Oasis Or Mirage

SushiSamba 7

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Well, once this Nobu knock off was featured on Sex and the City I guess we could have all figured it was downhill from there. SushiSamba's second location brings us to a very awkward area in Manhattan as it lies on the outskirts of the West Village where it almost begins to become Tribeca/Soho. The space of the restaurant is pretty large with a small dining room and lounge on the first floor and the larger dining room and rooftop bar/lounge on the second floor. The decor is strikingly similar to SushiSamba Park, which quite frankly needs to be renovated, and features the large circular lights on the ceiling and brightly colored banquettes and walls. Though the restaurant must have been impressive when it first opened back in the early 2000s, the decor has not withstood the test of time and can't hold up to that of its competition (Tao, Nobu and Ajna Bar for example).

The food is mainly Japanese but with a slight Peruvian influence. The menu attempts to put a Spanish spin on most of the cooked food but it really comes across as more of a Pan Asian menu than anything else. Though on this visit I came to SushiSamba to see how the sushi was in comparison to its other restaurant on Park Avenue South. My visits to the Gramercy location have been mediocre at best and I wouldn't exactly go there unless I were in the area. However, I wouldn't even go to this SushiSamba in the West Village if I were even in the area. I basically ordered the basics, tuna, yellowtail, salmon just to see how it was and it turns out I am very glad I didn't order anymore. The fish was not fresh at all, especially the yellowtail, and the rice tasted strongly of vinegar. If SushiSamba can't even master the basics of a simple tuna roll, why would I return for their more complex specialty rolls.

Though I can not comment on their cooked food, I certainly won't be returning to SushiSamba for their Japanese food. Though it is reasonably priced for an upscale Japanese restaurant, the food does not even come close to its competitors. The decor is outdated and I wouldn't exactly come here for the "lounge" atmosphere (the "No hats, boots or sweatpants after 6 PM" sign at the door of the restaurant is a strong indicator of how it is inside at night). Overall, there are much better places to go for if you're in search of a trendy Japanese restaurant.

Tao

2012-01-12T12:05:00.001-05:00

The last time I visited Tao was at least 3 years ago, and many times before that, and it was generally a positive experience. I used to go to Tao often as it was really one of the few restaurants uptown that could combine both style and great food into one restaurant. However, on my recent visit to Tao I've noticed the restaurant has taken a turn for the worse. The restaurant is still beautiful and the giant Buddha sitting at the front of the main dining room is still as impressive as it was when Tao opened back in 2000. The restaurant has taken much more of a club vibe by featuring dancers and electric violinists during dinner service.

However, the menu has had a few changes over the past few years and the cuisine has changed from Japanese and Chinese to much heavier Thai influence. There is still a full sushi menu as well as several Chinese options, but I do see a much larger portion of the menu dedicated to Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Unfortunately Tao cannot fully guarantee there will be no cross-contamination with the food so I had to stick to the sushi menu just to be safe. Since I was apart of a large group, we were served a platter with everything off the sushi menu so I did get a chance to sample everything Tao offered. The sushi was a bit disappointing and I do remember it being much better on previous visits. There was an unnecessary amount of rice in the individual pieces and the fish was not as fresh as it used to be. The tuna specifically was a bit tough and the yellowtail was fishy though the salmon was a safe option. In regards to the cooked food, though I did not get a chance to try it on this visit the presentation did look a bit sloppy but I didn't hear any complaints from the other diners at the table.

Perhaps Tao Group has put more energy into their newer restaurant Lavo across the street or perhaps with time Tao is beginning to deteriorate. While it remains a solid option when looking for a lavish restaurant in Midtown/Upper East Side, the kitchen definitely has seen better days and perhaps Tao could create a peanut/nut free menu since their regular menu is now a lot more dangerous for those who have nut allergies.

Meatball Shop (West Village)

2012-01-11T10:59:00.000-05:00

After hearing only great things about the Meatball Shop, I kind of had to try it. Though its not a place that I would normally go to, the fact that an outpost just opened on Greenwich Street, since I rarely go to the Lower East Side or Williamsburg, gave me that extra motivation to finally check it out. The restaurant doesn't take reservations and can get quite packed during prime-time hours as it is a pretty small place. The decor is pretty rustic and homey with a white subway tilled bar and dark wood floors. The front of the restaurant features mostly bar seating while the back has a communal table and a few scattered tables. The open kitchen is also a nice touch as well.

The menu mainly consists of meatball sliders and heros but surprisingly there are a good amount of vegetarian options as well. Meatball Shop offers beef, chicken and pork meatballs and one "vegetable ball". The sliders are $3 each while the heroes are $9 which I would say is quite reasonable. The menus are on a laminated sheet that you check off with a dry-erase marker and then hand to your server. Its a good idea but I did feel like its easy to mistakenly erase something and mess up the order more so than if the server just wrote it down on a pad. The portions are generous and the food is decent. The meatballs, while not the best I've ever had, and the hero managed to stay together the entire meal (nothing is more annoying than when the kitchen overstuffs the sandwich and it all falls apart in your plate). I'd personally go for the traditional beef meatballs but the chicken meatballs are a lighter and good option as well.

To be honest, The Meatball Shop serves food you really can't complain about. Its a step up from normal deli heroes and meatballs and the menu is priced well. Though I'm not running back anytime soon, The Meatball Shop is a great family place or just a good place to eat at when you don't know where to go and are in the area. It won't disappoint you but don't expect anything out of this world either.

Employees Only

2012-01-04T14:08:00.001-05:00

Possibly the most hyped bar in Manhattan, Employees Only is located in the West Village. Employees Only has been featured on numerous "Best Bars/Cocktails" lists and it also features a full menu which definitely merited a visit. Employees Only seeks to be a speakeasy that is influenced by the prohibition era during the 1920s and 1930s. Though it really isn't much of a speakeasy, especially since there is a sign notifying you that it is Employees Only, the bar area does look like something straight out of the prohibition era. However, the dining room in the back does not really match the decor of the front of the room as it looks rather dated and dull. There is a psychic in the entrance of the bar which is a tad bit gimmicky for my taste but after the fake pawn shop at Beauty and Essex, I'll let that slide. The bartenders are all very hipster looking and have matching Employees Only tattoos. How does this tie in with the speakeasy/prohibition theme, I'm not quite sure though it is a nice touch.

