Dear Readers:
As we enter the futuristic sounding year of 2010, I want to take a moment to reflect on the endlessly changing, fascinating food industry.
The obvious focus going into the year was, aside from the new President, the disastrous economy. Doomsdayers predicted financial meltdown, a depression on par with that of the 1930s, socialism, an extended dark cold winter. The focus remains the economy at year’s end and we aren’t through the tunnel yet. Hardships abound and recovery is still mired in uncertainty. Some of those struggling are the hard workers serving us in restaurants, food carts, bodegas, and coffee shops. Life wasn’t easy for them and it certainly isn’t easier now. But, keeping fingers crossed, it appears things won’t be quite as bad as of some have predicted.
I have been impressed with, though not surprised by, the tenacity and determination of restaurants to buckle down, make it work somehow, and let passion be the guide. I like to think that it’s emblematic of the spirit that has helped countries around the globe navigate the height of economic difficulties. So the first thought that comes to mind is: Hats off to restaurant owners and workers, once again, for finding a way to provide unparalleled experiences and awe-inspiring creations, despite even slimmer margins. Unfortunately, there were, like in every year, those whose businesses did not survive to see a new year – the realities of this industry are sometimes brutal but there is much to be said for the guts it takes to try. Hats off all around.
“Recession dining” – dining on a limited budget – was at the forefront of nearly everyone’s thinking this year and oddly enough, it seemed to become a trend itself: Bargain meals, innovative discounts, new incentives, and delicious ways to put less expensive cuts of meat or ingredients to work. The fad in tight times became the challenge of making something out of nothing. We saw this in the explosion of Vietnamese sandwiches, ramen, high-end pizza, supped up burgers, and those scrappy food trucks serving increasingly delicious food (sausage and peppers, burgers and fries, waffles, bbq, ice cream, chicken and rice, dumplings, schnitzel, tacos, etc). The trucks, like some kind of magic trick, churned out tremendous volumes of food, and became a legit eating option. At the same time, high-end restaurants squeezed profit margins tighter, offered discounts on Monday nights, created reduced price prix fixe combos, and made less prized parts of animal a feature of the dish. Braised shoulder was the new filet mignon.
Perhaps we were dining in recession times, but did it really taste like it? No, it was still awesome. Did we have any less fun? Nope, not that I could tell. Was it a little more casual? Maybe, but maybe we needed that. For those who wanted the same high-end experience, that was still available too and pushing that bar ever higher. The best food I had this year was at Café Boulud. Across this industry, the adaptive abilities and quality of output were truly impressive.
Each year that I live in New York, my views on food and the restaurant experience mature. During this process, I’ve leaned increasingly away from the numbers in that overrated red book Zagat or even the stars in the venerable New York Times reviews. I think it’s important to remember that there isn’t always a one best thing, nor is it possible to bucket restaurants quite so simply in neat rating categories. While I still like to wax poetic about restaurants in front of my readership of none, I like less and less the process of attaching a number to restaurants. As I heard Dan Barber say at the Bronx Botanical Gardens food festival, context is so important when it comes to food.
Isolating a small few amongst a wide universe can be a negative exercise because it can become a search for failures as much as successes. It’s fun to play the critic sometimes but I hope never to let that get in the way of my primary purpose for dining out – enjoyment. I find myself looking more and more for reasons to like a restaurant, not tear it down. I believe it’s healthy to think about the human element behind the scenes – the farmers toiling for ingredients that you left on the plate, the hardworking dishwashers and cooks working feverishly in the heat while everyone else is out socializing, the servers who bow to demands of a demanding customer at night and try to beat the odds as a performing artist during the day.
Sure things can be imperfect but barring plain rudeness or a noticeable lack of interest in doing a good job, I’ve come to put more and more value in an honest effort. Kids are taught: Try your hardest, that’s all anyone can ask for. All too often, there’s a higher expectation than that in this industry. The reality is that sometimes, a pork chop is overcooked, a sauce is overseasoned, a wine glass tips over, or a fingerprint is left on a plate. But let’s not forget and appreciate everything that went right. It pains me to see anonymous CitySearchers and Yelpers whose comments are not only disparaging and entitled, but also unconstructive and mean. I often think, what if coworkers and clients had similar internet forums to post anonymous comments about each of us in our daily jobs? How would that make us feel?
These meals can be such a beautiful experience – even in the imperfections. I had a meal this year in the Berkshires where the server was perhaps a little loopy and slightly forgetful, but nonetheless full of effort and character. She forgot the sautéed mushrooms and onions I asked for on my burger, which I didn’t realize until long after the meal was over. But it didn’t matter (clearly, or else I would have noticed immediately); actually, her honest mistake and style of service added character to the meal. It’s a fun memory for us and I don’t think I would remember it as well had it not been for that.
Looking ahead, I have no great insights for 2010 but I am eager and excited and I hope to eat a lobster.
My favorite new restaurant of 2009 is Aldea.
My favorite restaurant experience overall in 2009 is Cyrus.
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Marco Polo Cafe
12/9/2009
East Village: 102 St. Marks Place (btwn 1st Ave and Ave A) - (212) 228-8456
Rating (1-10): 7
Price: Cheap Eats
"Home Cooking"
Marco Polo Café is a tiny Asian-Italian mix of food offering both take out and potentially, as was in our case, a private party the size of the small eating area. The food is solid and at times creative with fusion-y creations like the moo goo gai panini. It is simple and palatable to a wide audience, affordable and perhaps most distinct about this place, has the warmth of home cooking. In fact, the kitchen does look like a home kitchen, with only a curtain separating the kitchen from the eating area. Look back there and it's a two-person operation, with one handling cooking, serving, cash-registering and pretty much everything else. I love these kinds of places: it's the epitome of a scrappy, bootstraps small business operation. These are the stores that give New York variety, vibrance and distinctiveness.
The chicken dumplings are crispy and delicious, the moo goo gai panini is an interesting, deluxe panini, the bison meatballs are quite tender, flavorful, and moist (atypical of bison), and the red bean cake desserts are soft and sweet and a great way to finish off the meal. I struggled to see some of the Italian-Chinese crossover, but again, manage your expectations, it's the thought and the fun that counts.
We came as a group of 9, which all but maxed out the capacity of the eatery. I was pleasantly surprised by the owner's laid back and utterly accommodating attitude: she let us move the tables around however we wanted, adjust the music according to our tastes, and order on the go, really do however we pleased. I could imagine some people taking this too far and trampling the place, but hopefully this hasn’t happened and won't happen to Marco Polo Café. With nice artwork adorning the walls and quirky decorations, it's got a lot more character than just your run of the mill food cafe. It's clear that the people running this place enjoy welcoming, hosting, providing a personal experience.
Marco Polo Café is good for a quick grab and go and it's also good, believe it or not, for a dinner party. You will have the whole place to yourself - and BYOB makes it the most affordable way to rent out a restaurant in New York City.
East Village: 102 St. Marks Place (btwn 1st Ave and Ave A) - (212) 228-8456
Rating (1-10): 7
Price: Cheap Eats
"Home Cooking"
Marco Polo Café is a tiny Asian-Italian mix of food offering both take out and potentially, as was in our case, a private party the size of the small eating area. The food is solid and at times creative with fusion-y creations like the moo goo gai panini. It is simple and palatable to a wide audience, affordable and perhaps most distinct about this place, has the warmth of home cooking. In fact, the kitchen does look like a home kitchen, with only a curtain separating the kitchen from the eating area. Look back there and it's a two-person operation, with one handling cooking, serving, cash-registering and pretty much everything else. I love these kinds of places: it's the epitome of a scrappy, bootstraps small business operation. These are the stores that give New York variety, vibrance and distinctiveness. 
The chicken dumplings are crispy and delicious, the moo goo gai panini is an interesting, deluxe panini, the bison meatballs are quite tender, flavorful, and moist (atypical of bison), and the red bean cake desserts are soft and sweet and a great way to finish off the meal. I struggled to see some of the Italian-Chinese crossover, but again, manage your expectations, it's the thought and the fun that counts. 
We came as a group of 9, which all but maxed out the capacity of the eatery. I was pleasantly surprised by the owner's laid back and utterly accommodating attitude: she let us move the tables around however we wanted, adjust the music according to our tastes, and order on the go, really do however we pleased. I could imagine some people taking this too far and trampling the place, but hopefully this hasn’t happened and won't happen to Marco Polo Café. With nice artwork adorning the walls and quirky decorations, it's got a lot more character than just your run of the mill food cafe. It's clear that the people running this place enjoy welcoming, hosting, providing a personal experience.
Marco Polo Café is good for a quick grab and go and it's also good, believe it or not, for a dinner party. You will have the whole place to yourself - and BYOB makes it the most affordable way to rent out a restaurant in New York City.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Mustard's
10/6/2009
Napa Valley, CA: 7399 St Helena Highway - (707) 944-2424
Rating (1-10): 9
Price: High End
"Napa Soul"
Mustard’s is the kind of place that makes you want to love it, as soon as you walk in the door. To be sure, the restaurant’s reputation precedes itself, so it has an advantage because you’re already primed and ready to have an experience you’ll really enjoy. But at the same time, it's also extremely difficult to deliver on such expectations. Mustard’s succeeds, and almost effortlessly, it seems. This “truckstop deluxe” Napa institution is good for any occasion and offers an appetizing, fun, inventive menu to challenge the palette and deliver good old home cooking satisfaction at a fair price.
Mustard’s sits on the busy thoroughfare, Highway 29, neighbors with various wineries between Napa and St. Helena. Next to the restaurant is its garden, which is the source for the restaurant’s goods and which you are free to explore. It is these surroundings and Chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s laid back and playful sensibilities that define this restaurant. Long before organic/local became the hip new fad, Mustard’s was living it. Here you’ll find top notch cooking driven by the environment, not overfussed but maybe with a couple curveballs.
The salad is a statement: just a pile of dressed leaves, with no fixins or toppings (except a lady bug that we spotted). It’s almost as if to say, “Here it is, there’s nothing we need to do to it because it’s already just the way it should be.” The leaves are crunchy, vibrant greens and yellows with a bitter bite. It’s not going to blow your mind but there’s something to be said for a salad that can stand alone, without dried fruits, toasted nuts, cheese, and fifteen vegetables tossed in a complicated vinaigrette.
The tamales are served with a green lime sauce and trumpet mushrooms. Tamales always sound delicious to me but they certainly don’t always come out that way; often it’s the texture or pasty, plastic look or perhaps just the non-corn flavor of the corn. In my view, what’s appealing about tamales is that they concentrate the awesomeness of corn: texture, sweetness, flavor. You should feel like you just at 6 ears of corn in only a candy bar-sized portion. Mustard’s tamales do just that and their saltiness is balanced by the sauce’s acidity and crunch pine nuts. The earthy mushrooms reinforce each satisfying bite.
