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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2008 Year in Edible Review

12/31/2008

Dear Readers:
2008 was a year of truly remarkable events – sea change moments that we collectively thought we would perhaps never see. We saw: the demise of a handful of venerable financial giants, and subsequently, investment banking as we knew it; the first truly viable female presidential candidate; arguably the greatest Olympic feat ever – 8-gold medals in a single Olympic games by the same person; billions of dollars worth of fraudulent activity orchestrated by mere individuals; and of course, the event that became this country’s (and the world’s) fixation over the course of the year, a phenomenon that transcended race, religion, and conventional thinking as to what is possible, and, I dare say, the reclamation of a lost faith in the American Dream…this, of course, was the creation of the Edible Review.

I had mulled over the idea of a food blog focused on restaurants for quite some time but only in early 2008 did I decide that I should just jump in and do it. Although I have no illusions (despite what is written above) about the size of my readership, it has been a wonderful learning experience and an opportunity to express and hone my thoughts on food, restaurants, and hospitality. I hope that it has also been as worthwhile for the five or so people who have read my entries. The point, as the title of the blog suggests, is first and foremost to be useful. If anyone has learned anything from it aside from me, that makes me quite happy.

Here are some random thoughts that come to mind as I look back on 2008 and also look forward to what will surely be the year in which the Edible Review supplants the Michelin guide as the world’s most renowned restaurant guide:
- The breadth and energy of the NYC’s food industry never fails to amaze me. It’s an education in food, and no one is above it, certainly not food writers.
- Food writers have it a whole lot easier than the people making and serving the food. I try not to get on my high horse too much for several reasons. Chiefly, even though this blog isn’t the New York Times, anything you put in front of the public eye has potential to affect a business, and thus someone’s livelihood. Most industries don’t have this level of exposure and vulnerability, and it’s not something to take lightly. The big other reason is that I don’t think we respect and appreciate enough, the difficulty of running and working in a restaurant. The reality is that I don’t have the guts to do it myself and so here I sit comfortably up on my perch. I feel like a coward, and even a jerk.
- It will be interesting to see how the food industry reacts to the economic woes – it’ll be survival mode in an already tough industry. But there is so much passion in the food industry that, I don’t doubt for a second that the culinary evolution will continue unabated.
- There’s nothing that satisfies quite like slow-cooked meats.
- Soccarat was my favorite new restaurant of 2008 and probably my favorite overall.

With that, I say thank you – restaurants and readers - and happy 2009.

Ten Penh

12/6/2008

Washington, DC: 1001 Pennsylvania Ave, NW - (202) 393-4500

Price: High End

Rating (1-10): 6

Full Review:
Ten Penh is a large-scale Pan-Asian restaurant that has been playing host to power brokers of the DC downtown scene since its opening in summer 2000. The food is interesting and well-executed. But Ten Penh is more abut about the overall fun of the experience, plates, and drinks. It’s good for big group dinners or catching up with friends, or before a night on the town. It’s not DC’s best in culture, refinement, or sophistication; but it's a taste of those things, it’s satisfying, and most importantly, it’s a good time.

In my mind, the descriptor “Pan-Asian” is usually a tip-off that it's not really Asian. It’s like saying a restaurant is European: a mile wide, an inch deep. At Ten Penh, the menu is described as Pan-Asian, but it’s essentially an American style of Asian that caters to a penchant for large portions, dramatic plating, and strong flavors. Like the colorful, large décor and high ceilings of this showy restaurant, the food lacks a bit of subtlety – ironically, one of the few traits that one might correctly be able to qualify as Pan-Asian.

While the menu thankfully isn’t a regurgitation of typical Asian style dishes – chicken pad thai, drunken noodle, sukiyaki, chicken satay with peanut sauce, kobe beef, chicken and cashew, etc – it’s more about glitz than true culinary impact. Most of the plates tend to wow with presentation and size – for example, a lot of deep-fried stuff piled to impressive heights. I can appreciate the effort and the creativity in the visual, but sometimes I’m weary that it’s a substitute for the quality of the cooking itself. That said, it all came out pretty well. The lamb was cooked and seasoned/spiced well, the Chilean sea bass was light and tender, and the lobster was mostly soft accompanied by a flavorful jus.

