Monthly Archives: April 2015

NYC – 3/14/15 – ABC Kitchen, the Nomad Bar, Estela, Ten Bells

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ABC Kitchen

I must keep reminding myself to get back to some of my old favorites.  This is one of my favorite dining rooms in NYC especially mid day.  The food is always bright and just feels healthy.  Well at least until the carrot cake but it was fantastic.  Shaved raw fluke, crushed olives, dill, lemon and chilies  Mushroom toast, pecorino, lemon and herbs  Cured meats and local cheeses Roast carrot and avocado salad, crunchy seeds, sour cream and citrus Kale salad with lemon, Serrano chilies and mint Brown butter carrot cake with cream cheese frosting  The Nomad Bar

When I recently found myself here twice within 24 hours I started to wonder if I had a bit of a problem.  But at some point you have to play favorites.  On this day it was the perfect stop for pre-theatre drinks and snacks.


Clams baked with bacon, garlic & breadcrumbs


Crudite 

Estela

I finally have to admit that I disagree with just about everybody else and do not understand any of the hype around Estela.  I’ve given it second chances but maybe was less impressed than previous visits.  Maybe I have aged a few decades, but it was so dark that we had to use our iPhones to read the menu.  And while it was maybe cute the first time, I just don’t get why every dish is camouflaged with a layer of something.  When dishes are meant to be shared, the dish has to be almost completely disassembled to determine what is underneath and how to best split it.  And in near darkness this is almost impossible.  And while everything is very good I suppose I just don’t find anything on the menu to be that interesting.  I hate to be in the minority, but I just don’t get it.  Sorry!Mussels escabeche on toastWaldorf salad with yogurt and pistachiosBurrata with salsa verde and charred breadSteak with spicy marmalade, potatoes, and taleggioRicotta dumplings with mushrooms and pecorino sardoTen Bells

We finished the night with new friends, quite a few bottles of amazing wine, and pizza after closing time (which of course always seems like a good idea at 3am!).

NYC – 3/13/15 – Momofuku Ko

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I will quickly sum this up – I loved my second trip to the new Ko just as much as the first.  I still feel like it’s an entirely different restaurant from the original, at a minimum Ko 2.0, and am still impressed by how much service has improved.  The menu was largely the same as 2 months earlier (which I have posted about previously) so I will spare the descriptions but do have to mention that the epoisses potatoes with the venison were to die for.  If you haven’t been…go!


                                  

NYC – 3/7/15 – Pizza Beach and the Seamstress

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Pizza Beach

Before having family living (temporarily) on the UES my outings there were few and far between.  Luckily Pizza Beach arrived at the perfect time and in the perfect location.  The servers are extremely patient in the controlled chaos that seems to erupt earlier in the evening when the restaurant is full of children.  And while it is very kid friendly, adults will be quite satisfied with the menu.  I am though very picky about my pizza crust and so my only criticism is that I wish this was crisper.  But all of the toppings were great and we have made a return trip since this date!

Cannelli Bean Hummus – snap pea, radish & fennel crudite 

Meatballs – pomodoro sauce, grana padano

Tuscan Kale Salad

Citrus Salad

Spicy Soppressata Pizza

Speck with Arugula & Fennel Salad Pizza 

Purple Kale & Butternut Squash Pizza 

Lamb Merguez & Oaxaca cheese Pizza 

The Seamstress

Another fantastic addition to the UES and a reason to continue to visit the area after my family eventually leaves.  I’m so glad I found this just barely before all of the media caught on.  Such a great space, fantastic decor and amazing drinks!

  

 

NYC – 3/4/15 – Dirty French

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It has taken me much too long to get to Dirty French.  In my defense I was traveling most of the first few months it was open.  But I was also afraid that I was going to be underwhelmed and that it was going to be too loud in addition to various other negative comments I had read online.  The fantastic flatbread started dinner on the right note and overall all of the food was excellent.  It was loud yes, but not as bad as I had anticipated.  And service was extremely friendly, although I sat with an empty cocktail glass in front of me for much too long without being asked if I wanted another.  Much like Carbone I can’t help but feeling that it is overpriced and so it won’t be in regular rotation.  But it was perfect for celebrating a friend’s birthday and I do look forward to a return visit.

Flatbread w/ Fromage blanc

Carpaccio – lamb, aubergine, yogurt 

Millefeuille – trumpet royale, green curry 

Meunière – brook trout, sesame, dried apricots 

Duck a l’ Orange – ras el hanout, preserved oranges

Chèvre Salade – kale, sunchokes, sand pear

Pommes Frites

Tatin – pineapple, banana, rum raisin ice cream

NYC – 2/28/15 – Upland

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Unfortunately there are little things that can immediately turn me off to a restaurant.  I sat at an uncrowded bar early in the evening and after a few minutes one of the bartenders provided me with a drink menu.  Perhaps 10 minutes later an older gentleman sat beside me.  Shortly thereafter the bartender, who had never asked me for my order even though I had now been waiting for quite a while, asked the gentleman what he was having.  At this point the gentleman asked the bartender if he had already taken my order.  While I think this violates some basic rules of hospitality, ladies first is just proper manners and a customer shouldn’t have had to point this out.  This said, my dinner was quite good.  The salad beautiful, the lamb neck perfectly cooked and lightened by the greens on the plate.  While outstanding food can overcome poor service, I’m honesty not sure that I found the rest of the menu tempting enough to return anytime soon.

Five lettuce ‘caesar’ – Bordeaux radish + garlic anchovy vinaigrette

Slow cooked lamb neck – baby carrots, soft herbs + polenta