The Mongolian pork chop is among the most popular entrees at Mustard’s and deservedly so. It's the best pork chop I have ever had. The chop comes out looking just about as any piece of meat could be, with grill marks and a carmelized sheen, dabbed with the house-made Dijon mustard. The pork sits next to pickled cabbage and a hefty portion of buttery, garlicky mashed potatoes. The meat is incredibly juicy and flavorful, the mustard is nice and sweet, and the sides alone would satisfy me for a meal. If there was anything I could change about this dish it would be…nothing.
The pumpkin ravioli entrée was on its first day on tour, a preview for the fall season. It’s a pleasing dish to look at – big plump ravioli topped with cubed butternuts squash, nuts, an array of mushrooms, greens, and a broth. If you love hearty, fall vegetables – squash, pumpkin, mushrooms – this is one you’ll want to try. Dip your bread in the broth as you’re finishing up. The dish was a little undersalted but otherwise, quite satisfying.
In terms of ambiance, it’s pretty much what you’d expect – friendly, unpretentious, professional. A smiling bartender offered to take a picture when we were looking for someone to help us out. Our server talked excitedly about the dishes. The atmosphere was boisterous but controlled and the playlist was fun. White tablecloths and crisp white server uniforms add just a bit of that formal touch. In every sense of the word, Mustard’s demonstrates good taste.
If you’re visiting the Napa Valley, it’s likely you’re going to get a long list of “must-go” recommendations from friends. Mustard’s will probably be on pretty much everyone’s list – there’s good reason for it. It truly is a must go.
Napa Valley, CA: 7399 St Helena Highway - (707) 944-2424
Rating (1-10): 9
Price: High End
"Napa Soul"
Mustard’s is the kind of place that makes you want to love it, as soon as you walk in the door. To be sure, the restaurant’s reputation precedes itself, so it has an advantage because you’re already primed and ready to have an experience you’ll really enjoy. But at the same time, it's also extremely difficult to deliver on such expectations. Mustard’s succeeds, and almost effortlessly, it seems. This “truckstop deluxe” Napa institution is good for any occasion and offers an appetizing, fun, inventive menu to challenge the palette and deliver good old home cooking satisfaction at a fair price.
Mustard’s sits on the busy thoroughfare, Highway 29, neighbors with various wineries between Napa and St. Helena. Next to the restaurant is its garden, which is the source for the restaurant’s goods and which you are free to explore. It is these surroundings and Chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s laid back and playful sensibilities that define this restaurant. Long before organic/local became the hip new fad, Mustard’s was living it. Here you’ll find top notch cooking driven by the environment, not overfussed but maybe with a couple curveballs.
The salad is a statement: just a pile of dressed leaves, with no fixins or toppings (except a lady bug that we spotted). It’s almost as if to say, “Here it is, there’s nothing we need to do to it because it’s already just the way it should be.” The leaves are crunchy, vibrant greens and yellows with a bitter bite. It’s not going to blow your mind but there’s something to be said for a salad that can stand alone, without dried fruits, toasted nuts, cheese, and fifteen vegetables tossed in a complicated vinaigrette. 
The tamales are served with a green lime sauce and trumpet mushrooms. Tamales always sound delicious to me but they certainly don’t always come out that way; often it’s the texture or pasty, plastic look or perhaps just the non-corn flavor of the corn. In my view, what’s appealing about tamales is that they concentrate the awesomeness of corn: texture, sweetness, flavor. You should feel like you just at 6 ears of corn in only a candy bar-sized portion. Mustard’s tamales do just that and their saltiness is balanced by the sauce’s acidity and crunch pine nuts. The earthy mushrooms reinforce each satisfying bite.
The Mongolian pork chop is among the most popular entrees at Mustard’s and deservedly so. It's the best pork chop I have ever had. The chop comes out looking just about as any piece of meat could be, with grill marks and a carmelized sheen, dabbed with the house-made Dijon mustard. The pork sits next to pickled cabbage and a hefty portion of buttery, garlicky mashed potatoes. The meat is incredibly juicy and flavorful, the mustard is nice and sweet, and the sides alone would satisfy me for a meal. If there was anything I could change about this dish it would be…nothing.
The pumpkin ravioli entrée was on its first day on tour, a preview for the fall season. It’s a pleasing dish to look at – big plump ravioli topped with cubed butternuts squash, nuts, an array of mushrooms, greens, and a broth. If you love hearty, fall vegetables – squash, pumpkin, mushrooms – this is one you’ll want to try. Dip your bread in the broth as you’re finishing up. The dish was a little undersalted but otherwise, quite satisfying.
In terms of ambiance, it’s pretty much what you’d expect – friendly, unpretentious, professional. A smiling bartender offered to take a picture when we were looking for someone to help us out. Our server talked excitedly about the dishes. The atmosphere was boisterous but controlled and the playlist was fun. White tablecloths and crisp white server uniforms add just a bit of that formal touch. In every sense of the word, Mustard’s demonstrates good taste.
If you’re visiting the Napa Valley, it’s likely you’re going to get a long list of “must-go” recommendations from friends. Mustard’s will probably be on pretty much everyone’s list – there’s good reason for it. It truly is a must go.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Cyrus
10/5/2009
Healdsburg, CA: 29 North Street - (707) 433-3311
Rating (1-10): 10
Price Range: Break the Bank
"A True All-Star"
There are some restaurants that are perhaps beyond this writer's humble critiquing abilities. Cyrus is one of them. This restaurant performs at a high level both in the cooking and the service delivery - with great attention to detail, warmth and friendliness, and utterly delicious food. Be prepared for a top notch type dining experience: swarms of dining room attendants, small, delicately put together plates, formal wear, and carts of lots of expensive stuff (cheese, champagne, desserts, etc). Though this type of dining experience is inevitably a bit stiff, this is a place where it's relatively comfortable. If you want a lavish, pampered experience, Cyrus is a strong recommendation for a date, family dinner, or other type of celebration - at a price tag that you can adjust to your liking.
At Cyrus you have a choice between a couple of tasting menus - the 8-course and the 5-course, and a vegetarian option for both. There are also wine pairing options and cheese courses as well as a champagne cart to kick off the meal. What's nice is that you're not under pressure to do one thing or the other. The server was refreshingly honest, not pushy in any way. When I asked about the vegetarian menu, he said, "Well, it will be delicious, but for me? I need meat." I totally agreed and I'm glad he helped me right my ship. Our dinner selection was the 5-course non-vegetarian menu - except we were also allowed to substitute a corresponding vegetarian selection if we so pleased. In essence, you can craft your own tasting menu if you want; this is a highly accommodating feature that allows guests to explore the menu.
The meal begins with some canapes and amuse bouches which alone could be a great appetizer. The peach, greens, and cream does exactly what it's meant to do: get your hunger going, excite the taste buds and your anticipation. What follows is a parade of entirely distinct courses, each with highly concentrated flavors and pleasing texture. The portions look small but turn out to be just right: They leave you wanting a little bit more but doesn't allow you to get full or sick of it at any point. 
Our plates ranged from lightly seared hamachi to stuffed fried squash blossoms filled with incredible eggplant and garlic filling to fatty roasted duck to intense mushroom risotto to big fat scallops to lamb tenderloin to foie gras to desserts plates with at least 5 components including, if you're lucky, chocolate filled doughnuts. Pulling off a menu of this breadth and complexity is more difficult to execute that almost any one of the guests can comprehend. But like a superior athlete, they just make it look easy.
What you see in these dishes are meticulously constructed components presented with flare and disciplined creativity. It's not the silly kind of "throw everything you can at it and hope for the best" style creativity - far from it. A large scallop is seared and sits in a pool of ginger-shiso broth, adding a unique feature to what my otherwise be a commoditized dish; it's also one of several items with a distinctly Japanese accent. The mushrooms risotto packs an intense mushroom-ness as such a risotto should, but with strong chive foam and subtle chestnut flavor. 
The roasted duck is just simply delicious and comes with a slightly greasy but homey potato cake. The lamb roulade is perfectly cooked disks of pink lamb meat which is nice to look at; oddly there was one flavor to every part of this dish which was overwhelmingly strong and heavyhanded - like a dish with too much cumin. Overall, for a lineup of dishes of this complexity, these were artfully plated and impressively executed.
The service is very well-informed, professional, courteous, and warm. They're also the size of a small army and all over every detail. What's nice is that, even though this is a markedly upscale experience, the restaurant retains the warmth and down to Earth vibe of the wine country. As a party on the younger side, we were treated accordingly, with a little more of a relaxed feel without being condescending. We never felt pressure. We were allowed to have no worries and nothing out of our immediate grasp.
All of this comes at a bit over $100, which is about as low as you can go for an experience like this and expect the restaurant to stay in business. In any line of work, I can appreciate commitment to excellence and performance to match. A number rating on a place like Cyrus is essentially meaningless - I loved it and to me, it was an all-star performance. There's no need to focus on a rank or number or grade or star or comparison on it. Doing so would only distract from the enjoyment of it. At the end of your meal, you have a selection of as many house made treats as you want - chocolates, caramels, lollipops and a brownie packaged with a gold label that reads: "Tomorrow??" That's probably the right call since you're going to be really full but also because you'll maybe be able to savor the experience for another day.
Healdsburg, CA: 29 North Street - (707) 433-3311
Rating (1-10): 10
Price Range: Break the Bank
"A True All-Star"
There are some restaurants that are perhaps beyond this writer's humble critiquing abilities. Cyrus is one of them. This restaurant performs at a high level both in the cooking and the service delivery - with great attention to detail, warmth and friendliness, and utterly delicious food. Be prepared for a top notch type dining experience: swarms of dining room attendants, small, delicately put together plates, formal wear, and carts of lots of expensive stuff (cheese, champagne, desserts, etc). Though this type of dining experience is inevitably a bit stiff, this is a place where it's relatively comfortable. If you want a lavish, pampered experience, Cyrus is a strong recommendation for a date, family dinner, or other type of celebration - at a price tag that you can adjust to your liking.
At Cyrus you have a choice between a couple of tasting menus - the 8-course and the 5-course, and a vegetarian option for both. There are also wine pairing options and cheese courses as well as a champagne cart to kick off the meal. What's nice is that you're not under pressure to do one thing or the other. The server was refreshingly honest, not pushy in any way. When I asked about the vegetarian menu, he said, "Well, it will be delicious, but for me? I need meat." I totally agreed and I'm glad he helped me right my ship. Our dinner selection was the 5-course non-vegetarian menu - except we were also allowed to substitute a corresponding vegetarian selection if we so pleased. In essence, you can craft your own tasting menu if you want; this is a highly accommodating feature that allows guests to explore the menu.
The meal begins with some canapes and amuse bouches which alone could be a great appetizer. The peach, greens, and cream does exactly what it's meant to do: get your hunger going, excite the taste buds and your anticipation. What follows is a parade of entirely distinct courses, each with highly concentrated flavors and pleasing texture. The portions look small but turn out to be just right: They leave you wanting a little bit more but doesn't allow you to get full or sick of it at any point. 
Our plates ranged from lightly seared hamachi to stuffed fried squash blossoms filled with incredible eggplant and garlic filling to fatty roasted duck to intense mushroom risotto to big fat scallops to lamb tenderloin to foie gras to desserts plates with at least 5 components including, if you're lucky, chocolate filled doughnuts. Pulling off a menu of this breadth and complexity is more difficult to execute that almost any one of the guests can comprehend. But like a superior athlete, they just make it look easy.