It’s not perfection, certainly. Their Thai shrimp curry was a bit too sweet on account of over-pineappling. The duck roll appetizer was too dry all around – the wrapper and the duck – but still tasted good. The salad was passable and the short ribs were a bit on the sweet side but bold in flavor and tender, with an appetizing carmelized sheen. Overall, they're satisfying, hearty dishes, not overly heavy and pleasing to the taste buds.

But again, I believe the goal of this place centers on the experience – and to their credit, the service is friendly and accommodating. They went out of their way to make our experience fun and memorable, not only accommodating a large size table but allowing us to pull a “surprise” birthday party near our table. The restaurant made specially printed menus recognizing the birthday, and allowed us to bring our own cake and champagne (though with plating and corking fees). It’s this kind of flexibility and hospitality that leaves you walking away happy for the selection of Ten Penh for dinner.

By now, the name Ten Penh is widely recognizable to residents of DC - a downtown power lunch spot, pretty good food. That seems about right but I think there’s more to it than that - I believe the people at Ten Penh care about quality of the food and the experience. Just take a look at the wares, which are of a surprisingly nice quality (Laguiole knives, individual heavy cast iron pots, etc.). At some point, there was a conscious decision made to spend the extra cash to provide top notch stuff. That said, on second look, they’re also slightly worn, chipped, or broken from heavy usage – not quite what they once might have been. Similarly, it seems like Ten Penh may also have already seen its heyday. We’ll see if they can keep it fresh, new. As far as Pan-Asian restaurants go, it’s one that I’d root for.

Momofuku Ko

11/6/2008
East Village: 163 1st Ave (between 10th and 11th St)

Price: Break the Bank
Rating (1-10): 8

Momofuku Ko is a fun experience for anyone who wants to do some adventurous eating. While fun doesn’t always lead to success in the dishes, Ko isn't something you come across everyday. If you like asking questions about food, being in a kitchen, and interacting with the cooks, this is your place, because you will sit right in front of the cooks and literally feel the heat off the stove. The now iconic Chef David Chang (2008 James Beard Award Best Chef for NYC) has put a lot of thought into this very intimate experience and the set multi-course menu. Prepare for ingredients you hadn’t ever heard of (pine needle oil). Be sure to peer over the counter as the cooks assemble your next dish with painstaking care and detail. Take a guess at what you think is going to be next (you’ll be wrong). Ask yourself, “who the f thinks of that?” By the end, it’s likely you’ll be pretty exhausted from a full stomach and a mental challenge. Truth be told, it’s not the kind of meal that I’d want on a regular basis, but if you’re in the mood to experiment and enter a food playground, where at least some of the things will please the palate, check it out.

The Ko offerings are complex and involve ingredients you’d have to be a true expert to know. It’s one thing just to put a cool, little known ingredient on a plate, and say “Tadaaaaa!” It’s a whole other thing to use take that ingredient and use it intelligently and with purpose. In most of the dishes at Ko, there was a “wow” moment when you taste why certain ingredients are there, and how they pull the dish together – and that is impressive. The shiso leaf and the pink lemon pull together the lobster and shrimp ceviche, the best I’ve ever had. The mustard greens on top of the braised lamb belly are a great complement, and add surprisingly strong mustardy flavor. The candied nuts in the famed foie gras / lychee / Riesling gelee dish give a nice crunchy texture and add sweetness to balance out the alcohol in the gelee as well as the richness of the foie. A bit of chive on top of the raw fluke is the perfect complement to the fish and white soy - poppy sauce. The bits of coffee together with the venison are awesome. The “pretzel” flavored ice cream desert (who the f thinks of that?) works alongside the refreshing green apple puree underneath. The dishes seemed to “turn” on these ingredients.