The menu consits of upscale American bar food with a bit of English and Italian influence as well. Their most popular dish is the Hand-Cut Steak Tartare and the menu also has a few pasta dishes and the an unexpected Elk Loin. Despite a full menu, most people go to Employees Only for the award winning cocktails. The list is split into signature cocktails and "Fancy" cocktails, not that there is a difference really. Despite Employees Only's numerous awards and mentions, the cocktails, I find, are mediocre at best. The Billionaire's Cocktail was quite bitter and I've had a better Pimm's Cup at The Lambs Club. Quite frankly I'd much rather put in the extra $8 and go to the Boom Boom Room for drinks. The Steak Tartare was a more Americanized take on the dish by adding Worcester sauce to the dish. I felt this detracted from the taste of the actual dish but I'm sure the increasingly bridge & tunnel crowd Employees Only has been attracting lately doesn't mind a bit! However, I did enjoy the bar-side preparation of the dish.

I find that Employees Only is mediocre at best and there are much better places in the city to get drinks (Rose Bar and Boom Boom Room are two other and better options). The food is average and so are the drinks. I'll admit the bartenders provide excellent service but if it's a good drink I'm looking for I think I'll venture elsewhere!

Beauty and Essex

2012-01-04T11:24:00.003-05:00

After much hype about Tao Group's new restaurant, I had to go try it. Though in an area I rarely frequent, the Lower East Side, I felt Beauty and Essex merited a visit. Beauty and Essex has the same concept as the near by restaurant The Stanton Social, which is also owned by Tao Group. The menu is set up similarly to The Stanton Social's meaning that it features small tapas style dishes and a few entrees. However, the entrees are also small portioned so its best to stick to the small plates and order about two to four of them for a complete meal. Beauty and Essex essentially looks like an upscale lounge more so than a restaurant. Aside from the neutral color dining room with a beautiful skylight, the decor mainly caters to women. To make women forget about the trip down two flights of stairs to go to the bathroom, there's free champagne given out by the bathroom attendant. Unfortunately, men do not get to share that luxury at Beauty and Essex. The pink hued upstairs bar is located next to the small lounge with an ornate chandelier. However, you can not forget the entrance of Beauty and Essex which is through a faux pawn shop. I would say the restaurant is a hidden restaurant similar to that of La Esquina, but the huge lit up "Beauty and Essex" sign kind of gives it away.

Though the decor at Beauty and Essex is nice, the menu and execution of the food is where my visit took a turn for the worse. The menu itself is kind of all over the place and had both an Italian and heavy Asian influence with a bit of American mixed in there as well. The menu ranges from General Tso's Monkfish to Tuna Poke Wonton Tacos to Parsnip Ravioli. The wine list is also poorly constructed and rather pricy. The cheapest wine is $46 and comes with a screw-top (as do most of the reasonably priced wines on the menu). If the menu had some recognizable and notably good wines, such as the $60 Chaning Daughter Rose I had at The Lion, I would have gladly purchased that instead. Also, if I am going to a restaurant such as Beauty and Essex I would hope that any wine I ordered would at least have a cork (I don't think I'm asking for too much). Usually the menu is explained before you order, like at The Stanton Social, but since there is a specific place for entrees, unlike when I visited The Stanton Social, I had assumed that the entrees would be a regular entree portion. Though I am used to small portions, after dining out in New York you begin to become accustomed to half a plate of pasta being passed of as a full portion, but at Beauty and Essex this was taken a bit too far. The Chicken Meatballs, apparently their most popular dish according to my waitress, consisted of three mushy chicken meatballs in a truffle based sauce with a scoop of heavy ricotta cream on top. The Garganelli (similar to Penne) in a bolognese sauce was overcooked and inedible. The setting of the table was also bizarre. Along with the Garganelli we got a giant salad serving fork (used for what you might ask, I still have no idea) and the salad fork was the same size as the dinner fork which is something I have never experienced at a restaurant.

Though the service and decor are good, the food is where Beauty and Essex fails. The menu is too scattered to really be good at one particular type of cuisine and the execution is awful as well. Given how "out of the way" Beauty and Essex is for me to begin with, I highly doubt I will be returning anytime soon.

Armani Ristorante

2011-12-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

On the roof of the relatively new Armani flagship store on 5th Avenue sits a modern Italian restaurant mainly built for the tourists that come in and out of the store. The restaurant itself has its own separate entrance from the store itself but during store hours you can access the restaurant through the store's elevator. The restaurant's location within the Armani store looks as if they had a bit of extra space left over and didn't know what to do with it as it takes up a bit less than half of one floor. However, the restaurant itself is decorated very simply with modern looking black chairs and white tables and a few circular booths scattered throughout the restaurant. Its a very chic and modern decor and matches the rest of the store perfectly. There is, however, a bit of a pretentious vibe given off when you first enter the restaurant by the maître d. Even though the restaurant was half empty during my lunch visit, we still had to wait 10 minutes for a table for two but then again when visiting an upscale Italian restaurant there's a bit of attitude is to be expected.

The menu features refined Italian dishes that would please any Park Avenue housewife. Of course you have the essentials for any upscale Italian restaurant such as Beef Carpaccio and an array of salads to choose from but what is surprising is the $33 pre-fixe lunch menu. However, since I was having dinner at Sushi Gari later that evening I chose to save my appetite and just get the Bavette Sul Pesce and the Spaghettini. The Bavette consisted of Bavette pasta, similar to linguini, with an array of seafood in a light sauce. The bavette itself was very al dente, though some people do prefer it that way, and the portion size was far too small to justify the $28 price-tag. The sauce was also very oily and left a very greasy feeling in my mouth afterwards. The Spaghettini was similar to the Bavette except it had sea urchin in it as well. This dish was mediocre at best and featured such a small amount of sea urchin that it was laughable.

Since I haven't heard much about Armani Ristorante I suppose I should not have set my expectations so high. While the space is beautiful, the service is a bit pretentious and the food leaves much to be desired. My suggestion is checking it out once if this is a place you are very interested in or if you really need a nice place to have a quick lunch while shopping on 5th avenue. Frankly the food is not good enough to make this my regular Italian spot. For this price range I'd much rather Sfoglia, Cipriani or even Nello.