What you see in these dishes are meticulously constructed components presented with flare and disciplined creativity. It's not the silly kind of "throw everything you can at it and hope for the best" style creativity - far from it. A large scallop is seared and sits in a pool of ginger-shiso broth, adding a unique feature to what my otherwise be a commoditized dish; it's also one of several items with a distinctly Japanese accent. The mushrooms risotto packs an intense mushroom-ness as such a risotto should, but with strong chive foam and subtle chestnut flavor. 
The roasted duck is just simply delicious and comes with a slightly greasy but homey potato cake. The lamb roulade is perfectly cooked disks of pink lamb meat which is nice to look at; oddly there was one flavor to every part of this dish which was overwhelmingly strong and heavyhanded - like a dish with too much cumin. Overall, for a lineup of dishes of this complexity, these were artfully plated and impressively executed.
The service is very well-informed, professional, courteous, and warm. They're also the size of a small army and all over every detail. What's nice is that, even though this is a markedly upscale experience, the restaurant retains the warmth and down to Earth vibe of the wine country. As a party on the younger side, we were treated accordingly, with a little more of a relaxed feel without being condescending. We never felt pressure. We were allowed to have no worries and nothing out of our immediate grasp.
All of this comes at a bit over $100, which is about as low as you can go for an experience like this and expect the restaurant to stay in business. In any line of work, I can appreciate commitment to excellence and performance to match. A number rating on a place like Cyrus is essentially meaningless - I loved it and to me, it was an all-star performance. There's no need to focus on a rank or number or grade or star or comparison on it. Doing so would only distract from the enjoyment of it. At the end of your meal, you have a selection of as many house made treats as you want - chocolates, caramels, lollipops and a brownie packaged with a gold label that reads: "Tomorrow??" That's probably the right call since you're going to be really full but also because you'll maybe be able to savor the experience for another day.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ad Hoc
10/4/2009
Yountville, CA: 6476 Washington St - (707) 944-2487
Rating (1-10): 9
Price: High End
"Luxury in Sweatpants"
Ad Hoc is an inviting, casual neighborhood spot serving ultra-satisfying four-course set meals using French Laundry ingredients at about $50 per person. If that doesn't sound awesome, I don't know what does. This is a restaurant everyone can love, many can afford (at least on vacation), and all would appreciate. Ad Hoc can serve as your casual meal or your fancy meal - regardless it might be some of the best food you will have in the Napa Valley.
Comfort is the name of the game here and it begins with the entry to the restaurant, which features a nice open space, free of tables or any other obstacles to crowd you as you wait. You might grab a drink at the bar or just wait near the front, but you won't feel cramped, rushed, or harried either way. The decor is clean and simple, and the hard wood colors give a nice warm feeling to the room. The service is also pleasant and friendly, clearly trained to keep things laid-back; this is high class food but they remove the pretense from the experience. Unfortunately, the server was a bit strong on the upsell, which always rubs me the wrong way, as if to make us feel bad about not spending more.
Ad Hoc offers a set menu that changes each night except certain nights, which are designated for a special dish, such as Monday night fried chicken. On our visit, the offering was a salad with ham, pasta with cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and beef short ribs, a cheese course and a banana split for dessert. The salad was probably the best I have ever had - certainly the most memorable. Maybe it's just me but I find it difficult to describe the taste of leaves. But these were crisp and bursting with flavor that one might associate with green things. Thin sliced ham was the perfect salty complement to the acidic dressing, which lightly coated the lettuce. This was a rare case where the dressing supported the greens, and not the other way around.
The main course featured large cubes of beef short ribs along with flat pasta served in a saute pan with roasted vegetables and crispy, salty bread crumbs over top. Often, slow-cooked meats are cooked to a consistency that renders a knife unnecessary because the meat is pulverized to shreds by extensive exposure to low heat; it's good, no doubt, but you're losing a little bit of the character and flavor of the ingredient by trying to make it so tender. For example, pulled pork often tastes more like the sauce that it's mixed in rather than actual pork. At Ad Hoc, the beef short rib tastes very much like beef and maybe as a result, they don't even need sauce. The consistency is distinctly meaty and they don't in fact just melt in your mouth; though they were tender and gave way with ease to fork and knife, they retained a bit of toughness as a reminder that this, afterall, meat not pudding.
The accompanying pasta was covered thinly in oil but had no real sauce. Again, this allowed for the ingredients to be showcased and not masked: the tart sweetness of the tomatoes; the earthy cauliflower; the crunch of the breadcrumbs (which were a salty substitute for cheese, as one astute observer remarked); and of course the pasta along with the chunks of beef. The dish was extremely good, satisfying, healthy, unfussy, period.
Many in the area mentioned that Ad Hoc was their favorite restaurant. I'd be hard pressed to find a better value and I'd consider it a matter of course to include this in at least one Napa visit.
Yountville, CA: 6476 Washington St - (707) 944-2487
Rating (1-10): 9
Price: High End
"Luxury in Sweatpants"
Ad Hoc is an inviting, casual neighborhood spot serving ultra-satisfying four-course set meals using French Laundry ingredients at about $50 per person. If that doesn't sound awesome, I don't know what does. This is a restaurant everyone can love, many can afford (at least on vacation), and all would appreciate. Ad Hoc can serve as your casual meal or your fancy meal - regardless it might be some of the best food you will have in the Napa Valley.Comfort is the name of the game here and it begins with the entry to the restaurant, which features a nice open space, free of tables or any other obstacles to crowd you as you wait. You might grab a drink at the bar or just wait near the front, but you won't feel cramped, rushed, or harried either way. The decor is clean and simple, and the hard wood colors give a nice warm feeling to the room. The service is also pleasant and friendly, clearly trained to keep things laid-back; this is high class food but they remove the pretense from the experience. Unfortunately, the server was a bit strong on the upsell, which always rubs me the wrong way, as if to make us feel bad about not spending more.
Ad Hoc offers a set menu that changes each night except certain nights, which are designated for a special dish, such as Monday night fried chicken. On our visit, the offering was a salad with ham, pasta with cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and beef short ribs, a cheese course and a banana split for dessert. The salad was probably the best I have ever had - certainly the most memorable. Maybe it's just me but I find it difficult to describe the taste of leaves. But these were crisp and bursting with flavor that one might associate with green things. Thin sliced ham was the perfect salty complement to the acidic dressing, which lightly coated the lettuce. This was a rare case where the dressing supported the greens, and not the other way around.
The main course featured large cubes of beef short ribs along with flat pasta served in a saute pan with roasted vegetables and crispy, salty bread crumbs over top. Often, slow-cooked meats are cooked to a consistency that renders a knife unnecessary because the meat is pulverized to shreds by extensive exposure to low heat; it's good, no doubt, but you're losing a little bit of the character and flavor of the ingredient by trying to make it so tender. For example, pulled pork often tastes more like the sauce that it's mixed in rather than actual pork. At Ad Hoc, the beef short rib tastes very much like beef and maybe as a result, they don't even need sauce. The consistency is distinctly meaty and they don't in fact just melt in your mouth; though they were tender and gave way with ease to fork and knife, they retained a bit of toughness as a reminder that this, afterall, meat not pudding.
The accompanying pasta was covered thinly in oil but had no real sauce. Again, this allowed for the ingredients to be showcased and not masked: the tart sweetness of the tomatoes; the earthy cauliflower; the crunch of the breadcrumbs (which were a salty substitute for cheese, as one astute observer remarked); and of course the pasta along with the chunks of beef. The dish was extremely good, satisfying, healthy, unfussy, period.Many in the area mentioned that Ad Hoc was their favorite restaurant. I'd be hard pressed to find a better value and I'd consider it a matter of course to include this in at least one Napa visit.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Aldea
6/26/2009
Flatiron: 31 West 17th Street (btwn 5th Ave and 6th Ave) - (212) 675-7223
Price Range: High End
Rating (1-10): 9
Aldea is a sleek, contemporary yet comfortable restaurant serving refined, artistic dishes at a relatively affordable price. The food is a Mediterranean, which means you’ll find seafood and olive oil, but also a variety of vegetables and surf and turf. The food is thoughtfully constructed, well seasoned, and full of interesting flavors; not only that, the dishes are fun to look at, especially when seated at the sushi counter-style bar looking into the open kitchen. 
The service is attentive and refreshingly friendly, conversational, and personable – which seems to be a theme at Aldea: proper, professional, and high-end but simultaneously relaxing. In short, the restaurant leaves little to be desired except a second trip. Whether you’re alone, in a big group, or anywhere in between, this place would be a good choice for a nice meal in Manhattan.
Beyond the narrow bar area at the entrance in the back dining area of the restaurant, there’s a calm, relaxing oasis-like feel that betrays the unremarkable surrounding neighborhood on West 17th Street. The design of the restaurant is impeccable and manages to make this small and low-ceilinged space feel light, airy, and open. While some establishments sacrifice comfort for contemporary, Aldea strikes that delicate balance between hip, sheik and clean but not sterile, cold, or up tight. And in fact, the surroundings match remarkably well, the food itself, which is elegant and pretty but deeply satisfying and un-kitschy.
The menu is really fun to read and it’s not easy to make your picks – everything looks and sounds delicious. The selections are focused and carefully selected to provide a great balance of seafood, meats, and vegetable dishes. Chef George Mendes really seems to have a command of what he’s doing. Having worked under a star-studded cast of internationally famous Michelin-starred chefs in Spain, France, and the US (Berasategui, Passard, Verge, Ducasse, Bouley), it’s not surprising.
Our meal began with sea urchin toast, which comes as a thin strip of toast topped with sea urchin, lime zest and juice, cauliflower cream, and a litany of other tiny ingredients painstakingly layered on by the cooks. Despite its array of ingredients, the end product still has a nice, clean simplicity. 
The creamy urchin flavor is nice but it’s warmed and I’ve never liked raw seafood warm – so pick according to your preference. The Shrimp Alhinho appetizer features fat shrimp hot off the griddle, very juicy and tender in the middle, and served in a peppery, savory oil-based sauce. Even after the shrimp are gone, it’s something you can dip your bread into and eat til the plate is totally clean.
There’s a balanced selection of both seafood and land animals for main courses but if you’re like me and you’re a fan of loins and/or slow-cooked meats, the Niman Ranch Pork Loin or the Pennsylvania Baby Goat should do you well. The pork is served as juicy slices of the meat sitting on a bed of “smoked corn” with a light sauce and some clams. The meat was well-cooked with a bold salty exterior – and complemented well by the corn. Kind of like a farm-inspired meal with a little pizzazz. The clams were a bit gummy and were sort of like the guy at the party who didn’t do or say anything. And as far as, the sauce, it was a bit off but it wasn’t the focal point, so it didn’t detract from the dish (though it could have potentially added even more).