Most of the dishes were enjoyable (and gone in a matter of seconds) – lobster and shrimp ceviche; smoked soft-boiled egg with caviar; long island fluke sashimi; mandarin orange fruit and sorbet. But a couple that were surprisingly off. Thin-sliced porchini mushroom and egg noodle with mushroom broth poured over top sounded wonderful but the broth was intolerably salty, with way too much soy sauce. Instead of subtly enhancing the flavor of the fresh porcini, the broth drowned it. And a pine needle oil that was supposedly in the dish was completely wiped out. This seemed to be an error in execution, rather than conception; if the broth were prepared well, this would have a great dish. By contrast, monkfish served below a delicious piece of uni (sea urchin), and resting in a shellfish broth, was problematic in conception as well as execution. What was most unappealing was the cold uni paired with hot fish; the contrast in temperature was a bit gross. Overall, the monkfish was rubbery and forgettable, the shellfish broth was fine, and I thought – as I often do with seared tuna – that I’d rather just have had the uni in sushi form.

Although, for the most part, I liked the courses individually, as a full meal, the experimental menu is a bit incoherent and perplexing to the stomach. Ko may be trying to take you on a adventure but the ingredients and dishes were so wide ranging that it left our party feeling strange, due to the intense variety along with a lot of heavy stuff (braised lamb, venison, fried cheese, foie gras). We were not a particularly faint of heart crew either; we tend to seek out the crazy stuff. Still, to be fair, this is what you sign up for.

What we did not sign up for, and what was most disappointing, was the service of the hostess/server. While the cooks do well at preparing the meals, conversing with guests, and entertaining simultaneously, the servers seem to be the ones dropping the ball. Or, as it were, the glasses, twice (once on my leg). They also turned off the lights in the restaurant without realizing it. But it’s not so much that they messed up – everyone does – but the only ones who really seemed to be concerned were the cooks across the counter. Throughout the night, the only truly personable service we received was from the cooks. From the “front of the house” side, the attitude was lax and nonchalant, and in addition, rude. For example, the wine menu, which we opted out of, was uncomfortably pushed on us, with a tone of expectation, rather than offering. How is that supposed to make you feel comfortable? As laid back as the Momofukus are intended to be, it’s still a high end meal and there’s a difference between being casual and being careless.

David Chang strikes me as a cook’s chef; he’s a no frills kind of guy who’s not in it for the celebrity. He understands a cook’s mentality: the perspective of the guys grinding it out in the kitchen trenches every day and night, getting paid beans, trying to develop their foundation of skills and ideas – while hoping that some day, they too will have an opportunity to run a kitchen. Chang encourages creativity and thoughtfulness in his cooks, and it seems to be his philosophy and mission to help them experiment, grow, and try to develop new culinary ideas. From what the cooks at Ko told me, they do indeed have the freedom to propose new dishes and collaborate on new menu items. In this high-end laboratory, the cooks also have the unique opportunity to get out of the “back of the house” and interact with the customers, across the quasi-sushi counter. They see the expressions of delight on your face and stand at the table with you. It strikes me as a very rare opportunity for an up and coming cook. Chang is putting a whole lot of trust in his cooks and he’s creating a style of mentorship all his own. Whether or not you like his food, I believe it’s something you have to applaud.

I’ve long thought that the numerous critics that gushed like cloned idiots over Ko without any real critique, have done this place a disservice. First, they have set expectations impossibly high. Please temper your expectations and know what you’re getting into. Second, they have sparked a general craze over this place that is borderline bizarre. They’ve made it into something that I’m not sure David Chang intended it to be: a scene. As a result, chances are against you that you’ll be able to get a reservation, at least for the time being. If you don’t get one, life has not passed you by, believe it or not. You can always go up the road to Momofuku Ssam for great David Chang food, where you’ll find dishes that are just as good if not better (pork buns – still the best). They might not be as quirky and adventurous as they are at Ko, and you won’t get to sit directly in front of the cooks when they’re making it – but I love that stuff, and even I would say, don’t go scouring Craigslist for a reservation. Go when the time is right and have fun when you do.