Boulud Sud

2011-11-02T22:05:00.001-04:00

After a long break I'm finally back to posting reviews. To be honest, this summer I began exploring New York nightlife spots rather than restaurants (which you may see reviews for in the future) but now I think its about time I begin updating my blog again. And the first restaurant I'll review is Daniel Boulud's latest venture: Boulud Sud.

Daniel Boulud's latest restaurant happens to be strategically located in Lincoln Center next to Bar Boulud. Expect a lot of pre-theater patrons and Upper West Side families looking for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired fare. The restaurant is a bit bland when you first walk in with the baige walls and the main dining room that kind of looks like a museum cafe, but the food speaks for itself.

The menu is split into three parts: From The Garden, From The Sea and From The Farm. All three menu portions are then separated into small plates and larger plates. The dishes range from northern European countries all the way down south to southern Italy and Northern Africa. From the Farm I sampled the Chicken Tagine which was served with a side of turnips and spinach. I chose to select a dish with a Northern African influence as I was interested to see what Daniel Boulud would do with a dish that differed significantly from what he would normally serve. I was pleasantly surprised with the dish as it was a much lighter take on Moroccan food. The chicken was very moist and none of the flavors were overbearing and strong like I find some Moroccan food to be.

Overall I was very pleased with Boulud Sud. Though the restaurant is a bit bland looking, the food itself is fantastic. My recommendation would be to go with the Pre-Theatere menu for $55 which is easily one of the best options if you need a quick meal before catching the Ballet at the Met!

Tutto Il Giorno

2011-07-27T19:48:00.000-04:00

Conde Nast CEO Steve Florio decided to give the very humble Sag Harbor its own chic Italian eatery of its own. South Hampton has Sant Ambroeus (and now a new Tutto Il Giorno outpost opened by Donna Karan's daughter), East Hampton has Nick & Toni and Sag Harbor has Tutto Il Giorno. Its basically the place to be when in Sag Harbor. The all white wood interior gives a very Hamptons feel to this intimate (38 seats to be exact) Italian restaurant. Tutto Il Giorno is also a great place to people watch as the upscale clientele ranges from those living/renting in the Hamptons to those in the fashion industry (Betsey Johnson was having lunch in the bar area during my visit). The menu is a very "Hamptons Italian" menu featuring more refined, light, Italian dishes such as Kobe Beef Carpachio and Spaghetti in a light Pesto sauce.

To start I had the Papardelle with Bay Scallops, Roasted Peppers in a spicy "Sette Fratelli" sauce. The papardelle was a homemade tri-colored pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with a good amount of fresh scallops. The peppers in the dish were a bit overpowering though the freshness of the ingredients did make up for that. As an entree I ordered the Branzino which was a fresh sea bass poached in a white wine and light tomato sauce. The fish was buttery and obviously very fresh and the white wine sauce made for a very light and simple dish. I would much rather have a very simple dish be excellent than a more complex dish where the flavors don't work well with one another. Another thing I noticed about the food at Tutto Il Giorno was that the portions were very generous. I ordered a half portion of the Papardelle and quite frankly the full portion didn't differ much from the half portion.

I did enjoy my visit to Tutto Il Giorno and will be returning soon when I visit Sag Harbor again. The clientele and the restaurant are great to look at and the food is interesting enough to convince me to have a second visit!

Bar Italia

2011-07-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

Finally there's another option on Madison Avenue besides Nello! Bar Italia just opened up a few months ago on 66th and Madison. Bar Italia caters mainly to the older Upper East Side crowd (rather than Nello who caters to the older Upper East Side crowd, their children, occasionally Beyonce and Jay-z and Russian billionaires) the food is actually moderately priced for the area and the quality is in a completely different ballpark. Bar Italia is where Frederick used to be (a former Madison Avenue favorite) so Bar Italia has some big shoes to fill. The restaurant is very sterile with its all white interior but things such as the TV in the back (which normally I despise but in Bar Italia's case it helped it not be as stuffy) and a slightly downtown looking engraved wall helped bring a fun vibe to the otherwise mature restaurant.

Bar Italia is one of the few Italian restaurants in New York to have a gluten free menu. The menu is a bit confusing at a first glance (the regular and the gluten free menu could have been separated a bit better) but there are the pizzas, pastas and of course: the salads for Upper East Side housewives. To start I had the Pizza Margherita and the Tagliolini al Tartufo with black truffles and parmigano as an entree. The pizza struck me as a bit too Americanized when it was first brought out to the table. It honestly didn't look like a brick oven pizza but rather an American pizza but in a brick oven pie's size. However this pizza did taste like a brick oven pizza nor was it overly oily like what you would find in other New York pizzerias (Pulino's for instance). The Tagliolini al Tartufo is possibly one of the greatest values on Madison Avenue. Usually a dish containing any type of actual truffle would easily cost upwards of $50 but at Bar Italia it costs $26 (Nello charges $120 for the same dish). The pasta was cooked perfectly and the tartufo wasn't overbearing or heavy. If you want a good pasta dish with high quality ingredients at a not so exorbitantly expensive price, get the Tagliolini al Tartufo at Bar Italia.

Bar Italia is the best Italian restaurant on Madison easily if you're not looking for people watching. If that's more your thing go to Nello or Sant Ambroeus but if you want good food with great service while still being on Madison Avenue, Bar Italia is the place to be!

Blue Caravan

2011-06-20T22:36:00.000-04:00

Blue Caravan is a new global restaurant in the Upper West Side. The menu features influences from many parts of the globe but does tend to put an Asian twist of certain dishes. When you walk in there's a lovely bar area with a nice communal table that's great for those in the area or people to get after work drinks (every Monday night live music is featured). The long and narrow restaurant helps set the mood with certain touches such as its artwork and the friendly service also makes its patrons feel like they're at home.