The baby goat dish featured three different cuts – loin (the best part and incredibly soft texture), belly (fatty but not that much flavor and too thin), and braised meat (intense gamy goat flavor and slow cooked to falling-apart tenderness). To soak up the sauce, a side of buckwheat is served, and indeed it’s great with the sauces around the meat. It’s an interesting dish and if you’re up for gamier flavored meats, then this would be a great opportunity to get at that baby goat.
The service, from the hostesses to the servers to even the cooks that we spoke to, was warm and engaging. They all seemed to have a passion for service but also an air of modesty and not-taking-themselves-too-seriously. In other words, it’s cordial and unpretentious, and the result is a truly pleasant experience.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that make an impression and for me, it was this extra thoughtfulness that I liked most. Aldea is a restaurant that reaches out to its patrons through gestures both subtle and substantial. The wine list, for example, has an array of surprisingly affordable bottles – parties with limited budgets (like me) can enjoy a bottle of delicious, crisp Austrian white wine for $25. It’s an uncommonly inviting move for an upscale place of this caliber. I also appreciate a nice bathroom and this classy, blue tiled room features an awesome playlist of rock tunes, and soft cotton towels for hand drying. I also tend to admire an open kitchen – it’s a bold move to open up the workplace to an audience in this manner, especially when you consider how harried, dirty, and foul-mouthed the back of the house can get. Here, it’s quiet, efficient, and calm; and it’s an added level of entertainment to observe and occasionally ask questions of the cooks over the counter. For my money, this is the way to experience Aldea.
Aldea is likely to be one of my favorite new restaurants of the year –quality of food, aesthetic, and hospitality taken together, this is a standout. It isn’t a place to pop into casually, as it’s still a high-end price range – and also because you might not appreciate the experience without a little anticipation. So perhaps save it for a special occasion of sorts – date, family dinner, or celebration. But either way, you should go.
Flatiron: 31 West 17th Street (btwn 5th Ave and 6th Ave) - (212) 675-7223
Price Range: High End
Rating (1-10): 9
Aldea is a sleek, contemporary yet comfortable restaurant serving refined, artistic dishes at a relatively affordable price. The food is a Mediterranean, which means you’ll find seafood and olive oil, but also a variety of vegetables and surf and turf. The food is thoughtfully constructed, well seasoned, and full of interesting flavors; not only that, the dishes are fun to look at, especially when seated at the sushi counter-style bar looking into the open kitchen. 
The service is attentive and refreshingly friendly, conversational, and personable – which seems to be a theme at Aldea: proper, professional, and high-end but simultaneously relaxing. In short, the restaurant leaves little to be desired except a second trip. Whether you’re alone, in a big group, or anywhere in between, this place would be a good choice for a nice meal in Manhattan. 
Beyond the narrow bar area at the entrance in the back dining area of the restaurant, there’s a calm, relaxing oasis-like feel that betrays the unremarkable surrounding neighborhood on West 17th Street. The design of the restaurant is impeccable and manages to make this small and low-ceilinged space feel light, airy, and open. While some establishments sacrifice comfort for contemporary, Aldea strikes that delicate balance between hip, sheik and clean but not sterile, cold, or up tight. And in fact, the surroundings match remarkably well, the food itself, which is elegant and pretty but deeply satisfying and un-kitschy.
The menu is really fun to read and it’s not easy to make your picks – everything looks and sounds delicious. The selections are focused and carefully selected to provide a great balance of seafood, meats, and vegetable dishes. Chef George Mendes really seems to have a command of what he’s doing. Having worked under a star-studded cast of internationally famous Michelin-starred chefs in Spain, France, and the US (Berasategui, Passard, Verge, Ducasse, Bouley), it’s not surprising.
Our meal began with sea urchin toast, which comes as a thin strip of toast topped with sea urchin, lime zest and juice, cauliflower cream, and a litany of other tiny ingredients painstakingly layered on by the cooks. Despite its array of ingredients, the end product still has a nice, clean simplicity. 
The creamy urchin flavor is nice but it’s warmed and I’ve never liked raw seafood warm – so pick according to your preference. The Shrimp Alhinho appetizer features fat shrimp hot off the griddle, very juicy and tender in the middle, and served in a peppery, savory oil-based sauce. Even after the shrimp are gone, it’s something you can dip your bread into and eat til the plate is totally clean.
There’s a balanced selection of both seafood and land animals for main courses but if you’re like me and you’re a fan of loins and/or slow-cooked meats, the Niman Ranch Pork Loin or the Pennsylvania Baby Goat should do you well. The pork is served as juicy slices of the meat sitting on a bed of “smoked corn” with a light sauce and some clams. The meat was well-cooked with a bold salty exterior – and complemented well by the corn. Kind of like a farm-inspired meal with a little pizzazz. The clams were a bit gummy and were sort of like the guy at the party who didn’t do or say anything. And as far as, the sauce, it was a bit off but it wasn’t the focal point, so it didn’t detract from the dish (though it could have potentially added even more).
The baby goat dish featured three different cuts – loin (the best part and incredibly soft texture), belly (fatty but not that much flavor and too thin), and braised meat (intense gamy goat flavor and slow cooked to falling-apart tenderness). To soak up the sauce, a side of buckwheat is served, and indeed it’s great with the sauces around the meat. It’s an interesting dish and if you’re up for gamier flavored meats, then this would be a great opportunity to get at that baby goat.The service, from the hostesses to the servers to even the cooks that we spoke to, was warm and engaging. They all seemed to have a passion for service but also an air of modesty and not-taking-themselves-too-seriously. In other words, it’s cordial and unpretentious, and the result is a truly pleasant experience.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that make an impression and for me, it was this extra thoughtfulness that I liked most. Aldea is a restaurant that reaches out to its patrons through gestures both subtle and substantial. The wine list, for example, has an array of surprisingly affordable bottles – parties with limited budgets (like me) can enjoy a bottle of delicious, crisp Austrian white wine for $25. It’s an uncommonly inviting move for an upscale place of this caliber. I also appreciate a nice bathroom and this classy, blue tiled room features an awesome playlist of rock tunes, and soft cotton towels for hand drying. I also tend to admire an open kitchen – it’s a bold move to open up the workplace to an audience in this manner, especially when you consider how harried, dirty, and foul-mouthed the back of the house can get. Here, it’s quiet, efficient, and calm; and it’s an added level of entertainment to observe and occasionally ask questions of the cooks over the counter. For my money, this is the way to experience Aldea.Aldea is likely to be one of my favorite new restaurants of the year –quality of food, aesthetic, and hospitality taken together, this is a standout. It isn’t a place to pop into casually, as it’s still a high-end price range – and also because you might not appreciate the experience without a little anticipation. So perhaps save it for a special occasion of sorts – date, family dinner, or celebration. But either way, you should go.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
JG Melon
6/24/2009
Upper East Side: 1291 Third Ave (near 74th St) - (212) 744-0585
Price Range: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 9
If you’re in the mood for a burger, look no further than JG Melon. By now, this classic Upper East Side establishment isn’t new to the scene but it keeps up just fine with anything that is. The burger has a deliciously juicy, meaty flavor and comes in a refreshing refined portion-size: plenty enough to satisfy the hunger and yet not disgustingly huge and impossible to bite into.
Added to that is an undeniably New York character which sets the mood not only for burger eating but for casual relaxation and the enjoyment of feeling like you’re in the lifeblood of one of the greatest cities in the world. It’s the kind of place you could rock alone but probably better enjoyed with a friend or two. The confines are small and the place remains popular, so you might expect a wait, but then again, a beer scrunched up at the bar might just be part of the experience.
JG Melon is known for the burger and rightfully so. “The best burger” is a hotly contested topic and its ultimately subjective (as many food matters are), but certainly, there has to be something said for a place that can deliver a burger that can compete using a simple list of components – chief among those beef. For example, these days it’s not uncommon to find bacon, brisket or other fatty meats mixed into the patty – delicious no doubt, but sort of cheating. While I’m not sure exactly what is in the JG Melon burger, the bacon is only served on top, and the highlight ultimately remains the beef flavor. If you want bacon flavor to take it to the next level, the baconburger is superb, and the crispy bacon matches the softly-packed patty tremendously well.
The restaurant is also known for its cottage fries, which are small disk-like fries. They were soggy and flat in flavor. They didn’t appear to be salted prior to arrival at the table, which is fine since there is salt on hand – but a few dashes of decent salt right out of the fryer would go a ways to add taste. Passable potatoes perhaps, but passable on the menu as well. It seems like something a burger joint should do better.
Though there is talk of shaky quality of service at JG Melon, it was perfectly pleasant, friendly and prompt in this experiment. While outright rudeness is never excusable, there’s a certain no-frills, borderline gruff, style that you gotta expect at a place like this. In fact, it’s something that can even be strangely entertaining and fun. It’s a bar and a burger joint, after all.
The décor is as much a part of the experience as the food. The pictures, drawings, mirrors and other framed décor is clumsily packed onto the walls, giving it a classic New York feel that’s also original and un-manufactured. The atmosphere is lively and loud, with a packed bar area and tightly seated back eating area. While the establishment is not as old as a McSorley’s or Old Town, you get that old school feel , one that is often imitated but rarely feels like the real thing.
It’s places like this that are guardians of a distinctive city culture – New Yorkers and the restaurant itself should take pride in it.
Whether you’re looking for a great burger, good brunch, New Yorky experience, or just a beer, pop in to JG Melon (no reservations).
Upper East Side: 1291 Third Ave (near 74th St) - (212) 744-0585
Price Range: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 9
If you’re in the mood for a burger, look no further than JG Melon. By now, this classic Upper East Side establishment isn’t new to the scene but it keeps up just fine with anything that is. The burger has a deliciously juicy, meaty flavor and comes in a refreshing refined portion-size: plenty enough to satisfy the hunger and yet not disgustingly huge and impossible to bite into.
Added to that is an undeniably New York character which sets the mood not only for burger eating but for casual relaxation and the enjoyment of feeling like you’re in the lifeblood of one of the greatest cities in the world. It’s the kind of place you could rock alone but probably better enjoyed with a friend or two. The confines are small and the place remains popular, so you might expect a wait, but then again, a beer scrunched up at the bar might just be part of the experience.
JG Melon is known for the burger and rightfully so. “The best burger” is a hotly contested topic and its ultimately subjective (as many food matters are), but certainly, there has to be something said for a place that can deliver a burger that can compete using a simple list of components – chief among those beef. For example, these days it’s not uncommon to find bacon, brisket or other fatty meats mixed into the patty – delicious no doubt, but sort of cheating. While I’m not sure exactly what is in the JG Melon burger, the bacon is only served on top, and the highlight ultimately remains the beef flavor. If you want bacon flavor to take it to the next level, the baconburger is superb, and the crispy bacon matches the softly-packed patty tremendously well.
The restaurant is also known for its cottage fries, which are small disk-like fries. They were soggy and flat in flavor. They didn’t appear to be salted prior to arrival at the table, which is fine since there is salt on hand – but a few dashes of decent salt right out of the fryer would go a ways to add taste. Passable potatoes perhaps, but passable on the menu as well. It seems like something a burger joint should do better.Though there is talk of shaky quality of service at JG Melon, it was perfectly pleasant, friendly and prompt in this experiment. While outright rudeness is never excusable, there’s a certain no-frills, borderline gruff, style that you gotta expect at a place like this. In fact, it’s something that can even be strangely entertaining and fun. It’s a bar and a burger joint, after all.