At the end of the day, my service experience aside, Ko is a wonderfully unique dining experience and for $100, it’s worth the money. You’ll be getting a great deal of personal attention from the professionals who make the food, high quality ingredients, and the opportunity to be a part of a kitchen lab that is pushing new culinary ideas forward. If you do have the opportunity, it’s one worth grabbing, provided you have some cash and an open mind.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

10/19/2008
Poncatino Hills, NY: 630 Bedford Rd - (914) 366-9600
Price: Break the Bank
Rating (1-10): 10


I think the most appropriate word to describe Blue Hill at Stone Barns is ‘idyllic.’ It says something when, even after waiting on your reservation for two months at an already hyped restaurant, it utterly blows you away. If you have the opportunity and a bit of a budget, go - and make it an all-day affair. You’ll enjoy fresh varieties of food you never knew existed, presented delicately, playfully, and tastefully. You’ll learn about what you’re eating and where it comes from. You’ll be coddled by an army of smiling, earnest, and comfortably formal staff. You’ll see where everything comes from as you stroll the sprawling countryside before or after your meal. For a day, you’ll feel like a Rockefeller.

Of course, Blue Hill at Stone Barns has the unfair advantage of being situated on a picturesque upstate Rockefeller upstate. For a chef, for a restaurant, I could not imagine a more ideal setup: a fully functional farm to source natural, seasonal, and ridiculously local food, well-financed backers, a campus of beautifully preserved old stone structures, and a food-aware clientele. But they seem to have found the perfect chef for this set up: Dan Barber, who has become something of a hero within the local, natural food movement. Chef Barber splits his time between his restaurant in the Village and this restaurant and despite his rising national celebrity, he’s actually here, in the kitchen.

True to its mission, all parts of Blue Hill at Stone Barns work in rhythm with nature, a restaurant within a broader ecosystem. No wonder Chef Barber is so admired in the eat fresh, eat local Alice Waters movement. You don’t need signs telling you it’s “All Natural” or “100% Organic” or “Certified Free Range.”

That’s all a given. The restaurant fits so seamlessly into the farm, and follows and maximizes the environment it’s in. Somehow, being here brings a calm over you, some kind of Update New York Zen.

There are many wonderful restaurants in NYC with the same food philosophy as Stone Barns, but you just can’t get a truly living-off-the-land kind of experience in the Village, not even at Blue Hill’s NYC outpost itself. One server offered to go pick tea leaves to make tea for a nearby table. Kind of says it all.







It’s almost intimidating to walk into a place with such a depth of knowledge about the production and preparations of food and ingredients (in fact, it’s a learning institution than runs tours and educational programs for children and various groups). But it’s not in a snobby way, it’s just what they do and love.

For brunch, Blue Hill offers a tasting menu of several courses that aren’t laid out on the menu. Instead, the server asks some questions to gauge your preferences, eating restrictions, and adventurousness. And then the menu shifts, so what one table gets will probably differ from what the next table gets. It’s flexible, personable, and fun.

Our first dish was a roasted eggplant broth mixed with various wild mushrooms, a deeply yellow, creamy poached egg, and a type of spinach. The mushrooms are the main feature – large, earthy chunks in a savory, slightly acidic yellow broth. Next up, freshwater, smoked eel in a Manhattan-style chowder with miniature cubed vegetables – carrot, celery, garlic, potato, maybe more, in a bright orange tomato broth. The veggies are crunchy and slightly sweet, and the eel, which is caught in northeastern streams, is a bit tough because at this time the eel are spawning, working hard, getting tougher. It’s a smoky, gamey, and oddly appealing.

