It may not photograph as well as some others, but the Black Label burger is still my favorite in the city. And the bone marrow may be one of the best as well. As I put together this entry I just realized that between the sidecar and the bone marrow my dad would have loved this meal/midnight snack.
sidecar
roasted bone marrow
black label burger
I rarely go out for breakfast, even when traveling, but Willa Jean is one of the few places I wish I could go to every day. All of the baked goods looked absolutely amazing and I decided on the banana bread which was fantastic. And the avocado toast was one of the best that I have had. Such a lovely and sunny space which made you think it was much warmer outside than it actually was. Definitely a NOLA go-to!
banana bread
avocado toast
Coquette
Continued evidence that so much of the great stuff in NOLA now can be found on Magazine street. An absolutely fantastic brunch (even if the beef didn’t photograph well) and I will certainly return on my next visit.
negroni sbagliato – campari, sweet vermouth, sparkling wine
cinnamon roll
cobia crudo – satsuma, hibiscus, jalapeño
beef cheek, stone ground oats, scallion, poached egg
sweet potato tart, molasses chantilly, salted pecans
Erin Rose
It was an absolutely freezing day and the infamous irish coffee definitely hit the spot. Thanks Bobby for the recommendation!
Tableau
I ended up at Tableau after compromising on to-do lists with a travel companion. When I walked in it appeared to be full of tourists, the lighting was dreadful and my initial thought was to walk out. But without another reservation I stayed. I wish i could remember what my entree was but it was a special and photographed poorly and for the life of me I can’t tell. I can’t say it was bad but not a good use of limited days in the city.
Crabmeat Ravigote – local jumbo lump crabmeat, lemon aioli, marinated grilled tomato, lavash
Commander’s Palace
Not having been on previous visits, I thought I needed to visit Commander’s Palace at least once in my lifetime. While I love the history of this place and that so many chef’s have passed through and gone on to great things, it is unfortunately too touristy and felt a bit like hotel food.
Commander’s Creole Gumbo
New Orleans Barbecued Gulf Shrimp
Pecan Pie
Sazerac Bar
Another place I felt that i had to cross off of the list having not been here on previous visits. As I was staying at the Roosevelt it was certainly convenient. At least now I can have an informed opinion that this is not the best sazerac I have ever had.
Square Root
I salvaged this day with dinner at Square Root and a pre-dinner drink at the upstairs bar Root Squared. Fantastic service and descriptions of dishes as presented by the chef’s. I really enjoyed this meal tremendously from the whimsical elements like cotton candy to so many of my favorite ingredients to perhaps the perfect muffaletta.
Mussels – Watercress, Calabrian Chile
Wianno Oyster – Dill, Honey Vinegar, Horseradish
Muffaletta – ‘Nduja, Face Bacon, Olive Salad, Grana Padano
Southern Picnic – Fried Chicken, Watermelon Rind, Mustard
Pig Head – Caramelized Squid, Boiled Peanuts, Seaweed
Matsutake – Raw Lamb, Barley, Egg Yolk
Foie Gras – Parsnip, Date Leather, Vadouvan
Garden Sorrel – Oxalis, Chartreuse
Arctic Char – Onion, Sunflower, Carrot
Rohan Duck – Persimmon, Satsuma, Trimmings
Orchid Root – Muscadine, Sichuan Peppercorn, Black Locust Palm Seeds
Butternut Squash – Curry, Pecans, Raisins, Poirier’s Cane Syrup
Mignardises
Shaya
Visiting Shaya was at the top of my to-do list for this trip and it was so fantastic that I almost (and should have) cancelled something on a different day and come back. I almost ate to the point of making myself sick because everything was just too good not to finish. I only wish I could have tried more and really want the recipe for the butternut squash hummus!
moroccan carrots – chermoula and mint
lutenitsa – Bulgarian puree of roasted pepper, eggplant, garlic and tomato
tabouleh – parsley and bulgur wheat salad, red onion, toasted almonds, preserved lemon
butternut squash hummus, black garlic putter, pecans
lamb kebab – tomatoes, pine nuts, tahini, cilantro
Latitude 29
Latitude 29 may be the best, and one of the only tolerable things in the French Quarter. I had planned to make a quick stop for just one drink and continue on, but the first was so good that one turned into three. Unfortunately I don’t recall what the second and third drinks were but all really great.
Suffering Bastard – Dutch gin, French brandy, lime cordial, bittters, ginger beer
Toups Meatery
After Danny Meyer posted an amazing photo of a large format meat board at Toups I had to get here. Terribly dark for photos but the meatery board lived up to expectations and could easily have been dinner itself. Also it was great to get out of the touristy part of the city to more of what I would consider to be a neighborhood restaurant.
the Meatery Board
Pickle Plate
Roasted Gulf Shrimp – eggplant, tomato, olives, sherry vinaigrette
I went into Bruno frankly not expecting to like it very much. I am very particular about pizza crust and from all accounts this wasn’t of the type that I favored. Perhaps because I had such low expectations I actually did enjoy this pizza. The toppings were delicious and while not my preference, the crust was a very good version of what it was aiming to be. But reference to Bruno as a pizzeria is somewhat misleading in that it takes away from the rest of the menu. And it was the other dishes that I was very impressed by. On my next visit I will likely skip the pizza altogether as there are just too many other good dishes. My only criticism is that the very bright lighting may be great for food photography but creates a very harsh ambience. And I must agree with Pete Wells that the seating is beyond uncomfortable.
Celery root – cured salmon, autumn olives, lovage, skyr, rye
Duck liver mousse – quinoa, quince, kamut crackers
‘Nduja pizza – spicy pork, cauliflower, Dorset, tomato
Local squid – hatch chile, charred onion, wild sumac
While I probably will not make a list of my favorite dining experiences of 2015, if I were to do so this dinner would easily be in my top 5. This was my first time sitting at one of the two tables instead of the counter and certainly some of the presentations are just far more impressive for a larger group. There was not one course which I did not absolutely love which is consistent with previous visits. Our essentially second course could have been a meal in itself and if it had ended at that point I would have gone home very happy. If there were not any witnesses I probably would have eaten the guinea hen to the point of making myself sick. Food aside I just love the entire environment of Ko 2.0. I am often down on friendliness of service in New York restaurants but Ko embodies the concept of hospitality. Now that I am somewhat thinking about my favorite experiences of this past year, the stand outs are the ones that not only have amazing food and impeccable service but also have figured out, for lack of a better description, the ‘it’ factor in hospitality. I am definitely looking forward to many more visits in 2016.
a blank canvas
vegetable roll. pommel soufflés. lobster paloise. millefeuille.
black bass, madai, uni, mackerel, chickpea, finger lime, bonji, shiso, sudachi
razor clam – apple, basil
siberian sturgeon caviar – radish, potato
sourdough bread & radish butter
halibut – cauliflower, hungarian pepper
guinea hen – matsutake, black vinegar
celery root – white truffle, tandoori
beef – daikon, scallion
foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly
carrot cardamom – meringue
pistachio – apricot
chocolate – fernet branca
I had been meaning to get to Gabriel Kreuther since it opened but too often when I am in midtown and able to dine out for lunch I default to Le Bernardin. But upon finding myself 2 blocks away with a lunch break it seemed like the perfect opportunity. The autumn salad was beautiful and I’ve since tried to replicate the aesthetic at home. As they always are, the tart flambeé was very tasty (although it admittedly did not sit very well in my stomach). The space is more beautiful in person than it appeared in photos and its great to have another option in an area of the city that I find myself in often.