The décor is as much a part of the experience as the food. The pictures, drawings, mirrors and other framed décor is clumsily packed onto the walls, giving it a classic New York feel that’s also original and un-manufactured. The atmosphere is lively and loud, with a packed bar area and tightly seated back eating area. While the establishment is not as old as a McSorley’s or Old Town, you get that old school feel , one that is often imitated but rarely feels like the real thing.
It’s places like this that are guardians of a distinctive city culture – New Yorkers and the restaurant itself should take pride in it.Whether you’re looking for a great burger, good brunch, New Yorky experience, or just a beer, pop in to JG Melon (no reservations).
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1
6/2/2009
Nolita: 369 Broome Street (btwn Elizabeth and Mott) - (212) 219-8341
Price Range: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 8
Sometimes we all need a reminder that eating well in New York need not involve wallet-bruising prices or this week’s hot news in the food media. In fact, if there’s any city where we should be aware of this, it’s NYC. A perfect example is Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1, whose banh mi sandwiches are rich, savory, utterly satisfying, and all of $4. It doesn’t seem to make economic sense especially when you taste these sandiwiches which deliver wonderful porky taste typical of these Vietnamese sandwiches.
The sandwiches are composed of roast pork bits, sliced pork, pork pate, pickled carrots, cucumber sticks, and cilantro, on a baguette. The most flavorful element is clearly the roast pork, which is nicely balanced by the acidity in the vegetables. I made quick work of the whole thing, which left me pleasantly full and also feeling healthy – though I’m not entirely sure if it was. My street food compadre insightfully noted that the baguette wasn’t really a baguette. If there was a weakness for me, it was the bread, which was more akin to a deli sub than a baguette. Taste-wise it was fine but perhaps missing the airy dough and the crisp crunch of a traditional baguette. This brings up the question, however – how much can you really ask for $4 – less than the average price of a pint of beer in a bar? I’m ok with the fact that it’s not Balthazar bread. It was still delicious, and at the end of the meal, I was happy and full without being overfull. Are there better deals in the city? It's possible but I’d be hard pressed to find one.
Nolita: 369 Broome Street (btwn Elizabeth and Mott) - (212) 219-8341
Price Range: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 8
Sometimes we all need a reminder that eating well in New York need not involve wallet-bruising prices or this week’s hot news in the food media. In fact, if there’s any city where we should be aware of this, it’s NYC. A perfect example is Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1, whose banh mi sandwiches are rich, savory, utterly satisfying, and all of $4. It doesn’t seem to make economic sense especially when you taste these sandiwiches which deliver wonderful porky taste typical of these Vietnamese sandwiches.
The sandwiches are composed of roast pork bits, sliced pork, pork pate, pickled carrots, cucumber sticks, and cilantro, on a baguette. The most flavorful element is clearly the roast pork, which is nicely balanced by the acidity in the vegetables. I made quick work of the whole thing, which left me pleasantly full and also feeling healthy – though I’m not entirely sure if it was. My street food compadre insightfully noted that the baguette wasn’t really a baguette. If there was a weakness for me, it was the bread, which was more akin to a deli sub than a baguette. Taste-wise it was fine but perhaps missing the airy dough and the crisp crunch of a traditional baguette. This brings up the question, however – how much can you really ask for $4 – less than the average price of a pint of beer in a bar? I’m ok with the fact that it’s not Balthazar bread. It was still delicious, and at the end of the meal, I was happy and full without being overfull. Are there better deals in the city? It's possible but I’d be hard pressed to find one.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Commerce
4/18/2009
West Village: 50 Commerce St (near Barrow St) - (212) 524-2301
Price Range: High End
Rating (1-10): 7
Commerce is a moderately fancy but casual and boisterous restaurant serving high quality New American-y dishes in an unassuming part of the West Village. It’s a lively and noisy spot which might not be the best area for quiet conversation, but good for an environment where you feel comfortable to laugh as loud as you want. The food is rich and strongly seasoned while the service is friendly though a bit harried thanks to the packed bar and generally intense atmosphere.
One thing to appreciate at any restaurant is an effort to put out good bread. I’ve always been of the belief that the bread itself has the potential to be the best thing on the table. The quality of the bread also indicates a lot of things about the restaurant: soul, genuine interest in serving quality product no matter the P+L, and genuine interest in the customer experience. After all, the bread is a free offering and one that only serves to take up space in a stomach that might otherwise be fed something with a price tag. In other words, there’s not a whole lot in it for the restaurant. At Commerce, they offer a selection of various types of breads – from rolls to pretzel bread to more traditional wheat bread to more crusty selections. It’s all quite good and does in fact leave a lasting impression. The bread basket peaks the curiosity and deserves a tip of the cap.
In contrast, the steak tartare appetizer, which was recommended by the server, was below average. Obviously the point of this dish (raw beef) is to taste the essence of the meat flavor in its unadulterated form. But the overabundant quenelle of cream and chives atop the chopped meat serve to mask, rather than accentuate, the flavor of the meat. I can still vividly remember the meat flavor of the steak tartare that I ate at a market restaurant in southern France 7 years ago. But at Commerce, I struggled to get any sense of the taste of the tartare even as I was eating it – in fact, I could barely tell what was beef and what was other stuff by looking at it.
In the entrees, the chicken for two, which has received rave reviews and has become something of a signature dish of the restaurant, does much better. The dish takes 45 minutes from when you order it, so be ready for a wait. This isn’t highlighted as drawback however – in fact, there’s something nice about the idea that a restaurant insists on doing things the right, if inefficient, way – kind of like taking time to create real paella, rather than serving rice pilaf in 10 minutes.
The chicken is cooked whole, presented, and then butchered into two halves and plated. The meat is deliciously moist, and nicely seasoned with herbs (and I’ve read, truffles but wasn’t entirely sure) under a crispy skin. It’s a very rich, salty dish as the chicken is accompanied by pureed potato (somewhat like a thinner version of mashed potatoes), a brown sauce, and small pieces of croutons (the stuffing) soaked in juices of foie gras. It’s a neat idea to have the ultra-flavorful croutons accompany each bite of meat – providing a boost where it’s difficult for seasoning to reach deep in the body of the chicken. The dish is well-thought out, carefully executed, decadent and sleep-inducing satisfying.
Despite the success of the chicken dish and my recommendation to get it, at $28 per head, it’s pushing the limits of what is essentially half of a roast chicken with some fancy fixins. As good as it is, I would hesitate to call it the best game (no pun intended) in town, and certainly not dollar for dollar. A whole Peruvian rotisserie chicken, for example, can be found for under $10 and it can deliver just as much, if not more flavor, juiciness, and seasoning. The moral of the story is that, while you will get high quality, you should be prepared for high prices as well on the menu at Commerce.
The interior is very pleasing but it’s hard to put a finger on exactly why. Although I don’t often make restaurant comparisons, Commerce has the feel of a place designed by the masterful Kevin McNally – like a Schiller’s or Pravda. The yellowish lighting of the restaurant, simple but inviting décor, and shiny tile walls give it a feel like a bistro feel from a bygone era. It’s a fun vibe - kind of like that of a dinner party after everyone's gotten drunk - and it makes you feel part of a scene. The servers, runners and bussers do well to dip and dodge and maintain a friendly, communicative demeanor in the somewhat frenetic environment and crowded bar area. It’s not ultra attentive service but it’s not that kind of place either. The mostly financy, yuppied out, decidedly undiverse clientele here don’t seem to mind as long as drinks are in hand and the food is there. No one’s here for 4 stars, they’re here to loosen up, even if they do happen to be wearing a blazer.
In the end, I’m not convinced that this restaurant offers the best value but I’d bet that you will be satisfied with the meal – which may just make it worth it. Commerce suits the bill for a cozy but very lively, slightly off the beaten path restaurant tucked in the backstreets of a well-trodden area. Drinks are good, the mood is vibrant bordering on party, menu selection is appetizing, and the execution of the food is very solid, but it comes at a West Village premium.
West Village: 50 Commerce St (near Barrow St) - (212) 524-2301
Price Range: High End
Rating (1-10): 7
Commerce is a moderately fancy but casual and boisterous restaurant serving high quality New American-y dishes in an unassuming part of the West Village. It’s a lively and noisy spot which might not be the best area for quiet conversation, but good for an environment where you feel comfortable to laugh as loud as you want. The food is rich and strongly seasoned while the service is friendly though a bit harried thanks to the packed bar and generally intense atmosphere.
One thing to appreciate at any restaurant is an effort to put out good bread. I’ve always been of the belief that the bread itself has the potential to be the best thing on the table. The quality of the bread also indicates a lot of things about the restaurant: soul, genuine interest in serving quality product no matter the P+L, and genuine interest in the customer experience. After all, the bread is a free offering and one that only serves to take up space in a stomach that might otherwise be fed something with a price tag. In other words, there’s not a whole lot in it for the restaurant. At Commerce, they offer a selection of various types of breads – from rolls to pretzel bread to more traditional wheat bread to more crusty selections. It’s all quite good and does in fact leave a lasting impression. The bread basket peaks the curiosity and deserves a tip of the cap.
In contrast, the steak tartare appetizer, which was recommended by the server, was below average. Obviously the point of this dish (raw beef) is to taste the essence of the meat flavor in its unadulterated form. But the overabundant quenelle of cream and chives atop the chopped meat serve to mask, rather than accentuate, the flavor of the meat. I can still vividly remember the meat flavor of the steak tartare that I ate at a market restaurant in southern France 7 years ago. But at Commerce, I struggled to get any sense of the taste of the tartare even as I was eating it – in fact, I could barely tell what was beef and what was other stuff by looking at it.
In the entrees, the chicken for two, which has received rave reviews and has become something of a signature dish of the restaurant, does much better. The dish takes 45 minutes from when you order it, so be ready for a wait. This isn’t highlighted as drawback however – in fact, there’s something nice about the idea that a restaurant insists on doing things the right, if inefficient, way – kind of like taking time to create real paella, rather than serving rice pilaf in 10 minutes.
The chicken is cooked whole, presented, and then butchered into two halves and plated. The meat is deliciously moist, and nicely seasoned with herbs (and I’ve read, truffles but wasn’t entirely sure) under a crispy skin. It’s a very rich, salty dish as the chicken is accompanied by pureed potato (somewhat like a thinner version of mashed potatoes), a brown sauce, and small pieces of croutons (the stuffing) soaked in juices of foie gras. It’s a neat idea to have the ultra-flavorful croutons accompany each bite of meat – providing a boost where it’s difficult for seasoning to reach deep in the body of the chicken. The dish is well-thought out, carefully executed, decadent and sleep-inducing satisfying.