Mei Chau creates a menu that hits virtually every point on the globe while keeping true to her Malaysian roots. Dishes such as the Calamari with a soy reduction and blood orange sauce. The Bruschetta with truffles, Parmesan and rockets was a fantastic ode to Italy. I really enjoyed Blue Caravan's new take on this traditional Italian dish. The truffles and Parmesan weren't heavy together which made for a great dish. Up next were the calamari I was talking about earlier, porcini and sweet pea arancini and chicken satays. I couldn't fairly tell you how the satays really were since I couldn't have the peanut sauce they were paired with (the sauce is a main component of satays) but the calamari were good though the sauce did become a bit overbearing as you continued eating it. The Porcini and Sweet Pea Arancini however were very good and I feel that the more bland flavor of this dish went well with the sweetness of the calamari. Lastly I had the Tumeric Salmon. I felt the salmon was cooked well but the dish was a bit more bland than I expected (perhaps due to the coconut milk). Though I am glad the coconut milk was included in the dish as it masked the flavor of the ginger which tends to be heavy and overbearing. But the mango pie for dessert more than made up for this with its sweet flavor and fresh mango (it almost tasted exactly like an apple pie)!

Overall I did enjoy my visit to Blue Caravan. The menu is well thought out and the decor is very nice for a family dinner or just a quick visit for drinks. I'd be sure to go back especially on Mondays for their live music!

Whitmans

2011-06-12T16:37:00.000-04:00

One of the restaurants I had to try when I got back from college: Whitman's. Whitman's is one of the few places in New York that you can get a Juicy Lucy hamburger (The Stumble Inn on 2nd Avenue is another place). A Juicy Lucy burger, invented in Minneapolis, is a cheeseburger but rather than having the cheese on top of the burger it oozes out of the patty. Once I heard that this burger was available in New York I had to go out and get one. Whitman's is a small burger place on 9th street. There is a small bar/cafe area on top and downstairs is the dining room. The upstairs is kind of confusing design wise as it had both white subway tiles and exposed brick but the downstairs feels like a quaint country house. The servers are very kind and the whole place makes you feel like you're at home.

The menu is almost entirely made of hamburger dishes (I believe there was one salad option). But then again you're not coming to Whitman's for a vegetarian dinner but rather to have a good hamburger. I had ordered the Juicy Lucy and fries on my visit. The burger is a bit on the smaller side so someone who eats a lot may want to order two. To make up for that, the fries can be shared by two people which is always nice. The Juicy Lucy is stuffed with pimento cheese rather than American and has caramelized onions on it as well. At first you don't really taste the cheese but once you reach the middle you notice the cheese starts to ooze out of the center. I would have liked to see more cheese in the burger but it still was very tasty and overall a good NYC burger.

The main reason to go to Whitman's is for the Juicy Lucy burger. Its a good burger to try once and it did convince me to come back for more but if there was a wait outside of the restaurant (which I'm told there is on certain nights) I wouldn't wait it. Whitman's for me is like a less hyped version of The Spotted Pig, its good but I wouldn't wait 45 minutes to eat there.

RE-REVIEW: Juliet Supper Club

2011-06-07T22:03:00.000-04:00

I visited Juliet Supper Club last October and had a wonderful time. The food was less than stellar but the atmosphere was fantastic (which is why people to to Juliet, let's be honest). This time around the food was even worse (the menu has switched to Italian from Mediterranean...someone is trying to copy Lavo I see) and the crowd was the worst I've seen at any club in New York. I again went to Juliet for dinner to not have to deal with their absurd door policy. Juliet doesn't really discriminate based on appearance or money but rather just keeps everyone packed outside to make the club seem more exclusive. The night I went the second time was hip hop night which I'm not against however, the crowd was very bridge & tunnel and unsophisticated. And when I'm paying $22 for a drink I shouldn't have to be subjected to that kind of crowd.

Juliet has changed their menu from Mediterranean but not for the better. The food is still awful and inedible. I got the lobster pasta this time which consisted of black squid ink fettuccine and lobster in a butter sauce. The dish was so heavily drenched in butter to cover up the frozen and fishy taste of the lobster that there was no way I could eat it. I didn't want to complain about the dish but my waiter did ask me why I left basically the entire entree on my plate. I reluctantly told him that the dish wasn't very good and, while very understanding, attempted to convince me that Juliet actually ships in fresh lobster daily. Give me a break, who does Juliet think they are Le Cirque?

Quite frankly this may be the last time I will be visiting Juliet. I may give it more more chance but its very unlikely. The food was awful both times I visited and while I had fun one night, this time around the club was so bad I left at 12 AM. Basically the only reason go to eat at Juliet is if you can't pass the club's "door policy" and for the club I guess it really depends on what night you go as it can be very hit or miss.

75 Main

2011-05-30T23:18:00.002-04:00

I've passed by 75 Main while in Southampton numerous times and the restaurant has always seemed packed and it appeared to be a worthwhile restaurant. The front of the restaurant was filled but unfortunately as you got to the back the restaurant became empty and there wasn't a single patron in the back of the restaurant. What I did find in the back was a DJ playing music you would find at a Day & Night brunch to a nearly empty restaurant. While I did appreciate the effort of 75 Main trying to make the place more lively, the blasting music became a bit awkward as my meal progressed. When I researched 75 Main I realized why the restaurant was trying so hard. Zach Erdem, the former General Manager of Nello and Nello Summertimes, is now the General Manager of 75 Main and is trying to revamp the restaurant and turn it around. The more I read up on 75 Main the more it seemed like a rip off of Nello. I read a Curbed article about a 20 person bar fight breaking out at 75 Main last summer and I've heard of numerous fights breaking out at Nello on Madison Avenue. The clientele looked mostly like those who you would find at STK on a Friday night, very "Jersey Shore" so to speak.

As if the restaurant couldn't be possibly be going more downhill the food wasn't good as well. The Crab Cakes were the only good thing I had that day. The portion was very small, I got one normal sized crab cake for $14, but there was a decent amount of crab in the crab cake and the crust was flaky and the inside was moist. The Chilean Sea Bass was a really poor dish overall. The Sea Bass was pan seared and came with a side of fingerling potatoes, zucchini, squash and sun dried tomatoes.

After visiting 75 Main I realized it was going downhill. The food is mediocre and the crowds are awful (think Neptune Beach in Hampton Bays invading Southampton). If I were Nello I'd be very happy to give away my manager as Nello is now thriving with their Saturday parties at the "Nello South Beats Lounge" and 75 Main is drawing in a much older crowd with ridiculously themed parties. Jamaican Dancehall night in Southampton...really 75 Main?