Autumn salad – sunflower seeds, pomegranate vinaigrette
Tarte flambee – hen of the woods mushrooms, comte cheese, chive, nutmeg, onion
It has been an embarrassingly long time since I have been to Gotham Bar & Grill and I need to make much more of an effort to visit my old favorites and New York classics in 2016. I went for the burger which was perfect and one of the few where I actually ate the entire bun and didn’t feel like it was too much. But as good as the burger was, it may have been overshadowed by the seafood salad. It is not even something I would typically order and I can’t recall why I did this particular day. The seafood was cooked perfectly and the portion size was substantial. The refreshing vinaigrette perhaps made it seem to be more of a ceviche than what I traditionally think of when I hear ‘seafood salad’ and was probably why I loved it so much. Definitely a dish I will be returning for very soon.
Cider tree- mount gay black barrel rum, calvados, apple butter, allspice dram, cinnamon
Seafood salad – scallops, squid, spanish octopus, lobster, sweet shrimp, avocado and lemon vinaigrette
Gotham burger – plymouth tomme cheddar, vermont bacon-onion jam, lemon aioli, kennebec french fries
Lupulo has quickly become one of my favorite new places. Proximity to where I often workout does not hurt as I am typically starving when I walk by. But everything on the menu is fantastic and the red snapper I could easily eat everyday (and if it were less expensive I would double order). My only criticism is that I don’t really love anything on the wine’s by the glass list and think the selections could be improved. Nonetheless Lupulo will remain in heavy rotation!
Red snapper cru – red snapper, coconut milk, kaffir-lime broth, fermented serrano, benne seeds
Pato coracoes – grilled duck hearts with pickled mango, shishito peppers, pimenton
Beterrabas com hortela e coco – roasted and smoked beets with mint, coconut
What a completely amazing day to be dining outdoors in November in NYC. Barbuto truly is a classic that never disappoints and still the chicken by which all others are still measured.
gin martini and negroni
pollo al forno – jw chicken & salsa verde
pizza stagionale – dates, speck, balsamic, trevisano & point reyes blue
bucatini alla carbonara – pancetta, farm egg & black pepper
manhattan
There is no better way to forget about an unpleasant morning doctor’s appointment than to stop at Le Bernardin for lunch. Consistently impeccable and always my favorite lunch in NYC. As an added bonus I made two new friends sitting at the bar, something that rarely ever happens in a city where everybody tends to keep their heads down.
Aristocrat – Ransom Old Tom Gin, La Quintinye Vermouth Royal, Le Bernardin Grapefruit Cordial, Ginger Basil Reduction 
Yellowfin Tuna – ultra rare seared tuna, spiced herb salad, citrus-soy-ginger dressing
Striped Bass – black striped bass, fennel and leek compote, bouillabaisse broth
Sorbets
Ending my weekend of Jose Avillez restaurants was Cantinho do Avillez and not to take anything away from Belcanto but this may have been my favorite. I can’t recall the name of my first cocktail or the ingredients but it was essentially an adult Orange Julius which remains my favorite part of going to the mall to this day. The head cheese was hands down my favorite head cheese dish ever. I wasn’t so sure when I ordered about the mustard and pickles sauce but it was completely fantastic and the most memorable dish of this trip. And surprisingly the black pork one of the best pork dishes I have had in ages.
Head cheese, mustard and pickles sauce, capers and shredded egg
Baked ‘Nisa’ cheese with ham and rosemary honey
Alentejo black pork, French fries, coriander and garlic ‘farofa’ with black beans
Fruit salad with mojito foam 
Cais da Pedra
I am certain that I have never even thought about ordering a burger outside of the US because it just screams American tourist. But when a well known chef opens a well reviewed burger place with a lovely waterfront location that happened to be in the neighborhood I had already found myself in that day, I figured I might as well try it. Surprisingly this was a very good burger. It was more well done than I would have preferred but far exceeded my expectations. I won’t be making this a habit by any means but I would certainly return to Cais da Pedra.
Seabass tartare with ginger and apple, wasabi avocado cream, frisee salad
Cais da Pedra burger, “Queijo da Ilha” (typical cheese from the Azores Islands), lettuce, caramelized onion, cherry tomato jam and basil
Belcanto
Next up on the Jose Avillez list was Belcanto, the first Michelin 2 star restaurant in Portugal. Unfortunately I have no descriptions of the dishes as I assumed I would receive a menu at the end of the meal as the table next to me had. But mine was evidently forgotten and I did not realize it until I was several blocks away in pouring down rain. This was an absolutely lovely meal which included some more contemporary takes on classic Portuguese dishes and aside from the missing menu, service was impeccable. I recognized the chicken skin from Mini Bar although at Belcanto it was a slightly fancier version. My only small quibble is that I am tired of the el Bulli olives appearing on menus of so many people who have worked there.
Henrique Sa Pessoa @ Mercado Da Ribeira
Da Ribeira is exactly what a food hall should be and puts anything in the US to shame. It is extremely spacious, the seating is plentiful, there is real china, silverware and glassware and the tables are cleared and cleaned for you when you are finished. The food and beverage options are fantastic and each ‘stall’ is a beautiful open kitchen. I decided to go with Henrique Sa Pessoa’s contemporary take on Portuguese cusine. Easily the best meal I have ever had in a food hall and a great start to the trip.
Saladinha de polvo
Tataki de salmao
Mini Bar
Jose Avillez is perhaps the best known chef in Lisbon and of his restaurants my first stop was at Mini Bar. The influence of Chef’s brief time at El Bulli was certainly evident and I could have made a meal of the various snacks. I managed to limit myself to a few but could have easily eaten 20 more of the chicken skins. Unfortunately I got distracted by work and did not keep track of what my cocktails were but they were lovely nonetheless.
Caipirinha
“Roasted chicken” with avocado cream, cottage cheese, piri piri and lemon
Bruschetta with foie gras confit, parmesan, honey drop fig and balsamic
Tuna tartar temaki cone with spicy soy
Vietnamese pork sandwich
Bastardo
In all of my travels I have only had dinner at a restaurant in the hotel where I was staying once (excluding places like the Inn at Little Washington where dining and lodging go hand-in-hand). It was only by coincidence that I had booked the Internacional Design Hotel and then read a review of its restaurant Bastardo that sounded intriguing. I loved the colorful and mismatched aesthetic of the dining room (which was perhaps even better at breakfast during daytime hours) and creative touches like the Lego breadbasket and the placemat which read “On this magic placemat calories don’t count.” After a late dinner it was lovely to just walk up 2 flights of stairs and be in bed.
Rabbit escabeche, red onion, potato and rosemary
Octopus, pork, sweet potato and red pepper
A New York classic that I have somehow never visited in all of the years I have lived here. Sometimes it is necessary to have family visiting to get me to the east side. I made an excellent choice with the tutto crudo and the photo does not do it justice as it was an extremely beautiful plate. But my favorite touch of the meal may have been the honeycomb that was brought out with my cheese course. Entertainment for the adults as well as the kids.