Despite the success of the chicken dish and my recommendation to get it, at $28 per head, it’s pushing the limits of what is essentially half of a roast chicken with some fancy fixins. As good as it is, I would hesitate to call it the best game (no pun intended) in town, and certainly not dollar for dollar. A whole Peruvian rotisserie chicken, for example, can be found for under $10 and it can deliver just as much, if not more flavor, juiciness, and seasoning. The moral of the story is that, while you will get high quality, you should be prepared for high prices as well on the menu at Commerce.
The interior is very pleasing but it’s hard to put a finger on exactly why. Although I don’t often make restaurant comparisons, Commerce has the feel of a place designed by the masterful Kevin McNally – like a Schiller’s or Pravda. The yellowish lighting of the restaurant, simple but inviting décor, and shiny tile walls give it a feel like a bistro feel from a bygone era. It’s a fun vibe - kind of like that of a dinner party after everyone's gotten drunk - and it makes you feel part of a scene. The servers, runners and bussers do well to dip and dodge and maintain a friendly, communicative demeanor in the somewhat frenetic environment and crowded bar area. It’s not ultra attentive service but it’s not that kind of place either. The mostly financy, yuppied out, decidedly undiverse clientele here don’t seem to mind as long as drinks are in hand and the food is there. No one’s here for 4 stars, they’re here to loosen up, even if they do happen to be wearing a blazer.
In the end, I’m not convinced that this restaurant offers the best value but I’d bet that you will be satisfied with the meal – which may just make it worth it. Commerce suits the bill for a cozy but very lively, slightly off the beaten path restaurant tucked in the backstreets of a well-trodden area. Drinks are good, the mood is vibrant bordering on party, menu selection is appetizing, and the execution of the food is very solid, but it comes at a West Village premium.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kampuchea
4/4/2009
Lower East Side: 78 Rivington St (at Allen St) - (212) 529-3901
Price: Mid-Range
Rating (1-10): 8
Full Review:
Kampuchea is an unpretentious corner restaurant serving thoughtful, soulful Cambodian cuisine with service to match. In New York, there’s no ceiling to the price you can pay for a meal but Kampuchea is proof that you don’t need a huge budget for a memorable night out. For a modest and fair price, you’ll get tasty, interesting food with a touch of the upscale flair in a setting that encourages you to relax and enjoy both company and food. For small to medium-sized groups, it’s a great bet.
Kampuchea is in the Lower East Side, slightly off the madhouse of Ludlow Street bars and restaurants, Kampuchea blends well with the hip vibe of the neighborhood but doesn’t feel overrun or like a “place to be seen.” The restaurant maintains a your-favorite-hole-in-the-wall-feel and friendliness, but with contemporary, tasteful décor. The rows of communal tables work well in a shop of this variety, and enhance the warm, convivial environment.
Upon first glance, you might think that this is a noodle shop. Indeed, you’ll see big steaming bowls of noodles and steam rising from the boiling water in the open kitchen. But there’s a lot more to the restaurant than meets the eye. Perhaps the most wow-ing dish was the tamarind baby back ribs appetizer with a cilantro and lime dipping sauce. It’s not easy to differentiate yourself with something like ribs, which are ubiquitous at this point, and usually delicious wherever you try them. However, these ribs are truly outstanding and some of the best I’ve had. The meat is firmly on the bone at presentation but gives way instantly upon first bite. The flavor is tangy and unconventional and the outside is crisp. It’s the kind of dish where you’ll hear the people at your table involuntarily muttering, “Oh my God.” By contrast, grilled corn is another now commoditized dish and Kampuchea’s is good but not particularly remarkable.
The restaurant also features mouthwatering sandwiches (Cambodian Num Pang) served on delicious crispy baguettes. They come with a chili mayonnaise that, even for the mayo hesitant folk, is tasty, indulgent, and delightful. In these sandwiches, the mayo isn’t just slapped on there as a matter of course because it’s a sandwich – rather it was consciously put there to work in conjunction with the other elements of the sandwich.
That seems to be a feature of the dishes at this restaurant in general: careful thought and ingredients with purpose. I asked Chef Ratha Chau for his personal recommendation on what to pick – he replied, in all sincerity, that he couldn’t say because he was so proud of each item on the menu. And when you look at the menu, it is indeed difficult to find an item that doesn’t sound awesome. Whether you speak to Chef Chau or you simply observe his restaurant, it’s clear that he treats his food seriously and has put his heart and soul behind his operation.
We tasted the tiger shrimp with coconut, ginger rubbed catfish, and roasted pork sandwiches – all are juicy and have you craving the next bite even as you work on taking down the one you just took. They come with some pickled red cabbage condiment to cool off your mouth and provide a nice acidic contrast to the savory flavors of the sandwiches. These are sandwiches at a premium but they offer a satisfaction that makes them a bargain.
Service at Kampuchea is personable and accommodating and since it’s a casual feel to the restaurant, the staff is circling about but not in your face. And thankfully, unlike many noodle shops, they’re also not trying to force you along. The host vastly undershot our wait time but luckily, we weren’t pressed for time. I can imagine this place getting packed in, especially on a weekend, so leave enough time for a wait.
Noodle dishes and sandwiches do come cheaper, but for the quality and experience, Kampuchea is hard to beat. In any other city, this restaurant is a star. And in New York City, it’s still a gem, even if you don’t see it in the food sections of papers and magazines everyday.
Lower East Side: 78 Rivington St (at Allen St) - (212) 529-3901
Price: Mid-Range
Rating (1-10): 8
Full Review:
Kampuchea is an unpretentious corner restaurant serving thoughtful, soulful Cambodian cuisine with service to match. In New York, there’s no ceiling to the price you can pay for a meal but Kampuchea is proof that you don’t need a huge budget for a memorable night out. For a modest and fair price, you’ll get tasty, interesting food with a touch of the upscale flair in a setting that encourages you to relax and enjoy both company and food. For small to medium-sized groups, it’s a great bet.
Kampuchea is in the Lower East Side, slightly off the madhouse of Ludlow Street bars and restaurants, Kampuchea blends well with the hip vibe of the neighborhood but doesn’t feel overrun or like a “place to be seen.” The restaurant maintains a your-favorite-hole-in-the-wall-feel and friendliness, but with contemporary, tasteful décor. The rows of communal tables work well in a shop of this variety, and enhance the warm, convivial environment.
Upon first glance, you might think that this is a noodle shop. Indeed, you’ll see big steaming bowls of noodles and steam rising from the boiling water in the open kitchen. But there’s a lot more to the restaurant than meets the eye. Perhaps the most wow-ing dish was the tamarind baby back ribs appetizer with a cilantro and lime dipping sauce. It’s not easy to differentiate yourself with something like ribs, which are ubiquitous at this point, and usually delicious wherever you try them. However, these ribs are truly outstanding and some of the best I’ve had. The meat is firmly on the bone at presentation but gives way instantly upon first bite. The flavor is tangy and unconventional and the outside is crisp. It’s the kind of dish where you’ll hear the people at your table involuntarily muttering, “Oh my God.” By contrast, grilled corn is another now commoditized dish and Kampuchea’s is good but not particularly remarkable.
The restaurant also features mouthwatering sandwiches (Cambodian Num Pang) served on delicious crispy baguettes. They come with a chili mayonnaise that, even for the mayo hesitant folk, is tasty, indulgent, and delightful. In these sandwiches, the mayo isn’t just slapped on there as a matter of course because it’s a sandwich – rather it was consciously put there to work in conjunction with the other elements of the sandwich.
That seems to be a feature of the dishes at this restaurant in general: careful thought and ingredients with purpose. I asked Chef Ratha Chau for his personal recommendation on what to pick – he replied, in all sincerity, that he couldn’t say because he was so proud of each item on the menu. And when you look at the menu, it is indeed difficult to find an item that doesn’t sound awesome. Whether you speak to Chef Chau or you simply observe his restaurant, it’s clear that he treats his food seriously and has put his heart and soul behind his operation.
We tasted the tiger shrimp with coconut, ginger rubbed catfish, and roasted pork sandwiches – all are juicy and have you craving the next bite even as you work on taking down the one you just took. They come with some pickled red cabbage condiment to cool off your mouth and provide a nice acidic contrast to the savory flavors of the sandwiches. These are sandwiches at a premium but they offer a satisfaction that makes them a bargain.
Service at Kampuchea is personable and accommodating and since it’s a casual feel to the restaurant, the staff is circling about but not in your face. And thankfully, unlike many noodle shops, they’re also not trying to force you along. The host vastly undershot our wait time but luckily, we weren’t pressed for time. I can imagine this place getting packed in, especially on a weekend, so leave enough time for a wait.
Noodle dishes and sandwiches do come cheaper, but for the quality and experience, Kampuchea is hard to beat. In any other city, this restaurant is a star. And in New York City, it’s still a gem, even if you don’t see it in the food sections of papers and magazines everyday.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Craft
2/25/2008
Gramercy: 43 E. 19th St (between Broadway and Park) - (212) 780-0880
Price: High End
Rating (1-10): 8
Given the hype that has built up around Craft and its chef/owner Tom Colicchio, Craft invites a higher level of critique than most other restaurants. At the same time, with the prices being what they are – around a $100 tab for a full meal – high expectations are a given. And when you jump into the TV limelight like Colicchio has, it is understood that his flagship restaurant is gonna be under greater scrutiny.
That said, Craft is a restaurant that would please almost anyone. The atmosphere is a relaxed, casual kind of formal with a balance between sleek, clean design and homey warmth – perhaps echoes of Colicchio’s experiences at Gramercy Tavern. Classic rock and more modern hits bump at a comfortable volume and the dishes are presented in the middle of the table to promote a “family-style” meal. All of the food was at least good and came in pleasing portions – and the desserts were a particularly nice end to the meal. However, the service was an obvious weakness and lacked the soul and spirit of both the surroundings and the food. If you can get past an attentive but potentially way-overserious server, then Craft is a fun place where you’ll be treated to satisfying dishes and feel comfortable and cool in the process.
The food is strongly seasoned (pretty heavy on the salt) and representative of Colicchio’s locavore, simple style. It takes a good deal of culinary intelligence and understanding to know the kind of subtle twists to make uncomplicated dishes outstanding, memorable, and unique. Colicchio has made a career out of his ability to do this and commands respect the food world over, for this reason. Our sweet potato agnolotti was a great example of this – sweet potato filled pockets of pasta in a butter sauce. The server described the pasta as pillows, and this turned out to be an excellent description of this incredibly soft, fluffy pasta. The sweetness of the potato was controlled perfectly and a crispy, salty starch crusted on top the pasta added exactly the desired kick of salt.
If you’ve got a spending appetite, the guinea hen ravioli with black truffle is an extravagant appetizer featuring two large ravioli, served in a jus, and topped with a healthy serving of truffle shavings. The gamey flavor of the hen takes precedence over the black truffle, which nonetheless adds an irreplaceable earthy aroma and subtle irreplaceable flavor. Is it luxurious? Yes, and I think that’s why you should order it; it just doesn’t get that much more lavish. Sometimes it’s important to just let go and say, ‘when in Rome…’
The best value items were the vegetable sides – for example, the hen of the woods mushrooms sides: a surprisingly generous portion of crispy, yet meaty pan-fried mushrooms. It seems like this quantity (one order was enough for two) and quality of these raw mushrooms alone would cost this much in a store. I’m not complaining.