Those who have been reading my blog over the past few months may have noticed a few comments on this particular post from "anonymous" who is claiming to be the owner of 75 Main. He/She (though I know who the owner is I will leave his/her name out since I assume they wish to remain "anonymous") has been claiming that I did, in fact, not eat at his/her restaurant but am just writing a negative review for no reason. I decided to take the comments down due to the language used in them but some of the comments read:

"bulls**t review you never been in this place
show me the bill that shows you were in my restaurant i will give you $5000.00,,,but you have no ba**s

jealous person (i dont know if you are really person or ......) get a life i see your review that you hate nellos but your brain does not take that i HAVE NOTHING TO DO NELLOS" posted June 9, 2011 8:19 PM

and

"you are idiot" posted July 8, 2011 1:45 AM

First of all I would love to commend him/her for their excellent grammar. Secondly, I have never nor will ever write a review if I have never been to the restaurant, that would defeat the purpose of my blog.

In regards to his/her comment about having anything to do with Nello, I never said that you are still currently affiliated with Nello in some way, shape or form but rather that you used to, in the past, have a position there. My point is that I am here to write only honest reviews about places that I have dined at. While I respect your decision to disagree with my review, I do have the right to share my dining experiences with my readers.

Also I found this photo on the75 Main website:

The photo in the middle, the location at which this photo was taken seems very familiar...maybe it could be Nello Summertime in Southampton! So much for not having anything to do with Nello...

Surf Lodge

2011-05-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

Well its that time of year again...Memorial Day weekend! And of course everyone in New York City leaves the city at least for one of the three days to go to the Hamptons where all the action happens this weekend. With all of the parties and places to go this weekend it was kind of hard choosing what to do. There was the openings of SL East, The Elm and Axe Lounge at Dune Southampton as well as Day & Night in Montauk, live music at the Surf Lodge, the launch of the lounge at Nello Summertime, the Blue & Cream anniversary at the Georgica and the Hamptons staple: Nick & Toni. I chose to go to Surf Lodge for dinner and the launch party at Nello in Southampton.

Surf Lodge is basically the only hot-spot in Montauk that attracts people from the city. While the locals may not like it due to the large and noisy crowds Surf Lodge brings in, no one can attest the fact that people will take that extra 20 minute drive from Southampton to go to Surf Lodge on a good night. Surf Lodge is a hotel, restaurant and lounge all in one. The lounge is outside and features its own version of bottle service tables, two bars and and a seating area off to the side in front of Fort Pond. Patrons can also swim in Fort Pond when at the lounge which I found interesting (think of it like a more chic version of the hot tub at Le Bain).

The restaurant is normally booked solid, especially on holiday weekends, but if you go early you'll probably get a table (which is what I did). The indoor portion of the restaurant is nice but the outside seating is where all the action is. The view overlooks Fort Pond and the sunset is great if you're lucky enough to get one of the outermost tables but sadly if you get seated in the wrong spot your view happens to be the power plant just across the pond. The menu is very "Hamptons" meaning you get your fix of oysters, mussels, linguine with seafood and lobster rolls. To start I ordered the special of the day which was Tuna Tartare and the Lobster Roll. The Tuna Tartare was prepared on a tortilla chip with pineapple. I really enjoyed the salty flavors of the tortilla chip and fruity flavor of the pineapple. Also the tuna used in the dish was fresh which is always a plus. The Lobster Roll was actually quite different than most lobster rolls you'll get in the Hamptons. Instead of being prepared with mayonnaise, this lobster roll had just the claw meat with a bit of parsley and was in a hot dog bun. I actually liked this more than the traditional lobster roll since I find that tends to always be too overpowered by the mayonnaise.The service was very attentive though the man who was working at the lobby was very pretentious and condecending. Also drinks are served in plastic cups which was rather off putting considering this was the Surf Lodge (and no the plastic cups don't make the vibe more "beachy" and casual when you're paying $13 a drink).

Despite the one employee who was less than pleasant and the plastic cups and the power-plant that was kind of in the way of the view, I did enjoy my visit to Surf Lodge. The kitchen serves surprisingly good food and the place draws in a great crowd. I can understand why people who live in Montauk aren't too fond of Surf Lodge but its a great spot to start off your night (or to spend your night since there's live music at 7 PM and sometimes a DJ at 10 PM)!

Miss Lily's

2011-05-17T22:33:00.001-04:00

Today I visited the second restaurant on my list of restaurants I needed to visit when I got back to New York, Miss Lily's. Miss Lilly's is the new Jamaican restaurant opened by Serge Becker of La Esquina, Cafe Select and The Box. This restaurant seems to be slightly less clubby than La Esquina as I haven't heard anything about a secret back room of any sorts but I can't confirm that its not actually there. The front of Miss Lily's looks like a Jamaican pizza shop crossed with a diner (the orange seats are the same that you'll find in any New York pizzeria and the bar stools closely resemble any diner you'll go to outside of Manhattan). The backroom however is much more interesting and has posters of speakers, magazines and record covers on the walls and speakers with Caribbean flags on them. The open kitchen is a homey touch as well as the kind and personal waitstaff.

The menu is strictly Caribbean (specifically Jamacian) dishes so don't go expecting you'll be able to order something that's not even remotely associated to that region. To start I had the Jerk Chicken Wings and I had the Ackee and Saltfish with Callaloo and Festivals as an entree. The Jerk Chicken Wings, though were almost intolerably spicy, were very good. The chicken wings used were fresh and the jerk sauce was flavorful (but like I said incredibly spicy). My waitress actually gave me extra jerk sauce in case I wanted it spicier...no thanks! Also the red basket they were served in was a nice touch! The portions at Miss Lily's are pretty generous which is why I wasn't able to finish the Ackee and Saltfish. Ackee and Saltfish is kind of one of those dishes that you either love or hate and sadly I'm not a fan of it. This was my first time trying the dish so perhaps it was the fact that I just don't like the dish in general (in other words that it wasn't that the fault of Miss Lily's per se) but to me the dish was bland. The fish was moist but it didn't really taste like much. I did enjoy the callaloo however and the festivals were basically a Jamaican version of fried dough.

Overall I liked my visit to Miss Lily's. The Jerk Chicken Wings were excellent though maybe next time I'd order something different instead of the Ackee and Saltfish (perhaps the Oxtail Stew). Its a great place to go for lunch in Soho and I could see it becoming a hot spot in the near future!