A pork plate followed, with braised pork belly glistening with fat, pork sausage that reminds you how meat is supposed to taste, roasted mini apple (who knew?), apple puree, pork jus, and fresh collard green leaves. This is a pork lover’s dream but – and this is a small matter - a tad too much sweetness from the apple. On the next plate sat a fat chunk of braised lamb’s neck with jus, a squash blossom, and an assortment of shell beans – rich, salty almost corned beef flavor, layered with fat. The dish is wonderful to look at. But our (only) criticism was the choice of fat-laden braised meat dishes in two consecutive courses, which is a bit heavy.

For dessert, we got three plates for two people: a play on strawberry shortcake with mini strawberries, citrus, cream between two blinis, and vanilla bean ice cream and yogurt on the side; pumpkin and chocolate cake with a righteous piece of pumpkin, and ice cream; and an apple dessert layered with meringue and ginger ice cream on the side. This is some of the best dessert I’ve ever had with elements that blend beautifully together. The strawberry and the apple desserts were my favorites.









We enjoyed the meal along with several cups of tasty Brazilian bean coffee over the course of three swift but careless, leisurely hours. Blue Hill service is impeccable and friendly, and it seems like the staff flash a warm smile whenever they pass by your table. They clearly love the food and the mission here, and are happy to discuss the backstory of where it all came from, who is responsible for cultivating it, etc. It’s ‘you can do no wrong,’ bend over backwards, ‘no request is unreasonable’ kind of service. Their attention to detail and conversational manner add to a brand of hospitality befitting of the atmosphere. (And one thing I noticed – no ice in the water! Ice often makes water too cold and also clumsy to drink. Here, they don’t pour ice in your glass, a novel, smart idea.)

The entire estate is tastefully decorated with clean lines and modern furnishings while retaining the rustic outdoor feel. We sat in a banquette that looks out across the rest of the dining room which is surrounded by windows that stream in sunlight and surrounding scenery. The dining room features high ceilings, exposed buttresses, and great people watching as well as food spying on other tables. It’s comfortable and classy, clean and efficient. You want to be here. All told: the cost per person was $77. By any standard, this is more than fair.

After our meal, we took a kitchen tour, saw the herb garden, and the wandered surprisingly freely around the grounds and adjacent state park. You want to see where the pork comes from? Go check out the pigs. Beef? Cows. Arugula? Greenhouse. Chicken? Chickens. Honey? Bee farm. You get the idea.

Maybe it's the whole idea of going to Stone Barns and being in this setting that predisposes a visitor to being utterly taken by this place. That may be why I walked away with almost no thought to how it could have been better. One thing is clear: Chef Barber’s life is not bad. During our post-meal exploration of the Stone Barns grounds, he jogged by us down a winding path with fall foliage colors in the background – probably catching a breath of fresh air before heading back to his culinary playground to plan what items to showcase at dinner. You should really see it for yourself.

Socarrat

9/30/2008

Chelsea: 259 W. 19th St (near 8th Ave) - (212) 462-1000

Price Range: High End

Rating (1-10): 9

Soccarat is one of the most exciting restaurants I have been to in a while and I recommend it without hesitation. It's not often that I'm sitting at the table not even mid-way through my food and thinking, "I can't wait to come back here." Socarrat is a cozy, narrow restaurant with a long communal table down the middle, friendly service, classy, quirky interior design, and food you love to love.

Prior to this experience, I don't believe that I had ever had true paella, despite having ordered it off of numerous menus in multiple countries, including Spain. The great search is now over as this crusty pan of seafood-essence soaked rice lived up to the image I had always held for what it could and should be. The paella comes served in a large, circular black pan that is layered with rice (squid ink black rice also available) and mixed with various types of meats and veggies depending on your selection. It's quite a sight and the pictures on this website or the restaurants don't do the dishes justice. True to the name Socarrat, which refers to the cripy rice baked onto the bottom of the pan, there is delicious crunch, especially around the edge of the pan where it gets hottest. The rice has soaked up the seafood flavor which also is the smell you get as you walk into the wonderfully aromatic room. In terms of basic ingredients, paella is actually fairly simple - rice is the star of this dish. Just goes to show that sometimes, in fact, often times, the most basic thing done right is the most delicious thing.