Tutto Crudo – shaved raw tuna, salmon, branzino, vegetables, puffed rice
Vitello – veal tenderloin, sunchoke, leeks, castelmagno cheese fonduta, hazelnut, white truffles
Cheese
I can’t believe that I find myself trying to talk anybody into heading into the depths of New Jersey for dinner. Continuously fantastic and worth the drive more so than perhaps anything else in the state. We ended up with quite a lot of food on this visit and I am proud of my dining companions who aren’t quite the professional eater that I try to be. Thank you Chris James for the fantastic cocktails. When I ask to be surprised with something gin based as my first drink and get my absolute favorite, the Last Word, it was obviously going to be a good night. Congratulations on the well deserved recognition from Esquire magazine!
Braised Octopus – tomato asopao, green olive gremolata
Autumn Salad – roasted root vegetables, almond cracker, brown butter gastrique
Hand Cut Sirloin Tartare – potato rosti, cornichons, egg yolk
Fusilli Pasta – spicy sausage, broccoli rabe, controne beans
Arancini- mortadella, pistachio, pomodoro sauce
Caramelized Squash Crostino – gorgonzola and ricotta, toasted pumpkin seeds
Yellowtail – chicken skin, scallions
Cheese Plate – robiola fiorita, gorgonzola dolce, pecorino grand cru, castelrosso
Charcuterie – spicy sopressata, prosciutto, bresaola, pickled vegetables
Desserts (unfortunately missing descriptions)
Banana Hammock
Sadelle’s
Another visit and I wish that I could say that the service improved but sadly such was not the case. Although I did have it much better than the people seated on either side of me who were missing dishes and had to ask repeatedly if they were coming or forgotten. And not much of a spoiler that on my most recent visit this weekend it is still not good. As I’ve never had any service issues at any of the other Major Food Group spots, it does baffle me a bit what is going on here. Growing too quickly perhaps? But nevertheless I will continue to return because I love the food. The salads are what I want to eat everyday for lunch if I could.
Beverly – turkey, cheddar, beet, bacon, tomato
Pickles
NYCWFF – Virgilio Martinez and Matthew Lightner
Most of me just wants to say that this was a complete sh*t show, the end. I was really looking forward to this dinner to have Matthew Lightner back in town and to finally have Virgilio Martinez’s food and maybe decide if I would ever make the trek to his restaurant in Peru. The NYC Wine and Food Festival (NYCWFF) has been in existence long enough that there is really no excuse for such poor organization and service, especially at one of the priciest events of the weekend. Of the hors d’oeuvres, we somehow only received 2 and after inquiring several times as the dinner proceeded were told that the kitchen had run out. When the number of guests are known and the room fairly small, I still don’t understand how this was possible especially as these were not passed hors d’oeuvres. Our table was ignored by the servers and when we questioned this and complained, the response and lack of even an apology from the organizers was disappointing at best. When paying a lot for a dinner, having to do battle to just get the food on the menu is absurd. I’ve had a good run of events at the NYCWFF but I think this is the end of the road for me.
Tart of Sprouted Grain with garden salsa and smoked clams
Rock of the Sea Razor Clams with avocado cream
Pseudocereals with Andean grains and citrus
Marine Soil Scallops with aji amarillo tiger’s milk and seaweed
Porridge of Heirloom Rice and Smoked Fish with mushrooms and sourdough
BBQ Lamb with petals of beets and rose, aromatic red sauce
Cacao and Chaco Clay, chocolate ganache, chaco clay and dragon fruit
Nomad Bar
And when dinner is underwhelming and you are still hungry where else to end up by Nomad Bar for my favorite cocktail, Satan’s Circus, plus a hot dog. I’m not sure how I got by before this place was open.
How fortuitous that I find myself in this neighborhood very often. There may be a few subsequent posts but this is one that will have to drop off of my blog as I like it too much. All of these dishes I could eat everyday and its a challenge to try other things on the menu.
Pate de Carapau – Portuguese mackerel spread, toast
Salada de Tomate e Requeijao – Eckerton Farms tomato salad, fresh cows milk cheese, opal basil and olive oil
Red Snapper Cru – Red snapper served raw, coconut milk, kaffir-lime broth, fermented serrano, benne seeds
Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop
I’ve wanted to try this breakfast ramen since it was added to the menu but getting to the west side in the morning is not the easiest. If I could start my day in this neighborhood everyday this would become a very bad habit. Absolutely loved it! Although clearly it was early as I have no idea why I did not add an egg.
Breakfast all day ramen – dashi-cheddar, taylor ham, scallion omelet, whole wheat noodle
Pork Buns
Seamstress
I’ve been to Seamstress a few times for their fantastic cocktails but this was my first opportunity to have dinner here. Surprisingly really great food. Unfortunately its quite dark so the photography is not the best. But easily one of the best things about the UES. And really when was the last time you had a baked Alaska??
Market Pickles
Peekytoe crab salad
Smoked & Fried Yardbird
Wild mushrooms
Fried cauliflower
Baked Alaska
My first attempt to visit Sadelle’s unfortunately was on a Monday and I did not realize that they were closed. Its probably good that I gave them an additional week to work out some of the kinks. There are several restaurants where terrible service completely ruined the experience for me and because the food was not exceptional I will never return. On this visit to Sadelle’s service was honestly a complete disaster. My table evidently fell through the cracks with no server assigned and I sat for 25 minutes before even being able to catch somebody’s attention. And it really went downhill from there. However in spite of this Sadelle’s is one of my favorite new restaurants of the year. I absolutely loved the waldorf salad including the lemon vinaigrette which tastes exactly like one I used to make. I wasn’t expecting anything great from the house beets but this may be the best beet salad I’ve ever had. The fresh herbs and lemon zest made them somewhat addicting. While I believe that food and service are equal parts of the experience, on rare occasions great food is enough to forgive the other issues. I took a chocolate babka to-go and may have eaten the whole thing in two days (even though I hate to admit it).
Waldorf salad – chicken, raisin, walnut, celery, apple
House beets
Chocolate babka
For some reason this is the first Contra collaboration dinner that I have managed to attend. Such a fun evening and I’m glad to have finally experienced some of James Syhabout’s cooking as I have yet to get myself to Commis. So many fantastic dishes that it is difficult to choose a favorite but I think I would have to go with the trout skin as I could have easily eaten a dozen more. Looking forward to the next of these collaborations!
trout skin with smoked roe, cultured cream
bread
oyster, horseradish & red shiso, dried scallop broth
cabbage & caramelized sunchoke, dill, anchovy
hake, warm soup apple, verbena, licorice, caviar
treviso, carrot, pistachio
raw beef, kale, sorrel
squab, ginger & plums, hazelnuts
grape & oats
I first went to Green River two days prior only to see Julia Momose and have a few of her sure to be fantastic cocktails. I hadn’t given any thought to actually eating here but we made a somewhat last minute decision to return for lunch prior to heading out of town. I love having absolutely no expectations and being completely pleasantly surprised. Outstanding job Chef Lirette. And thank you Julia for the great cocktail pairings and for taking such great care of us. I can’t wait to return! If you haven’t been, get past the seemingly odd location, and go.