Tiny's and The Bar Upstairs

2011-05-16T21:29:00.001-04:00

After 3 months without coming back home to New York, I really had to check out one of the restaurants that I had to try when I got back. Tiny's and The Bar Upstairs was the first place I checked out (it was between there or Miss Lily's). Tiny's is the new restaurant in Tribeca opened by the same owners as the Beatrice Inn and Warren 77. The restaurant is located near Bouley, Odeon and around the corner from Megu and features exposed brick, red booths, a secret bar upstairs and the American flag from behind the DJ booth at Beatrice Inn. The menu is very small (Tiny's is open for lunch for its first 2 weeks that it's open but then they will feature a full dinner menu) but it has enough to give someone a reason to visit it again. Also the combo section (a soup with a side combo or sandwich with a side combo for example) is a great addition to the menu especially in the time of a recession. Tiny's feels very homey and quaint but it does have a little bit of a pretentious feel to it already, which is fine, but I hope once the restaurant becomes popular, which it will, that it doesn't begin to have a strict door policy and begin treating its patrons poorly.

For main courses there are an abundance of options: ham sandwich, roasted turkey sandwich or the Tiny Burger...well I may have lied about that "abundance of options" part. I usually have a problem about a restaurant having three things that aren't difficult to make but Tiny's did happen to make a really good burger when I went today. It was a cheeseburger with blue and swiss cheese, pickled beets, spinach and a fried egg. The burger was very similar to the burger at Spotted Pig but I happened to like this one better. The Spotted Pig's burger had a cheese on it that was a bit too sharp and overpowered the burger but at Tiny's the cheese was perfect and the burger itself was cooked perfectly though I could have done a fewer picked beets inside the burger. The entree came with potato chips instead of fries, kind of a disappointment in my book, but never the less the potato chips were a good addition to the meal and I suppose a slightly healthier alternative to fries.

I did like my lunch at Tiny's today and probably will be returning again in the future. I liked my burger a lot and I like the coziness of the restaurant itself. I can't wait to see how Tiny's will turn out once it blows up and opens for its dinner service (and eventually brunch service).

So Many Places To Try When I Get Back!

2011-05-10T14:05:00.000-04:00

So I get back to New York on Saturday and I've realized that there's so many new openings and places that I have to try when I get back. Since I haven't exactly been posting regularly (mainly because there aren't any restaurants to review anywhere near Wheaton College) I've decided to create a list of the top 5 places I want to try when I get back!

#5: M. Wells:

I have to say this may be the first restaurant that's not in Manhattan that I need to go to. Located in Long Island City M. Wells is a diner that serves both diner food and really sophisticated fare (think spaghetti cooked in a can and frogs legs). To be honest I haven't seen anything like this so I just have to go and check it out when I get back!

#4:Whitmans

So I was watching the Travel channel one day and they were doing a special on this hamburger called the "Juicy Lucy" (a cheeseburger where the cheese comes out of the patty instead of sitting on top of the patty) and which restaurant made it best in the state of Minnesota. Of course I was thinking "where can I get one of these burgers". Well I found a place in New York that serves it and now I have to go there! Whitmans in the East Village is the only place that I'm aware of that serves the Juicy Lucy (if there are more in New York City please tell me) and when I get back I just have to try one!

#3: Miss Lily's

I just found out about Miss Lily's today to be honest. The new Caribbean restaurant opened by Serge Becker (Cafe Select and La Esquina) is sure to be a hot spot (and I hear the food is actually pretty good as well). While I'm not certain there is a secret hidden room (as there are in Becker's two other locations) there has to be one already in place that is really being kept secret or there will be one soon (I'm assuming). Either way this should become a hotspot this summer and considering the menu is relatively inexpensive, that's a good thing.

#2: Tiny's

This new American restaurant from the crew who bought you The Beatrice Inn opened in Tribeca not too long ago for lunch and it should be open for dinner pretty soon. The space is small and there hasn't been much press or hype surrounding the restaurant as of yet but I'm giving it about 2 months before Tiny's blows up. Which is why I'm checking it out for lunch first before its impossible to get a reservation for dinner!

#1 Boulud Sud

I have never had a bad experience at any of Daniel Boulud's restaurants which is why I'm excited for the opening of his new restaurant Boulud Sud. Boulud Sud is Boulud's take on southern Mediterranean fare and I'm guessing/hoping its going to be good. Also Epicerie Boulud (Boulud's new to-go cafe) opens today too in case Boulud Sud sounds a bit too pretentious.

Oak Room Lawsuit

2011-05-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

Well I can't exactly say I didn't see this coming but the owners of the Oak Room are suing the bar operators for $33.3 million because of the reputation the Oak Room is gaining. Once known as an elegant establishment where one could get a very good dinner in New York, the Oak Room is now known for a place where you can be sprayed with Vueve on Saturday and watch a burlesque show on Sunday (apparently the entire family is invited)! Though the Oak Room is certainly doing better financially, the restaurant is beginning to become known for its raucous behavior, illegal drug use (allegedly) and loud music...well the loud music isn't so bad. Though personally I feel the Oak Room is a great spot for the Day & Night brunches, I do think that it is starting giving the Oak Room a bad reputation...not to mention that its impossible to clean all that champagne off the walls. I have a feeling Day & Night may be moving their brunches to a new location pretty soon and I won't lie I'm pretty excited to see where (maybe to a more classy and low key establishment such as Nello).

On the topic of Day & Night, East Hampton Point has decided to not rent their space out to them for this summer due to the brunches getting too "out of hand" last season...I'm beginning to see a trend here.

To read the Daily News article about the Oak Room click this link

Oak Room before Day & Night Brunches and weekly Burlesque Shows :

The Oak Room after Day & Nigh Brunches and weekly Burlesque Shows :

CittaNuova

2011-05-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot to write this post (possibly because I was overly excited about receiving my East Hampton parking permits for this summer the same day that I visited CittaNuova) but never the less here's my review! CittaNuova is a relatively new Italian restaurant located in East Hampton from the same people who brought you East Hampton Point (unfortunately not the same people who brought you the Day & Night brunches at East Hampton Point). CittaNuova is tucked away on Newtown Lane and when you walk inside the black leather booths, exposed brick and mosaics sum up to a very welcoming atmosphere. Its not some place where I would expect a super elegant dining experience but a place I'd stop to for a quick lunch before going to Main Beach. I guess you could say CittaNuova could be what Sant Ambrouse is for Southampton. CittaNuova has a great patio in the back and in the warmer weather the front of the restaurant is opened to allow outdoor seating which is definetly a plus.