Our "Socarrat Paella" came with mussels, clams, beef, chicken, cuttlefish, and squid. The seafood was somehow tender and not overcooked and rubbery like it often comes out with inauthentic paella. It's strongly seasoned, perhaps a bit on the salty side, but I found myself scraping the pan for every last bit I could scoop. Other mouth-watering varieties are also available and come in serving sizes that have a minimum of 2 people. It's filling and little heavy so you'll be happy with these generous portions.

The prelude to the paella is a "I want it all" selection of tapas that entertains and satifies while you wait for your paella, which takes 30 minutes to prepare (a good sign) . The Calamar a la Plancha squid dish with garlicky butter sauce and lemon is flavorful, tastes of the sea, and leaves you with a pool of sauce that you can clean off with a piece of bread, like you would with some great mussels. The Tocino con Datiles - braised pork belly with slices of green apple, date puree and roasted potatoes - is wonderfully fatty, hearty pork seared to a fox-brown color. The date puree and potato are perhaps a bit superfluous, or just fail to come thru, but the apple adds a nice fresh crispy sweetness to the savory pork. Usually in a menu, there are a few dishes that just don't seem that interesting or appealing, but that wasn't the case with this tapas - I'd put my money on any item.

Either there's someone at Socarrat with a design background or a great eye for decor, as this thoughtfully adorned restaurant incorporates art, rustic ornamentation, and also some sleek features like a mirrored table. (Only downside is that it's not good for large groups unless you can get the round table at the front.) If you look around and in the bathroom, you'll see evidence of a lot of attention to detail. This kind of conscientiousness is also a feature of the service, which is hospitable, and relaxed. At one point, a server came by to help us scoop out the paella, encouraging us to keep eating. There was no pressure, and instead just friendly staff occasionally checking in while bustling around this busy little joint. If you get a chance, look around for a portly gentleman named Lolo (real name: Jesus Manso) - he's the owner of Socarrat (as well as nearby tapas bar La Nacional). A quick conversation with him and how he got here 24 years ago from northwestern Spain will reveal to you where the warmth, character, and passion of this place come from.

On the cover of the menu, is a definition of the word soccarat and on the restaurant website is this description: "The delectable crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan when the liquid is rendered and the rice reaches its peak of succulence." I couldn't have said it better. THIS is paella. Does this restaurant have soul? Yes, and it shows through in every facet of the experience.

Lucali

9/28/2008

Carroll Gardens: 575 Henry St (near Carroll St) - (718) 858-4086

Price: Mid-Range

Rating (1-10): 8

Lucali pizza is a top notch pizza operation with a cozy, fragrant, rustic setting. This is the kind of place that could easily be in the running for the oft-discusssed "best pizza in New York" distinction. In combination with the pizza itself, a very pleasant dining area, and it's one of the best pizza joints I've ever been to.

The bubbly, slightly burnt crust of the brick-oven pizza is fairly thin and crusty but also has a layer of soft doughy-ness to it as well. The sauce is a slightly sweet tomato sauce with a range of basic toppings: basil, mushrooms, artichoke, onions, olives, garlic, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, etc. But they keep it refreshingly simple, emphasizing the quality of the ingredients and the pizza crust. This pizza was light and I didn't feel weighted down like I had eaten a pizza dinner; in this respect, it reminded me a lot of Franny's, another outstanding Brooklyn pizzeria.

Other offerings on the menu are limited to calzones. So if you're not looking for pizza or calzone, obviously Lucali's is not the place to go. I appreciate the focus here as I think it only makes their craft better and more consistent. There is genuine effort put into a high quality product here - stemming from owner Mark Iacono, who built and opened the restaurant two years ago after deciding to jump into the world of pizza on no experience.