Farro Salad – Grape, Buratta, Almond
Cheese Plate
Beef Tartare – Yolk, Horseradish, Caper
Smoked Whitefish Tartine – Egg, Radish, Celery
Pork Terrine – Mustard, Fine Herbs
Bouillabase – Fennel Broth, Mussels, Clams, Cod
Parisian Gnocchi – Trumpet Mushroom, Squash
Roasted Chicken – Cauliflower, Coarse Grits, Jus
Cheeseburger – Cheddar, Pickles, House Sauce
I tend to have the highest expectations for the final menu of the year, likely as they always have the highest price tag. And while I try hard not to compare menus, this was overall one of my favorites. I don’t think that there was a stand out dish, but I genuinely really enjoyed every course which has not been the case on every menu. Unfortunately I didn’t get photos of all of the wine but I assume much has changed by now (and there was a lot of it!). I’m always somewhat sad when a year ends after having these meals to look forward to for 10 months but on to 2016.
Char roe with rye and creme fraiche
brussels sprouts with beer and flax seed
caramelized onion with chicken skin and heart
prosciutto with honey and lemon
crostini with nasturtium and parmesan
Sturgeon with scallions and iterations of peanut
Consommé of barley with arugula and montasio
Squab with beets and fennel
Pear with blue cheese and fresh moss
Potato chips, caviar, popcorn
Lion’s mane, bison, truffled soil
Hamachi, ginger, fermented gooseberry
Snail, artichoke, eucalyptus aroma
Lamb, olive, valley wind
Molasses cake, cottage cheese, bay
Tea cookie, flan, caramelized white chocolate
Nico Osteria
I’m pretty sure I swore I’d stop blogging about my trips to Nico because there have been way too many. But I just can’t help it. Still my favorite brunch in Chicago with consistently fantastic crudo, pasta and cocktails. And it is always lovely to see familiar faces.
Rock fish crudo
Rigatoni with a northern ragu
Gem lettuce, caper berries, fig-balsamic vinaigrette, parmesan
Salumi & Cheese – La Quercia ham, mortadella, milano salami, goat cheese
Green River
This was only a brief stop for pre-dinner cocktails which of course were fabulous. More comments on our lunch two days later in a future post. 
Alinea
I’m fairly certain that I’ve been to Alinea more times than any other restaurant. First world problems my brother would say. I suppose I am fortunate but also need to stay home long enough to become a regular anywhere in NYC. Still my favorite restaurant in the US and I can’t imagine that anything will knock off black truffle explosion as the best bite of all time. On every visit I’m completely blown away by something and wonder how they will top it the next time, but they always do. This meal Chef Davies’ trout dish was my favorite hands down. I can’t wait to see what Alinea 2.0 has in store.
Peach – basil, murray river salt
Bocadillo – bread, jamon iberico, manchego
Gilda – guindilla de ibarra, anchovy, olive
Jamon iberico – cantaloupe, salt, espelette
Tortilla – potato, onion, egg
Patatas Bravas – paprika, chile, garlic
Strawberry – tomato, pumpernickel, burratta
Char Roe – english pea, olive oil, chamomile
Brook Trout – uchiki kuri squash, thai banana, blis
Graffiti – matsutake, maitake, parsley
Unagi – pickled plum, white sesame
Corn – uni, nori, togarashi
Totoro Kombu – hamachi, ice fish cracker
Percebes – smoke, seawater, ash
Chicken – shishito, lily, kombu
Hot Potato – cold potato, black truffle, butter
Wagyu – matsutake, ginger, black garlic
Black Truffle – explosion, romaine, parmesan
Olive Cake – extra virgin olive oil, black pepper
Lamb – caper leaf, grapes, olives
Bacon – butterscotch, thyme, black pepper
Parsnip – honey truffle, vanilla, orange
Balloon – helium, green apple (missing a photo)
Tropical Fruit – rum, vanilla, kaffir lime
Little Serow
Luckily it had been pouring down rain all day and so the line at opening was much shorter than I expected. This New Yorker certainly appreciated the generous table spacing and I quite like a set menu and not having to make any decisions. While my favorite dish of this meal was the pomelo, I shockingly loved the tofu and it is one of my least favorite ingredients out there. I will say that for some reason I was expecting the spice level to be much higher than it actually was. Perhaps previous reviewers can’t tolerate spice or the cooking style has changed in this regard? Regardless a fantastic experience.
nam prik num
finger chilies/shallots/bla ra
dtam som o
pomelo/lemongrass/rock shrimp
sai oua
pork/garlic/lime leaf
laap pla duk chiang mai
catfish/galangal/lanna spices
tow hu thouk
tofu/ginger/peanut
het grapao
mushroom/basil/egg
si krong muu
pork ribs/mekhong whiskey/dill
Jack Rose and Dram & Grain
The whiskey collection is certainly impressive and I still wonder how the bartenders know where anything is located. Quite fun flights. We then retired downstairs to Dram & Grain as we all love a hidden speakeasy style cocktail bar. Unfortunately it was literally so cold that I remember little else about the experience and could focus only on how badly I wanted to leave. Perhaps in summer this will be a better bet.
Masseria
Despite the protestations of two dear friends, there are great cocktails to be found in DC, but perhaps just not at the places you would expect. We stopped at Masseria only for a pre-dinner drink but ended up having a second round and a few snacks. Such a fantastic space that feels like you are anywhere but DC…perhaps SoCal….maybe Austin. I’m definitely looking forward to returning for dinner!
Thip Khao
Unfortunately we ordered so much, and debated dishes for so long, that two months later I have no idea what anything was. Suffice it to say it was all fantastic. My only complaint is that it was so loud that conversation was actually impossible.
I will always remember City House fondly as it is where I first met for drinks someone who I now consider to be one of my very best friends. The circumstances are too lengthy for this post and it can always be awkward to meet people that you only know from Facebook or email. It was lovely and as my mother and I left for dinner elsewhere she said “You should be friends with her.” Occasionally yes you should still listen to your mother. So nice to finally be back for a proper dinner with said friend and another who knew us separately before we knew each other. It is indeed a small world.
Scrapple, Corn, Jimmy Nardello Peppers, Red Onion, Pepper dressing 
Clams, Limas, Peperonata, Parsley, Bread Crumbs
Belly Ham, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, Oregano, Chilies
Chicken Sausage, Pole Beans, Sweet Onion Dressing, Peanuts
White Corn Grits, Catfish, Tomato Dressing, Arugula
Squash
Mystery dessert that I didn’t write down! 
I have procrastinated for quite a while in writing this post because I hate to have to say anything negative about Husk. I probably won’t ever stop coming here as I could live off of the pimento cheese. But the service was truly terrible. Actually nonexistent is probably a better description. I loved my cocktail and wish I could have had another, except that after originally taking our order, our server never ever came back to our table. I will never understand when I want a drink which represents a high profit margin item and literally cannot order one. And then evidently we had already eaten too much as we were not even offered a dessert menu and the check was dropped immediately when we finished eating. I truly hope this was an anomaly but even when food is excellent, bad service can kill the entire experience.