Though CittaNuova may present itself as a pizzeria, think of it more so as an Italian restaurant than a pizzeria. CittaNuova does serve pizza but its on a grilled flat bread as opposed to pizza dough so when ordering stick to the appetizers and entrees. The fried calamari is suprisingly a good starter. The dish isn't too salty nor too bland and this appetizer is generously portioned. The next dish I had was the Gnocchi which was a special. The Gnocchi was prepared with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese melted on top. The sauce was flavorful though the gnocchi themselves could have been cooked a bit less so they could have maintained their chewy texture instead of the slightly mushy texture, but most restaurants make this problem for some reason. The service however was the restaurant's downfall. As much as I am forgiving about service, at a restaurant where I'm paying 20 plus dollars for a plate of pasta I would at least like to not have to ask for bread with my meal...or silverware.

I was actually very pleased with Cittanuova on my visit. I didn't expect the food to be as good as it was. Though the service was a bit shaky I'll forgive Cittanuova for this considering the restaurant is so new. Its a great place to go in the summer for lunch and I'm thinking it'll be even better when they open up the sidewalk patio during the warmer weather!

Adour by Alain Ducasse

2011-03-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

Sorry that I haven't been updating as regularly as I usually do but never the less here is my latest review on Adour by Alain Ducasse. Adour is located in the St. Regis hotel in Midtown and is ran by Alain Ducasse. Alain Ducasse has the same reputation as chefs such as Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud so it was suprising to me to find that Adour had only received one Michelin star while Daniel and Per Se received three and even Picholine received two stars. Once I dined at Adour I realized why it deserved only one star. When you walk into the hotel you first walk into a very elegant all marble lounge which leads into the restaurant. The bar at the front of the restaurant has a virtual wine menu that appears on the bar top as opposed to viewing a giant wine "textbook" that can often be hard and tedious to read (perhaps Daniel could learn from this). The main dining room is very elegant especially with its classic white walls and burgundy velvet chairs and couches.

Adour's menu consists of typical high end French food such as Veal Sweetbreads, Lobster Court-Bouillon and Cote De Boeuf. But since I visited during restaurant week I felt that I should go with that pre-fixe menu. The Restaurant Week pre-fixe menu consisted of three courses for $35. To start I had a Lobster Bisque which arrives in a plate with pretty much nothing in it until your waiter comes by and pours the bisque into your bowl. Usually I'm not a fan of lobster bisque because they normally have a taste that is overpowered by the lobster but I must say that Adour made a pretty good bisque. The flavors all complemented each other and weren't overpowering and there was surprisingly a good amount of lobster in the dish (which is something very shocking in upscale French restaurants, especially during restaurant week). Next I had the steak which arrived in three medallions with a carrot and caramelized onion. It was very simple in design but the flavors in the dish were complex and rich. The beef could have been cooked a bit less but over all it was a pretty solid dish. For dessert, due to my nut allergy, I could only have the assortment of sorbets. Sadly the sorbets were very plain and nothing to write home about (which wasn't the case at my visit earlier that week to Convivio).

Adour by Alain Ducasse looks like a 3 star Michelin restaurant, has service like a 3 star Michelin restaurant but its food doesn't match its decor or reputation. Don't get me wrong, the food is good but it doesn't even compare to other restaurants like Daniel or even JoJo. Its a good place to go for restaurant week but I wouldn't exactly shell out $115 on a tasting menu at Adour.

Plum

2011-01-31T21:18:00.001-05:00

On 2nd avenue amongst all the Asian inspired restaurants and NYU college bars you will find a simple pizzeria named Plum. Plum is a small Italian restaurant that serves pizza and pasta. When you walk in the place is quaint yet charming with tones of a traditional trattoria though is Plum by no means traditional. Plum's menu consists mainly of Italian dishes that suit the American palate such as Penne a la Vodka, Linguine alla Vongole and Chicken Marsala but also slips in a few more complex dishes like Rigatoni con Salsiccia. Plum's menu appears to be geared to those looking for Americanized Italian food but there are a few options for diners looking for more traditional dishes.

To start I had the Caprese Salad (one of the more traditional dishes I had that evening). The best part of the dish was the freshness of the ingredients (which is essential in any salad dish considering the simplicity of it). The mozzarella is brought in daily from Brooklyn (which may not sound all that good but Brooklyn is a really good destination for authentic Italian food...not Little Italy) and the tomatoes used were better than those I had at the Michelin starred Oceana. The next dish I had was Penne a la Vodka. This dish is usually only served at restaurants to appeal to a "not so sophisticated" palate. For the most part this dish stuck to its American/Italian roots but the pasta was at least cooked well and Plum took its own twist on the dish by using bacon instead of panchetta. The Fettucine Carbonara was an excellent pasta dish. This took traditonal Spahgetti Carbonara, removed the egg, and added fettucini. The dish didn't need an egg because the chef at Plum uses a special reduction technique that doesn't require the heaviness of the egg to balance out the dish. Though it was incredibly similar to Fettucini Alfredo, the dish was creamy and rich without being heavy (I guess that reduction technique really works)! Anyone with an egg allergy should visit Plum for this Fettucini Carbonara as the dish is altered without sacrificing the quality of the food.

Up next was the Rigatoni Bolognese. The bolognese sauce was flavorful if not a bit too salty but the rigatoni itself was aldente almost to the point of being raw. Though some people do enjoy this texture of the pasta (me not being one of them) I did feel the pasta could have been cooked a bit (okay...a lot) more and have still been able to achieve that "aldente" quality that is so popular in Italian restaurants today. Finally I had Margherita which came from Plum's pizza portion of their menu. This margherita was like a mix of American pizza and Italian brick oven pizza. The thin crust was the Italian influence but the thick cheese and sauce were the American influences. Though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting I did enjoy the pizza. Plum's use of fresh ingredients helps its food immensely as without it you could really find any of their food at a regular pizzeria.