The eating area is separated from the kitchen by only a counter where uncut vegetables are displayed. Perhaps the radiant heat from the brick over is the reason it's a bit toasty in here. But it also adds to a nice sense of kitchen cozyness because you are in the kitchen. The dimly lit room is romantic and fun, with a slight buzz echoing through the high-ceilinged room. The decor is rustic, wood, just what you'd expect. Service at Lucali is relaxed, responsive, and very friendly. It's casual joint and the service keeps it chill as well.

A few other helpful tidbits: it's byob (which means you have to bring drinks and perhaps risk that they'll get warm while you're waiting - but also means a cheaper bill! There's a few bodega's a couple blocks away); it's cash only; and you'll have to wait, outside. Call ahead. You can also get to-go pizzas, although it's never nearly as good as eating it there.

No way around it, Lucali's is awesome. If you're serious about pizza, you should make a visit.

Buddy's Burrito & Taco Bar

9/26/2008
Carroll Gardens: 260 Court St (near Butler St) - (718) 488-8695
Price: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 5


Buddy's Burrito & Taco Bar is a slightly above average Mexican food joint. It's better than a Chipotle or some kind of chain Mexican and affordable at about $3 per taco. But I also think it's more for the "I need to eat" situation rather than a "I want something awesome" situation.

The tacos come with two, tasty soft shells and you can get beef, chicken, shrimp, or fish. The chicken is fine, the beef was probably best, and the fish was not good. The steak is marinated and thin sliced with a nice char from the grill. The fish taco comes with a deep fried rectangular rod of fish. It always confuses me why a company would produce a product like this since we all know that there are no right angles on a fish. In any case, it tastes fishy and just reminds of what one might find in the frozen foods section of Costco. On the fish is a pinkish, spiced mayo-like sauce which does not add appeal to the taco.

My favorite part is probably the availability of several different types of sauces, red and green in varying degrees of hotness. I always find that these sauces are essential in adding a bit of flavor and heat, fresh feeling, and moisture to tacos. The eatery part of Buddie's is sort of hot and doesn't seem that clean - not the most pleasant dining area although not entirely objectionable either. If I had a nice spot outside or at a nearby friend's place, I'd get it to go.

Overall, I'd say I haven't found a better quick grab n' go style Mexican food joint (other than the Mexican ballfields in Red Hook) in Brooklyn.

Pinche Taqueria

9/21/2008

Soho: 227 Mott St (and Spring St) - (212) 625-0090

Price: Cheap Eats

Rating (1-10): 6

Pinche Taqueria is a fun spot to drop in and grab some cheap eats done well and light. It's casual and kind of hipster New Yorky but not in an annoying way. Prices are very fair and for around $10, you can grab a filling meal, and hang out in the small eating area or just outside (if weather is nice) and enjoy the SoHo scene.

The menu is pleasantly varied selection of tacos, burritos, salads, and other fixins - with fish, pork (braised and grilled), beef, shrimp, chicken - and the food comes out quick. It's mostly good but it's not a homerun. The braised pork taco (carnitas) has a porky flavor although tougher than most things braised. The chicken (pollo asado) had char flavor but a bit on the rubbery side and the fish taco (pescado), a deep fried piece of fish, is soft and tasty, especially with a squeeze of lime. The tacos are served with crispy onions, cilantro, a pleasantly unadorned guac, and a side of green or red salsa. (If you can get extra salsa, I'd recommend giving it an extra douse for extra flavor.) What's nice is that, thanks to the toppings, these tacos have a light, fresh feeling, even the deep fried fish. For what is essentially street food, it's comfortably above average in quality, taste and healthiness.

If you're looking for a quick and affordable bite or if you got a hankerin' for some Mexican food, I'd recommend popping in on Pinche Taqueria. Chances are, you'll at least think it's worth the ~$10 you spend.