Pimento Cheese with Benne Wafers
White Lily Biscuits with Black Pepper and Sausage Gravy
Donuts
A Plate of Southern Vegetables
Semilla had been on my to-do list for a while but as several rave reviews rolled in I was afraid that it might be overhyped and so I just kept putting it off. A month later I am sure this menu is completely outdated but the seasonal tomato dishes were outstanding, especially the perfect tomato tart (they should have sold extras!). Just like a pan con tomate the comparative simplicity of tomatoes and pastry or bread is one of my favorite things when done well. I have never had a chawanmushi that I enjoyed prior to this dinner as I suffer from texture issues with certain dishes such as this. But I am still shocked that I loved this one. And it was the same story with the roasted eggplant course. While I don’t have many dislikes, I think its very special for a dinner to be able to completely change my opinion on more than one of them. I enjoyed this dinner so much that my only complaint is that the experience felt very rushed. I was at the end of the first seating but as people began to finish and leave I felt a bit like the store was closing and I needed to hurry up and complete my purchase.
Tomato gazpacho with peaches, rat tail radishes & black olives
Roasted tomato with corn
Corn chawanmushi with matsutake mushrooms & ham 
Roasted eggplant with pepper leaves & grapes
Tomato salad with cucumbers & scallops
Tomato tart
Chicken of the woods mushrooms with corn & mole
Peaches, saffron & bitter almond
Tarragon profiterole with wild blueberry & buttermilk
I really wasn’t expecting much from Wildair. Sure I have very much enjoyed Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske’s Contra a few steps away. But at most I was hoping for a solid go-to stop before shows at Rockwood Music Hall. While waiting for my friend to arrive I ordered the cheese selection which was unremarkable and so I continued to think this meal would be just ok. But when the rest of our dishes started arriving I was completely surprised by just how good they were. We loved the spicy tuna so much that we reordered it as dessert and I can count on one hand the number of things I have ever reordered at the same meal. Its so much fun to have no expectations and be completely blown away.
Selection of cheeses
Summer squash, ricotta, purslane
Scallop crudo, kale, cucumber, ruby red
Beef tartare, smoked cheddar, chestnut
Georgia white shrimp, celery, cilantro
Spicy tuna, scallion, tomatoes
For many years EMP was one of my favorite places in New York. Back when the menu was a la carte I enjoyed many lunches there as it was possible to just pop out of work for a relatively quick meal (and yes using “back when” makes me feel 20 years older than I actually am). I had taken a bit of a break from it recently as it seemed to have become a bit too kitschy. But as reviews and rankings seemed to only get better I kept wondering if I was missing out. And so I made an impromptu visit to the lounge earlier this summer where unfortunately I had a very disappointing experience, i.e. the sort that would make me completely write off most other places. But in this case it just made me sad as I had so many great memories here.
So I gave it another shot, in the dining room this time, where happily the experience was completely different. Service was impeccable. Actually improved from previous dinners where I had some nitpicky comments. The caviar course was a standout for me and I wish I had taken a second photo when I found the egg underneath. Yes an egg makes everything even better in my opinion. And while the lobster boil could have bordered on gimmicky, I love presentations that show a more formal restaurant isn’t taking itself too seriously. My other favorite had to be the farmer’s cheese sundae as I loved the concept and its one I have not seen before (plus somehow the older I’ve gotten the more I’d rather have cheese than a traditional dessert). And I hope the tonging tradition makes more of a comeback as this was very cool to finally see in person.
Lately I always seem to be a bit ‘down’ on NYC dining and feel that I have far better experiences when I am traveling, especially in hospitality. But thank you Will Guidara for exhibiting what hospitality should be at this level. It is rare that my expectations are exceeded and you certainly did so.
(….and very proud of myself that I got a perfect score on “Name That Milk.”)
Cheddar – Savory Black & White Cookie with Apple
Tuna – Marinated with Cucumber
Eggplant – Slow-Cooked with Shelling Beans and Mint
Squid – Poached with Peppers and Artichoke
Tomato – Salad with Basil and Red Onion
Caviar – Benedict with Egg, Corn and Ham
bread
Foie Gras – Seared with Plum and Thyme
Lobster – Boil with Clams, Shrimp and Beans
Tonging
Sunflower – Braised with Green Tomato and Sunflower Sprouts
Duck – Roasted with Lavender, Honey, Apricots, and Fennel
Farmer’s Cheese – Sundae with Honey, Grape, Sorrel, and Oats
Whey – Sorbet with Caramelized Milk and Yogurt
Berry – Cheesecake with White Currant Sorbet and Raspberry Vinegar
Chocolate – “Name That Milk”
Snowcones in the Kitchen
Kodbyens Fiskebar
I loved the location of the Fiskebar in what is the meatpacking district of Copenhagen. It was bustling yet felt off the beaten path and was an excellent spot for an outdoor lunch. Far far more refined food than you would ever expect from the location at first glance. And while the food was outstanding, in American terminology, a perfect Sunday funday spot.
Cod tartar – rye emulsion, capers, dill and burnt onion
Plaice – peas, morels, bone marrow and tarragon
3 Nordic cheeses
AOC
I definitely felt that I qualified as a local having biked to dinner in 6 inch heels. How I made it back to my hotel after wine pairings I have no idea. This was an absolutely perfect meal to end my trip. Once again it was amazing to see so many ingredients repeated yet done in such different ways. For example I had already had several courses of mackerel in the previous days, but I certainly didn’t have to cut any out of branches and eat as finger food. Nor did I have to break a potato out of a plaster cast with a stick. And while I had plenty of onions, none had merited a table side presentation. The baked onion course perhaps illustrated one of the many things I loved about Copenhagen. An onion is rarely the star of the show, often a forgotten but necessary ingredient in many recipes. But done right, it can be a star all by itself. Perhaps my most memorable dish of the meal, and one of the most memorable of the entire week was the extra aged steak course. Umami to the millionth degree.
Appetizers
Razor clam, Apple, kale & parsley
Mackerel, vendace roe, hazelnut & sea buckthorn
Baked onion, elderflower & caviar 
Turbot, lard & turbot roe 
Grilled greens, veal sweetbreads & stinging nettle pure 
Dry aged beef, caviar, mushrooms
Pigeon breast, cherries, sorrel & smoked marrow 
Gooseberries, woodruff & pine 
Blueberries, sheep yoghurt and thyme 
Burned Jerusalem artichoke, walnuts & sugar beet syrup 
Tea and mignardises
Sollerod Kro
Restaurants aside, the only thing I absolutely had to do on this trip was visit the Louisiana museum which is a short train ride north of Copenhagen. It was well worth the excursion and made an absolutely perfect day trip when combined with lunch at Sollerod Kro which is on the way back into the city. Its website says that the setting is idyllic but I’m not even sure that adjective does it justice. The setting is straight out of a movie and reason enough to visit. We enjoyed an absolutely lovely meal outdoors despite the rain. I’m still not sure how the servers with umbrellas managed to keep all of our dishes dry. Jan Restorff you are an amazing host and I could spend hours picking your brain about restaurants! It is always such a joy to find people like you who are so passionate about food for your own enjoyment and not just professionally.