Sweetbreads entrée is served as one giant, crusty, pan-fried piece in a huckleberry jus. There’s something satisfying about seeing the sweetbread presented in this way, like a fat steak; often, sweetbreads are served as a bunch of smaller nuggets, but the big hunk of sweetbread just looks bolder, gutsier (no pun intended). The sweetbread is juicy and tasty although the huckleberry sauce is somewhat flavorless. The diver scallops entrée features a few large, seared scallops which works fine but not anything to write home about. The shallot butter sauce is nice but otherwise, Colicchio doesn't give you a particularly compelling reason to orde it. Scallops are scallops and the most important part is the sourcing. These were good enough but something the home cook could execute these just as well. Meh.
Desserts at Craft were utterly satisfying. The blood orange sorbet hits with powerful essence of the fruit, strong tartness, and controlled sweetness. I loved this sorbet. Chocolate soufflé isn’t a new creation of course, but you kind of have to tip your hat when a dish of this delicacy is nailed. Consistency is so important to a soufflé and in this case, it was perfect: fluffy, soft and substantive and not foamy or 99% air. Again, this dessert is not oversugared, and so you get the true flavor of the chocolate.
The service at the table was for me, the lowlight of the experience. The servers were well-dressed, quick, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about the menu – but unflinchingly rigid and borderline unfriendly. Our main server explained that the “paradigm” of ordering off the Craft menu was for each person to get an appetizer, main course, and side dish. Not only was his guidance somewhat obvious, “paradigm” seems like a word better saved for discussions about the political world order or solutions to the financial crisis. Our servers just looked like they weren’t having any fun. Hamsters in a wheel. One of our servers did not crack a smile once, which wasn’t so much rude as it was strange. Fortunately, they’re good at doing their jobs efficiently and invisibly, so you don’t have to get pulled down into their own personal gulag. I’d chalk this up to an aberration because a restaurant of this quality would never last in New York if the service and the atmosphere were always so badly mismatched.
As of late, Tom Colicchio has become a superstar in the culinary world thanks to the hit tv show TopChef and his ever expanding restaurant empire, which includes a steakhouses (CraftSteak), high-end sandwich restaurants (‘Wichcraft), and several Crafts across the country. I certainly can’t blame him for cashing in on his fame. He has paid his dues and worked hard to get to the top of this brutal industry. At the same time, you wonder if the individual establishments take a little bit of a hit in quality; dilution of the top chef’s attention usually does that.
Since I did not go to Craft in its early days, I can’t say whethere there has been a decline. But it seems that Craft, despite its strengths, doesn’t have the excitement or energy of a restaurant gunning for #1 in NYC. It’s good but not great and there are newer restaurants of a similar style that I’m more excited about. Granted, these are restaurants that might owe their existence to Colicchio and the culinary trends that he helped foster: well-seasoned, seasonal, ultra-fresh food; simple but difficult cooking; and emphasis on a few elemental ingredients in each dish. But I can’t help feeling that Craft is no longer on the vanguard of this movement; rather, it is a solid restaurant amongst a growing crowd. Colicchio has expanded into other business lines and avenues to promote his food philosophy; Craft has reached cruising altitude, which most any restaurant would certainly envy.
At Craft, you can reliably expect great food in a fun place – service not withstanding. I'd give it a try but at this price level, there's a lot of places in town to try too.
Gramercy: 43 E. 19th St (between Broadway and Park) - (212) 780-0880
Price: High End
Rating (1-10): 8
Given the hype that has built up around Craft and its chef/owner Tom Colicchio, Craft invites a higher level of critique than most other restaurants. At the same time, with the prices being what they are – around a $100 tab for a full meal – high expectations are a given. And when you jump into the TV limelight like Colicchio has, it is understood that his flagship restaurant is gonna be under greater scrutiny.
That said, Craft is a restaurant that would please almost anyone. The atmosphere is a relaxed, casual kind of formal with a balance between sleek, clean design and homey warmth – perhaps echoes of Colicchio’s experiences at Gramercy Tavern. Classic rock and more modern hits bump at a comfortable volume and the dishes are presented in the middle of the table to promote a “family-style” meal. All of the food was at least good and came in pleasing portions – and the desserts were a particularly nice end to the meal. However, the service was an obvious weakness and lacked the soul and spirit of both the surroundings and the food. If you can get past an attentive but potentially way-overserious server, then Craft is a fun place where you’ll be treated to satisfying dishes and feel comfortable and cool in the process.
The food is strongly seasoned (pretty heavy on the salt) and representative of Colicchio’s locavore, simple style. It takes a good deal of culinary intelligence and understanding to know the kind of subtle twists to make uncomplicated dishes outstanding, memorable, and unique. Colicchio has made a career out of his ability to do this and commands respect the food world over, for this reason. Our sweet potato agnolotti was a great example of this – sweet potato filled pockets of pasta in a butter sauce. The server described the pasta as pillows, and this turned out to be an excellent description of this incredibly soft, fluffy pasta. The sweetness of the potato was controlled perfectly and a crispy, salty starch crusted on top the pasta added exactly the desired kick of salt.
If you’ve got a spending appetite, the guinea hen ravioli with black truffle is an extravagant appetizer featuring two large ravioli, served in a jus, and topped with a healthy serving of truffle shavings. The gamey flavor of the hen takes precedence over the black truffle, which nonetheless adds an irreplaceable earthy aroma and subtle irreplaceable flavor. Is it luxurious? Yes, and I think that’s why you should order it; it just doesn’t get that much more lavish. Sometimes it’s important to just let go and say, ‘when in Rome…’
The best value items were the vegetable sides – for example, the hen of the woods mushrooms sides: a surprisingly generous portion of crispy, yet meaty pan-fried mushrooms. It seems like this quantity (one order was enough for two) and quality of these raw mushrooms alone would cost this much in a store. I’m not complaining.
Sweetbreads entrée is served as one giant, crusty, pan-fried piece in a huckleberry jus. There’s something satisfying about seeing the sweetbread presented in this way, like a fat steak; often, sweetbreads are served as a bunch of smaller nuggets, but the big hunk of sweetbread just looks bolder, gutsier (no pun intended). The sweetbread is juicy and tasty although the huckleberry sauce is somewhat flavorless. The diver scallops entrée features a few large, seared scallops which works fine but not anything to write home about. The shallot butter sauce is nice but otherwise, Colicchio doesn't give you a particularly compelling reason to orde it. Scallops are scallops and the most important part is the sourcing. These were good enough but something the home cook could execute these just as well. Meh.
Desserts at Craft were utterly satisfying. The blood orange sorbet hits with powerful essence of the fruit, strong tartness, and controlled sweetness. I loved this sorbet. Chocolate soufflé isn’t a new creation of course, but you kind of have to tip your hat when a dish of this delicacy is nailed. Consistency is so important to a soufflé and in this case, it was perfect: fluffy, soft and substantive and not foamy or 99% air. Again, this dessert is not oversugared, and so you get the true flavor of the chocolate.
The service at the table was for me, the lowlight of the experience. The servers were well-dressed, quick, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about the menu – but unflinchingly rigid and borderline unfriendly. Our main server explained that the “paradigm” of ordering off the Craft menu was for each person to get an appetizer, main course, and side dish. Not only was his guidance somewhat obvious, “paradigm” seems like a word better saved for discussions about the political world order or solutions to the financial crisis. Our servers just looked like they weren’t having any fun. Hamsters in a wheel. One of our servers did not crack a smile once, which wasn’t so much rude as it was strange. Fortunately, they’re good at doing their jobs efficiently and invisibly, so you don’t have to get pulled down into their own personal gulag. I’d chalk this up to an aberration because a restaurant of this quality would never last in New York if the service and the atmosphere were always so badly mismatched.
As of late, Tom Colicchio has become a superstar in the culinary world thanks to the hit tv show TopChef and his ever expanding restaurant empire, which includes a steakhouses (CraftSteak), high-end sandwich restaurants (‘Wichcraft), and several Crafts across the country. I certainly can’t blame him for cashing in on his fame. He has paid his dues and worked hard to get to the top of this brutal industry. At the same time, you wonder if the individual establishments take a little bit of a hit in quality; dilution of the top chef’s attention usually does that.
Since I did not go to Craft in its early days, I can’t say whethere there has been a decline. But it seems that Craft, despite its strengths, doesn’t have the excitement or energy of a restaurant gunning for #1 in NYC. It’s good but not great and there are newer restaurants of a similar style that I’m more excited about. Granted, these are restaurants that might owe their existence to Colicchio and the culinary trends that he helped foster: well-seasoned, seasonal, ultra-fresh food; simple but difficult cooking; and emphasis on a few elemental ingredients in each dish. But I can’t help feeling that Craft is no longer on the vanguard of this movement; rather, it is a solid restaurant amongst a growing crowd. Colicchio has expanded into other business lines and avenues to promote his food philosophy; Craft has reached cruising altitude, which most any restaurant would certainly envy.
At Craft, you can reliably expect great food in a fun place – service not withstanding. I'd give it a try but at this price level, there's a lot of places in town to try too.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Café Corporate
Anonymous Office - New York, NY
Price: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 2
The Case Against Eating Local
There are actually quite a few eateries in the city that are a stressful experience. They're those places where you just tolerate the bad part, because the food is just that good. But I can't think of that many food establishments where there is the stress, and sometimes aggravation, but no real payoff to make it remotely worth it, ever. The line at Katz's is a zoo but the pastrami is about as good as it gets; the Spotted Pig requires a comically crowded wait, but for good reason; Lucali's regularly has a crowd huddled just outside the door in eager, prolonged anticipation of some of the city's best pizza. And at Café Corporate, the cafeteria in my office building run by Aramark, you circle the cafeteria several times wracking your brain for some kind of combination of food that might bear resemblance to something that is appetizing - and you either walk out with nothing, as I often do, or begrudgingly file into line at the register with some matter to put into your stomach.
With descriptions like "wild mushroom consommé," "Lasagna Bianco," or "Risotto with Edamame and Mushroom," Café Corporate might arouse false hope in the unwitting customer…only for him/her to find that the mushroom consommé is standard cloudy mushroom soup, the lasagna is now just penne with bad red sauce, and the risotto is a neon yellow mush with no trace of either vegetable. One can't really be upset with Café Corporate for shooting high. I think they mean well. But by simplifying the menu, focusing on less ingredients and doing more straightforward dishes, the end result would likely be better and we would avoid horribly failed attempts at creating something that is more fitting for the menu at a Harry's or some other slightly upscale place. In part, this is a matter of knowing your clientele: the customers aren't expecting or looking for fancy NYC food. They're looking for something satisfying, and hopefully healthy (but that’s just a plus). That's why Zigolini's is such a hit - simple sandwiches with decent ingredients and maybe a small twist. There's no reason Café Corporate can't pull that off: They have a monopoly on lunch space in the above-ground floors of a massive office building housing a customer base with deep pockets - just about the easiest set up imaginable in the industry. But the execution is not there.