While I wouldn't say that Plum's menu is creative or anything I haven't seen before, the quality of the food is good. The ingredients are top notch and the restaurant gives off a very cozy and welcoming vibe. Plum is a great place to go with friends for a low key and inexpensive dinner with good food and great service (be sure to get the Fettucini Carbonara)!

Top of the Standard (Formerly The Boom Boom Room)

2011-01-17T22:30:00.004-05:00

Arguably one of the toughest lounges/nightclubs to get into in New York is the Boom Boom Room (now known as the Top of the Standard). The Boom Boom Room sits at the 18th floor of the Standard Hotel which is home to 4 Meatpacking District hotspots (Standard Grill, the Standard Ice Skating Rink, the Boom Boom room and the Standard Beirgarden) and has views overlooking New Jersey on one side and the rest of the city on the other side. A lot of people don't bother even checking this place out because they hear the door is impenetrable and for the most part they're right. But what a lot of people don't know is that until 10 PM there is no door policy of any kind (from 11 PM on its guest list only). Also what even more people don't know is that they actually serve food. The Boom Boom Room has its own kitchen and has a bar menu that consists of high end bar food (grilled shrimp, foie gras...you know typical high end bar food). Another unique thing about the Boom Boom Room is that in some cases its actually cheaper to get bottle service than to order individual cocktails. Cocktails at the Boom Boom Room cost about $21 but a bottle of Moet Chandon costs $120 (if you split the bottle with someone then three cocktails cost more than a bottle of champagne). This is very surprising especially since this bottle usually costs about 3 to 4 times as much at other Meatpacking District clubs. There is a live band that comes in at around 7 for entertainment but the DJ doesn't come in till 11 PM (better make your reservations now since there's no way to get in without one after 10 PM). The lounge itself is very elegant and modern. Off white leather seats complement the stunning bar area. But it all takes a back seat to the stunning views of the city that can be seen from all angles of the lounge. The Boom Boom Room is a great place to go to meet friends before going out and if you have connections it could be a great place to spend your night out. Also when you go be sure to get the fries (they're really excellent) and check out the bathrooms (the private stalls even have great views of Manhattan)!

Osteria Morini

2011-01-17T22:13:00.001-05:00

Coming back from Wheaton in late December the restaurant that I probably heard the most about was Osteria Morini (the second probably being Lavo for some strange reason). Michael White's latest restaurant takes White's usual Italian theme but looks to make it more traditional and less upscale at Osteria Morini. Next to powerhouses like La Esquina, Kenmare and Balthazar it would be tough for a new comer to be so popular but with Michael White behind this restaurant its no wonder it became to popular so quickly. I originally had intended to go there for dinner but getting a reservation is very difficult for dinner (each time I've called I got the famous "we have 5:30 or 11) so I decided to go one day at the awkward hour of 4 PM. The restaurant was transitioning from their lunch to dinner service and they were serving their bar menu (which is essentially a shortened dinner menu). The restaurant is much less formal than Marea or Ai Fiori especially since neither of White's other restaurants have mismatched chairs, wooden cupboards and used pots hanging from their walls.

Though the decor isn't as grand as Michael White's other New York restaurants it doesn't mean the food isn't as good. Though I can't say anything for Ai Fiori since I've never been but what I had at Osteria Morini would make me go back as much as Marea made me want to go back there. Though I really don't like judging a restaurant on one dish, this happened to be the case with Osteria Morini. So the Creste was the make or break dish with Osteria Morini for me. Overall the dish was very good. The creste, crescent pasta, was cooked perfectly but what won me over was the freshness of the seafood and the lightness of the sauce. It really was a fantastic dish and I would hope all the other dishes at Osteria Morini would be just as good because then it'd be a great option when La Esquina's reservation line refuses to answer their phones...again.

Osteria Morini is an excellent option when in Soho or actually a great option for Italian food in general. Though the Cipriani Downtown still remains my favorite Italian restaurant overall, Osteria Morini is a cheaper option (meat dishes at Osteria Morini cost the same as pasta dishes at the Cipriani) than the Cipriani and the food is just as good.

Waverly Inn Gets a Phone Number

2011-01-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

Well I'm not sure how "old news" this is but it shouldn't be too out of date. The Waverly Inn was notorious for its awful reservation policy (the only way to get a table was to go in person to the restaurant and make a reservation since there was no phone number or email) has now listed a phone number! I see all of Graydon Carter's restaurants have lost their attitude and have now made ways to contact the restaurant easier. The number to call for a reservation is: 917-828-1154 though I must warn you, if they're finally adding a phone number after about 2 years of being open...that's not a good sign and probably means no one goes to the Waverly Inn anymore. I guess everyone moved to The Lion!

Restaurant Week 2011

2011-01-11T22:11:00.001-05:00

Well its that time again! Restaurant Week 2011 is approaching (January 24th to be exact) and its that time of the year to save big time on top restaurants in Manhattan. With $24 lunches and $35 dinners at some of the hottest and top restaurants in Manhattan what's not to love? Of course there's the usual restaurants that are featured every year such as One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Mr. Chow, Tao and Milos but this year there are a few new restaurants featured. Lavo (one of the hottest Italian restaurants at the moment) is on restaurant week for lunch, Adour by Alain Ducasse is on the list as well for the 2nd year and Nuela is also on the list as well. But make reservations fast (like now) as many popular choices (such as One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Adour by Alain Ducasse and Mr. Chow for example) get filled up with reservations for Restaurant Week and regular diners as well. You can make a reservation on OpenTable at this link (click here). I hope you all find your reservations and be sure to enjoy this wonderful time of the year!

Also a tip for making reservations. Try to find restaurants who don't already offer similar pre-fixe menus during non-restaurant week dates. Le Cirque for example offers the $24 pre-fixe lunch menu in their cafe year round and Morimoto also offers their restaurant week lunch menu year round as well. My advice is to try and find restaurants that are normally expensive and don't offer inexpensive pre-fixe menus throughout the year (such as Cipriani Wall Street, Le Caprice, Gotham Bar & Grill and A Voce) and get those reservations so you still can sample the less expensive menus later in the year! Also this is a great time to visit Michellin starred restaurants (such as Rouge Tomate, Adour by Alain Ducasse and Alto) while only paying $35 maximum on food!