Cauliflower parmesan lemon
Crispy potato turnip asparagus
Apple marinated with lemon verbena
Sollerod caviar “en surprise”
Langoustine, almond, olives nicoise 
Turbot, salad, mussel
Lobster, walnuts, smoke
Foie gras, parsley, garlic
Guinea fowl, morels, asparagus
Raspberries, peach, vanilla
Mignardises
Relae
After a long day out of the city and a late lunch we somehow had made the perfect dinner choice with perhaps the most casual of the week. There were so many things I loved about this experience from our fantastic view of the open kitchen, to the very entertaining bathroom art, to the cutlery drawers, to the people who work here. The additional cheese course is probably my favorite ever and it just now occurred to me that I didn’t even offer to share with any of my dining companions who had not ordered it as well.
Celeriac, black olives and seaweed
Mackerel, cauliflower and bergamot
abcd
Sunflower seeds, nettles and truffle
Carrots, sol and black currants
Sodam chicken, cabbage and lovage
Cheese
Fermented milk, raspberry and rapeseeds
Studio
What an absolutely amazing lunch experience at Studio. We somehow had the whole counter around the open kitchen to ourselves. Thank you Chef Vildgaard for what was definitely the best chef’s counter experience I’ve had anywhere. Absolutely beautiful and delicious food. I am still thinking about the caviar and squid courses. But the foie was truly outstanding and one of the most memorable dishes of my trip. I will definitely be joining you for dinner on my next trip to Copenhagen!
Potato chips with smoked cod roe 
Oysters with green strawberries and dill
Quail egg and summer truffle
Gougeres and lojrom with sour cream
White sturgeon caviar with walnut milk
Sauteed squid and creamy mussel sauce
Pan fried foie gras with beetroot and rhubarb
Whole roasted monkfish with Vadouvan and grilled silver onions, fermented garlic
Green strawberries and sheep’s milk yoghurt, orange tagetes
Geranium
Yet another completely outstanding meal that more than exceeded my expectations. While perhaps the most formal of the dinners we enjoyed, it was still so comfortable and whimsical. I loved the soup course served in the kitchen and can’t believe everybody stopped what they were doing for a group photo. Quite a few unique serving pieces which I always love. Such a nice touch to have made a delicious birthday cake for one of our group. And so much fun to continue to see so many local ingredients used differently than anywhere else.
Crispy Grains from Kornly
Milk, Fermented Juice from Carrot, Crab & Sea Buckthorn Oil
Pear & Pear Vinegar & Lemon Verbena
Jerusalem Artichoke Leaf, Rye Vinegar & Walnut
Dried Apple, Apple Juice & Dried Flowers
“Charred Potato” & Lightly Smoked Sheep Milk Butter
“Cep Mushroom Soup”
“Seaweed & Razor Clam” Impressions of the Ocean
Jellied Ham, Tomato Water & Wild Flowers
“Dillstone”, Mackerel, Horseradish & Granita from Pickled Cucumber
Salted Hake, Buttermilk, Lojrom & Herb Stems
Bread with Emmer & Spelt
Biodynamic Onions with Chamomile & Melted Hay Cheese
Flavors of the Ocean, Beach Plants, Brown Butter & Dried Scallop Roe
Egg Yolk in Melted Lard & Essence of Black Currant Leaves
Chicken, Red Pointed Cabbage, Pine Sprouts & Meadow Hay Beer
Flora of Grilled Raspberries, Hip Rose, Elderflower with Frozen Sheep Yoghurt
Beeswax Ice Cream, Cloudberries & Salted Caramel
“A Walk in the Forest” Woodruff & Wood Sorrel
“Birthday Cake”
“Lingonberry Bush” with Beetroot
Small Cake with Pumpkin Seed Oil
Green Egg with Pine
No. 2
At No. 2, the little brother of AOC, I had the most beautiful sauce of the week accompanying sorrel leaves filled with scallops. I also had a revelation that monkfish can be perfectly cooked. Perhaps just bad luck on my part but I have literally never ever enjoyed it before. And my favorite ending to any meal, cheese (3/4 Dutch if I remember correctly).
Sorrel and sea scallop with crisp chicken skin and smoked mussel sauce
Pan fried monkfish with lard, bitter salad, elderflower and vendace roe
Cheeses
Noma
I will admit that I was afraid I was going to be entirely disappointed by this dinner. I had built it up in my mind to be the ultimate dining experience and thus didn’t think it could possibly live up to my likely unrealistic expectations. However my expectations were exceeded completely. While I feared some challenging courses (visions of live ants in my head), the food was completely approachable yet spectacular. But what I was not really expecting was such stellar hospitality. The tone was set before we even stepped inside when a gentleman offered to hold our belongings while we took the typical ‘touristy’ photos outside. Upon entering it was a surprise to be greeted by Chef Redzepi himself as well as several others. When it is nearly impossible to get a reservation I was not expecting an attitude of true appreciation that we were spending our evening there. Every single one of the front of house staff with whom we interacted, as well as the chefs who described our dishes, could not have been more enthusiastic, friendly and engaging. It seemed that everybody truly loved to work here and that attitude really does rub off on the diners. A big thank you to our lovely tour guide Chef Mello. The minute this evening ended I just wanted to rewind and start over again. I don’t think I’ve ever used the word ‘magical’ in my life, but this experience was just that.
Fresh berries and lemon thyme
Oland wheat and virgin butter
Cabbage leaves and white currants
Green shoots of the season with scallop marinade
Sweet peas, milk curd and sliced kelp
Grilled onion
Grilled baby corn with egg yolk and beef marinade 
New Danish potato and nettle
Flower tart
Sweet shrimps wrapped in nasturtium leaves
Mahogany clam and grains
Monkfish liver
Pumpkin, rose petals and caviar
Lobster and nasturtium
Vegetable flower
Roasted bone marrow
Berries and greens soaked in vinegar for one year
Ice cream sandwich
Rhubarb and sheep milk yoghurt
Forest flavors, chocolate and egg liqueur
Manfreds
What a great stop for my first meal in Copenhagen. There was no menu which was perfect for having just gotten off of a plane and having no interest in decision making. I would come to see that many of the ingredients I had here would be repeated in future menus, although always in different ways. And how could I not love a meal where several courses of vegetables were followed by a dessert of pork? Here I had what turned out to be my favorite wine of the trip and luckily I was able to find 2 bottles once I returned home.
Amass
I thought our entire evening would be ruined when we were forced to get off of the ferry in the middle of an insane pop up thunderstorm with no umbrellas. Yes we sat in wet clothes for several hours, but the food, company and amazing hospitality at Amass move than overcame it. The most unique and delicious topping for bread. And such beautiful flowers. And even though several of us may have inhaled the vinegar powder, the wild blueberry dessert was a complete revelation and a collective favorite for the week.
