection by the glass was also great. They also have outdoor seating on Hudson Street which is ideal for people-watching! A MAJOR hidden gem.

As a side note I ended up there randomly to meet friends for brunch (I'd already eaten at Fig and Olive) and their brunch dishes looked phenomenal. I will be back multiple times to this restaurant both for the food and the service which is also impeccable.

Photo Credit: Spasso Website