Like many lunch cafeterias, there are stations throughout the room to chose from, each serving something different and terrible, in their own ways. The sandwiches can sometimes be ok but mostly tend to be dry and boring. Almost every sandwich on "feature" is put in the panini press, including a chicken caesar salad wrap which turns into a hot wilted green mess. The hot and cold counters of prepared foods are usually laughable, and it's not uncommon to see friends pointing at the food and laughing like it's a joke. Their meat selections often sit in a pool of orange grease - not only is that gross, it's a fairly surprising lack of effort / act of negligence. When there is something good at these counters - and sometimes the cold salads such as the antipasti do look good - you will find the stuff is overpriced. Today, three spoonfuls of a soggy, withered corn salad cost $2.81. Potatoes - not exactly a luxury item - are always unreasonably expensive due to their weight, making this starch the most profitable line of business at this financial institution. A full lunch for me from the hot/cold counters will cost a minimum of $8.
I have kept a minimum five foot radius from the grill station where they display raw tuna the color of sidewalk pavement, as well as marinating salmon or flank steak, which thankfully don’t look as bad. The best things tend to be the things that you have some agency over - make your own sandwich, make your own salad, make your own fruit cup, etc. The soup and salad station is basic and may be the best item because at least it's healthy, even if boring. The Premium saltine crackers are excellent. Again - simple is better for Café Corporate. With the salad, be sure to get your dressing on the side or ask to limit the quantity - or else your lunch might be more like dressing with a side of salad.
Breakfast can be ok if you're in the mood for an average bagel or toast. However, the process of toasting requires dealing with the most annoying, inefficient toaster of all time. A simple household toaster would be far better than the conveyer belt mess that merely warms whatever you put in it, unless you put it through thrice. The eggs and omelets are passable usually but it won't really surpass that. To be fair, eggs are very difficult to cook well, and good short-order cooks are wizards. Café Corporate cooks are slow and just don't have the training to do what pros do in the delis of New York. For example, my order of two eggs over easy with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese proved to be outside the scope of the cook's skills. Immediately after cracking the egg on the skillet, the cook sprinkled cheese on the raw egg and then asked another cook what over easy was. The effort failed. It's not their fault but they need better training - that's on Aramark.
What's aggravating and perplexing to me is that the best items are consistently eliminated. The rotisserie chicken was the best item in Café Corporate: well-seasoned with crispy skin and juicy meat, usually. The buffalo chicken panini was really good for lunch and something I looked forward to with a pickle on the side. Their BBQ chicken panini wasn’t bad either. Indian food Thursdays (catered from another place) had become a ritual for me before they took it away. What a great idea and it was actually good, if greasy, Indian food. All these things: gone. Maybe they weren't economically feasible - but then again, it's hard to imagine enough people buying the other stuff in the hot food station to make those things profitable.
The service is generally friendly at Café Corporate and the people manning the registers are, for the most part, pleasant as you walk out. Even if you get the occasional scowl, more often than that, you get a nice greeting and friendly attitude; besides, you can't expect people to be super happy friendly everyday working in a subpar eating establishment. The only complaint is that on occasion I've noticed varying prices for the same product. Prices should fluctuate in the stock market but not in Café Corporate. Regardless, the disgruntlement results not so much from person to person interaction but rather the prospect of eating what's on display.
The highlight of Café Corporate - and perhaps the highlight of my day - is the musical medley that imparts feelings of joy and fulfillment that the food does not. It's unclear who the mastermind behind the tunes is but I dare say he/she borders on musical genius. Who knew I'd like Eiffel 65's "Blue" along with breakfast? A remake of "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper? I didn’t even know that existed! I'm not being sarcastic - the music actually appeals to my peculiar penchant for random throwbacks and remakes of out-of-date songs. I could make a better omelet than Café Corporate but I couldn’t make a better mixtape.
Music aside, one thing you have to tip your hat to is Café Corporate's consistency. Monday thru Friday, it will not be good. At the end of the day, there are no surprises, so I'm the idiot for going back. It's not like they're pulling some kind of crazy bait and switch on me. As they say, "Fool me once…" In the end, recommendation to you: go downstairs, get a breath of fresh air and something that will make you happy about eating. Recommendation to Café Corporate: keep the soup station; add several different types of panini to the sandwich station; bring back rotisserie chicken; add simple pasta station and baked pastas; create customized grilled chicken and burger station; create fresh vegetarian food platter station (cous cous, grilled and steamed vegetables, lentil/bean dishes, etc.); add brick pizza oven; add better salad dressings; add soft serve station; don't put raw meat out; don't put everything in the panini maker; ditch the rest.
Note: The name of this eating establishment has been changed for anonymity's sake.
Price: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 2
The Case Against Eating Local
There are actually quite a few eateries in the city that are a stressful experience. They're those places where you just tolerate the bad part, because the food is just that good. But I can't think of that many food establishments where there is the stress, and sometimes aggravation, but no real payoff to make it remotely worth it, ever. The line at Katz's is a zoo but the pastrami is about as good as it gets; the Spotted Pig requires a comically crowded wait, but for good reason; Lucali's regularly has a crowd huddled just outside the door in eager, prolonged anticipation of some of the city's best pizza. And at Café Corporate, the cafeteria in my office building run by Aramark, you circle the cafeteria several times wracking your brain for some kind of combination of food that might bear resemblance to something that is appetizing - and you either walk out with nothing, as I often do, or begrudgingly file into line at the register with some matter to put into your stomach.
With descriptions like "wild mushroom consommé," "Lasagna Bianco," or "Risotto with Edamame and Mushroom," Café Corporate might arouse false hope in the unwitting customer…only for him/her to find that the mushroom consommé is standard cloudy mushroom soup, the lasagna is now just penne with bad red sauce, and the risotto is a neon yellow mush with no trace of either vegetable. One can't really be upset with Café Corporate for shooting high. I think they mean well. But by simplifying the menu, focusing on less ingredients and doing more straightforward dishes, the end result would likely be better and we would avoid horribly failed attempts at creating something that is more fitting for the menu at a Harry's or some other slightly upscale place. In part, this is a matter of knowing your clientele: the customers aren't expecting or looking for fancy NYC food. They're looking for something satisfying, and hopefully healthy (but that’s just a plus). That's why Zigolini's is such a hit - simple sandwiches with decent ingredients and maybe a small twist. There's no reason Café Corporate can't pull that off: They have a monopoly on lunch space in the above-ground floors of a massive office building housing a customer base with deep pockets - just about the easiest set up imaginable in the industry. But the execution is not there.
Like many lunch cafeterias, there are stations throughout the room to chose from, each serving something different and terrible, in their own ways. The sandwiches can sometimes be ok but mostly tend to be dry and boring. Almost every sandwich on "feature" is put in the panini press, including a chicken caesar salad wrap which turns into a hot wilted green mess. The hot and cold counters of prepared foods are usually laughable, and it's not uncommon to see friends pointing at the food and laughing like it's a joke. Their meat selections often sit in a pool of orange grease - not only is that gross, it's a fairly surprising lack of effort / act of negligence. When there is something good at these counters - and sometimes the cold salads such as the antipasti do look good - you will find the stuff is overpriced. Today, three spoonfuls of a soggy, withered corn salad cost $2.81. Potatoes - not exactly a luxury item - are always unreasonably expensive due to their weight, making this starch the most profitable line of business at this financial institution. A full lunch for me from the hot/cold counters will cost a minimum of $8.
I have kept a minimum five foot radius from the grill station where they display raw tuna the color of sidewalk pavement, as well as marinating salmon or flank steak, which thankfully don’t look as bad. The best things tend to be the things that you have some agency over - make your own sandwich, make your own salad, make your own fruit cup, etc. The soup and salad station is basic and may be the best item because at least it's healthy, even if boring. The Premium saltine crackers are excellent. Again - simple is better for Café Corporate. With the salad, be sure to get your dressing on the side or ask to limit the quantity - or else your lunch might be more like dressing with a side of salad.
Breakfast can be ok if you're in the mood for an average bagel or toast. However, the process of toasting requires dealing with the most annoying, inefficient toaster of all time. A simple household toaster would be far better than the conveyer belt mess that merely warms whatever you put in it, unless you put it through thrice. The eggs and omelets are passable usually but it won't really surpass that. To be fair, eggs are very difficult to cook well, and good short-order cooks are wizards. Café Corporate cooks are slow and just don't have the training to do what pros do in the delis of New York. For example, my order of two eggs over easy with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese proved to be outside the scope of the cook's skills. Immediately after cracking the egg on the skillet, the cook sprinkled cheese on the raw egg and then asked another cook what over easy was. The effort failed. It's not their fault but they need better training - that's on Aramark.
What's aggravating and perplexing to me is that the best items are consistently eliminated. The rotisserie chicken was the best item in Café Corporate: well-seasoned with crispy skin and juicy meat, usually. The buffalo chicken panini was really good for lunch and something I looked forward to with a pickle on the side. Their BBQ chicken panini wasn’t bad either. Indian food Thursdays (catered from another place) had become a ritual for me before they took it away. What a great idea and it was actually good, if greasy, Indian food. All these things: gone. Maybe they weren't economically feasible - but then again, it's hard to imagine enough people buying the other stuff in the hot food station to make those things profitable.
The service is generally friendly at Café Corporate and the people manning the registers are, for the most part, pleasant as you walk out. Even if you get the occasional scowl, more often than that, you get a nice greeting and friendly attitude; besides, you can't expect people to be super happy friendly everyday working in a subpar eating establishment. The only complaint is that on occasion I've noticed varying prices for the same product. Prices should fluctuate in the stock market but not in Café Corporate. Regardless, the disgruntlement results not so much from person to person interaction but rather the prospect of eating what's on display.
The highlight of Café Corporate - and perhaps the highlight of my day - is the musical medley that imparts feelings of joy and fulfillment that the food does not. It's unclear who the mastermind behind the tunes is but I dare say he/she borders on musical genius. Who knew I'd like Eiffel 65's "Blue" along with breakfast? A remake of "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper? I didn’t even know that existed! I'm not being sarcastic - the music actually appeals to my peculiar penchant for random throwbacks and remakes of out-of-date songs. I could make a better omelet than Café Corporate but I couldn’t make a better mixtape.
Music aside, one thing you have to tip your hat to is Café Corporate's consistency. Monday thru Friday, it will not be good. At the end of the day, there are no surprises, so I'm the idiot for going back. It's not like they're pulling some kind of crazy bait and switch on me. As they say, "Fool me once…" In the end, recommendation to you: go downstairs, get a breath of fresh air and something that will make you happy about eating. Recommendation to Café Corporate: keep the soup station; add several different types of panini to the sandwich station; bring back rotisserie chicken; add simple pasta station and baked pastas; create customized grilled chicken and burger station; create fresh vegetarian food platter station (cous cous, grilled and steamed vegetables, lentil/bean dishes, etc.); add brick pizza oven; add better salad dressings; add soft serve station; don't put raw meat out; don't put everything in the panini maker; ditch the rest.
Note: The name of this eating establishment has been changed for anonymity's sake.
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