Soft Shell Clam, Swiss Chard, Rhubarb
Tomatoes, Cherries, Juniper Oil
Salted Mackerel, Peas, Burnt Lemon
Beet Root Sour Curd, Pickled Yarrow Flowers
Grilled Beef Heart, Hazelnuts, Currants, Chanterelles
Organic Pork Neck, Grains, Walnut, Unripe Apple
Caramelized Goats Milk, Carrots, Fennel Flowers
Wild Blueberries, New Potato Ice Cream, Dried Vinegar
Very occasionally I am wrong. When Chef’s Club opened I thought the concept was a bit ridiculous. Considering the general dislike that New Yorker’s have for out-of-town absentee chef’s I saw little that made sense about a menu that was a compilation of dishes by 3 such chefs. A permanent pop-up concept like Intro in Chicago is more of what I thought Chef’s Club would be. I have previously dined in the Chef’s Club Studio and the experience was wonderful. But this was my first time in the dining room as well as my only restaurant week meal this year. I may have mentioned it in a prior review, but this dining room is probably one of my favorites in NYC. The layout of the open kitchen allows for a maximum number of guests to have a fantastic view, the bar is absolutely stunning and the Puck building an icon on its own. I can’t even imagine how long just the bar miss en place takes. And while I am always skeptical of restaurant week menus, Chef’s Club used only the regular menu which indicated which dishes could be part of the restaurant week price as well as supplements for all others. I believe we were evenly split on supplements or not and did add a pizza after watching them being made in front of us all evening. An overall lovely experience and it was fantastic to enjoy restaurant week without feeling like you were settling for a menu you didn’t really want.
Salad of the month – market tomatoes, ricotta, garlic crouton, soppressata, basil, charred tomato vinaigrette 
Maine diver scallops – quinoa, meyer lemon, calabrian chili oil 
Thai glazed short ribs – barrel aged fish sauce, broccoli, peanuts, mint cilantro 
Colorado lamb chops, cotechino, endive, white beans, pear 
Diavola pizzetta – salami napolitana, smoked mozzarella, san marzano tomato, chili oil 
Dessert of the month – plum upside down cake, lemon sorbet, cream anglaise, plum caramel sauce 
Ice cream and sorbet 
I love having another great dining option in a neighborhood that I find myself in most days of the week and often quite hungry following a workout. A very wise friend of mine cautioned me against visiting new restaurants too soon after opening and I probably should have listened. Service was completely confused and at one point I almost left. To be fair this was day 2 so I forgive and shouldn’t even mention the service issues as they are probably ironed out by now. The salads were exactly what I was looking for on a hot evening. And a fantastic idea with the small bites that everybody receives to start. I definitely see many return visits in my future.
Formaggi and Salumi 
Pomodori – Garden peach tomatoes, pickled shallots, basil 
Verdure Verdi – Sugar snap, snow, and green peas, fava beans, asparagus, pecorino 
XOCO
Still my favorite lunch in Chicago. Only a few hours prior to this I was in my hotel throwing up from a migraine. Somehow I drug myself out of bed and credit the healing powers of guacamole for getting me through the rest of the day.
Fully dressed guacamole & XOCO salad
Next Patio
Unfortunately it did not work out for me to repeat the Tapas menu but I did manage to return on one of the few beautiful evenings Chicago has had this summer for pintxos on the patio. As I said the last time, the bocadillo is one of the best things in Chicago right now. It would be brilliant if this made it on to the Aviary or Office menu. Pretty please??
cold octopus and celery salad
porkbelly and manchego sandwich
Boeufhaus
I can’t believe that I went to Boeufhaus and didn’t have a steak. But it just seemed too hot, not to mention I had just finished the bocadillo. I’m looking forward to one the next time, however the vegetables and seafood dishes at Boeufhaus are not to be overlooked. I could have easily eaten two plates of the citrus salmon. My only tiny quibble was that the green goddess was just taken out of the fridge and was quite solid when it arrived at our table so by the time it softened enough to use as a dip, the crudite was almost gone.
Crudité – green goddess
Citrus Salmon – ginger oil, pickled honjimeji, fresno chili, crisp skin, herb salad
Salade Du Marche – early spring vegetables, house greens, root vinaigrette
Scallops (unfortunately a special and I did not write down all of the components)
Cauliflower gratin – leek, gruyere, bechamel, herbed bread crumb
Aviary
Since the Aviary opened there have been a multitude of very cool ice preparations as one would expect from a ‘bar’ that has an ice room. But this one is my favorite of all. I don’t have an ‘after’ picture but the ice chips are dropped into the glass before the cocktail is added. I can’t wait to see what you do next Micah!
Up the Ice Ante
Loaded to the Gunwalls
Espelette you Finish
Boka
I had been over a year since I’ve been to Boka so very happy that my dinner companions suggested it. It is such a solid choice but inevitably falls off of my radar in the quest for new places. Absolutely perfect service and beautiful plates. My only regret is that we did not have time for dessert as I was looking forward to the funnel cake component of the roasted strawberry. A perfect reason to return very soon.
Amuse
Marinated Blue Marlin – yuzu kosho, almonds, wild fennel
Heirloom Tomatoes – watermelon, sunflower seeds, lemon balm
Corn Soup – razor clams, summer beans, avocado
Cured Foie Gras Salad – apricot, baby lettuce, buttermilk
Salt Cod Ravioli – artichoke, lemon, sorrel
Colorado Lamb Loin – cauliflower, cherries, dandelion
Pekin Duck Breast – fennel, apricots, sheep’s milk feta
Olive oil poached halibut – carrot, olives, mussels 
The Office
As usual there is nowhere I would rather end an evening! Of course no recollection of what these were but they were delicious.
Petit Trois
I arrived a few minutes before opening to find a number of people already in line. Luckily some of their parties were not complete by the time the doors opened so I had no problem getting a seat. I absolutely loved everything about this meal from the service, to the fantastic cocktail, to the beautiful salad, to the copious amounts of bread I ate to soak up the juice from the mussels.
Heirloom tomato salad, buffalo mozzarella, lemon verbena 
Moules Frites, white wine, shallots, garlic, creme fraiche 
eggslut
With several hours to kill before dinner, of course the most logical thing to do was have a second lunch. The line would have been much more bearable had it been about 10 degrees cooler outside but at least it moved quickly. I’m not even a fan of breakfast sandwiches but eggslut could convert anybody!
Fairfax – soft scrambled eggs and chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and siracha mayo in a warm brioche bun 
Bestia
There is definitely a reason that Ori Menashe of Bestia was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs for 2015 and that Bestia is a favorite for so many. I only wish I was with a larger group and could have ordered more because everything I saw around me looked so good. A perfect ending to this weekend trip.
Farro salad, shaved heirloom cauliflower, pine nuts, avocado puree, pickled chili, mint, montasio 
Smoked whitefish crostino, dill, potatoes, scallions, fresno chilies, celery leaf 
Spanish prawns, salumi, cherry tomatoes, charred potato, cucumber, plums, oregano 
Yellow peach and santa rosa plum crostata, frangipane, buttermilk ice cream 
Jon & Vinny’s
It’s definitely the sign of a vacation day to be able to go out for breakfast. Luckily my early flight landed on time and despite having eaten on the plane I was starving by the time that I arrived. I loved my seat overlooking the kitchen and could see spending far too much time here if I lived in LA. Such a great breakfast and I can’t wait to make a return trip for dinner (and the avocado toast) and to buy some wine! This is yet another fantastic addition for John Shook and Vinny Dotolo and now I can’t even pick a favorite.
Peach Crostada 
Kenter Canyon Stone Ground Porridge, toasted almonds, gaviota strawberry, orange blossom honey
Night + Market Song
I love an addictively spicy dish so much and I haven’t had a good one in quite some time. My mouth was on fire but I just couldn’t stop eating the papaya salad. Not after I had downed a few glasses of water and wine and not when I was completely full. The LA Times review summed it up perfectly with “just eat, don’t ask.”
Som tum – mortar pounded green papaya salad with palm sugar, lime juice, bird eye chile, peanuts
grapow khai dao – wok fried minced chicken, long beans, chile, garlic, thai basil with steamed rice, topped with fried egg
Smoke.Oil.Salt
I was debating keeping Smoke.Oil.Salt on my itinerary as Chef Perfecto Rocher had departed right before my visit. But I’m not one to cancel reservations last minute and I’m so glad that I went anyway. Stephen Gelber is a wonderful host, I had my favorite wine of summer and the octopus was one of the best that I’ve ever had. My only regret is leaving before Caitlyn and Boy George showed up. Oh LA!
olivos con bitet – olives, toasted almonds, pickled vegetables
zanahoria – slow cooked carrots, carrot salad, carrot puree
pulpo con tomate – smoked spicy octopus, sliced chorizo, caramelized onion, tomato chutney
The Walker Inn
Of course I am a sucker for a cocktail bar with any form of secret door and doorbell. Although more so I like the ability to make a reservation. The Walker Inn is tucked in the back of the Normandie Club which perhaps would be fun earlier in the evening but was overwhelmingly loud late at night. The space is fantastic and actually slightly larger than I was expecting. Sitting at the bar you don’t receive a menu so unfortunately no descriptions of these but I enjoyed both and they were perfect based on the description I provided to the bartender.
I finally made it to Rebelle and I think it took me at least 30 minutes to get over the fact that this space used to be R Bar. Having spent a few interesting evenings there it was just crazy to see it as something so completely different.
The menu is divided into four sections and you are encouraged to order a dish from each which makes me wonder why this isn’t just a 4 course prix fixe. That said, the portion sizes are small enough that you can even add a course and not feel overwhelmed (and which we happily did with the foie gras). I’m now a bit torn as to whether Rebelle or Pearl & Ash will be my future go-to before heading to the Bowery Ballroom!
Foie Gras
Fluke – brown butter, sherry, caper, lemon
Lamb Tartare – green chickpea, olive, yogurt, espelette
Scallop – turnip, apple, green juice
Carrots – chanterelle, blue foot, snap peas, black pepper
Monkfish – shellfish, hen of the wood, sea bean
Peach – poached peach, lavender granite, perilla tapioca
I oddly find myself writing this in the midst of restaurant week. I know everybody in the industry dislikes it, I no longer care for it myself because I never actually want anything on the restaurant week menu, and I always wonder why anybody participates. But the first time I dined at Ai Fiori was at lunch during restaurant week several years ago. I have come back many times since and have happily followed the white label burger to Costata. So perhaps restaurant week isn’t such a bad idea after all as at least for a minority of diners, a good experience will translate into loyal customers.
I seem to have a rather large weakness for Michael White’s pasta. And while the fusilli will always be my favorite, the various versions of agnolotti at Ai Fiori definitely come in second place. Its very rare that I even order pasta because why bother if its not this good? Dining at Ai Fiori is always lovely and this was no exception. Pasta aside we loved the very summery cocktails and desserts and while I seem to have been ordering quite a lot of octopus lately, this one definitely ranks near the top of the list. As tends to happen far too often, I was distracted by conversation and didn’t take notes on the dishes so the only descriptions I have are from the ones still on the menu.
I look forward to checking out the newest Altamarea addition soon!
amuse 
octopus
Crudo di Passera – fluke crudo, American sturgeon caviar, Meyer lemon 
Trofie Nero – ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia, scallops, spiced mollica
Agnolotti – braised veal parcels, roasted eggplant, pine nuts, balsamic sugo 
Astice – butter poached Nova Scotia lobster 
scallops
Torta di Olio – mascarpone mousse, Sicilian pistachio, strawberry sorbetto 
If I lived Morristown I would definitely be a regular at Jockey Hollow. Lucky for me a meeting had me in the area so I thought it was the perfect excuse to check out the bar menu. Right before this visit head bartender Christopher James posted a photo of a Ramos Gin Fizz variation on instagram. It had been years since I have had a Ramos because the best versions were made by the most talented bartender I have ever known, Jason Cevallos. I didn’t even have to ask for one but on every visit to the Office @ the Aviary, a different version would appear in front of me at some point during the night. Jason tragically passed away almost 2 years ago and I’ve just never been able to order one since. But I saw this picture and it was the first time I’ve wanted one. The stars aligned with an almost empty bar so I didn’t have to feel too badly about ordering such a time consuming drink. It seems so strange that a cocktail can bring back so many memories. It was wonderful and I’m glad to be back in the Ramos game.
Unfortunately I was totally sidetracked and didn’t make very good notes about everything else we ordered. However it was all fantastic and to call this a ‘bar’ menu certainly does not do it justice. The skate I am still thinking about….
Spicy tuna crudo 
Skate 
CC burger – raclette, slab bacon, salt & vinegar fries
I hope to spend the remainder of the summer revisiting some old favorites that I have neglected for way too long. There seem to be so few places open between lunch and dinner and while they don’t serve the entire menu, what more is really needed on a brutally hot day than my favorite salad in New York (with an added bonus of my favorite cocktail of all time)?
Last Word
Crudo
Farro Salad 
I haven’t been to Huertas since the menu format changed and it was nice to be back! So happy to have stumbled upon Chef Miller at City Grit what seems like ages ago.
Pintxos 
Almejas – clams, fennel, lemon, herbs, bread 
Pimientos – shishito, white bean, anchovy
Pulpo – octopus, potato, pimenton
Migas – summer squash, jamon, fried egg, crumbs 
Vieira a la Zurrukutuna – scallops, peppers, corn, tomatoes
It has been so long time since I have been to Gramercy Tavern that I am actually embarrassed. I need to keep reminding myself to stop chasing everything new and revisit the classics. Such an absolutely perfect lunch. Its lovely to feel like its a vacation day mid-week!
My favorite wine of summer 
Fluke and Summer Squash Tartare, Cucumber, Cherries and Basil 
Lamb Flatbread, Zucchini, Reading Raclette and Mint 
I’m so glad that Elements is finally reopening, but until I make it there, Mistral is the best thing in Princeton!
Tuna tartare
Kale & date salad 
Wings 
Grilled scallop salad 
Pork belly tteokbokki 
Marea
I swore that I would order something other than the fusilli on my next visit but then I just couldn’t make myself. I did try the other pastas ordered at the table and of course they were all fantastic. Someday I swear I will deviate!
Seppia – cuttlefish tagliatelle, soffrito crudo, bottarga di muggine 
Polipo – griddle octopus, smoked potatoes, pickled red onion, radish, chilies, tonnato 
Fusilli – durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow 
Tortelli – potato and ramp ravioli, soppressata, peas 
Garganelli – tuna ragu, guanciale, broccoli rabe pesto 
Tagliolini – Manila clams, calamari, white wine, hot chilis
Lounge at EMP
I have been meaning to plan a return visit to EMP for quite some time. But with every new accolade it receives, I seem to become less interested as I don’t think it lives up to the hype. While the voting system of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants is questionable at best, and I want US restaurants to do well, when EMP ranked at #5 this year it seemed a bit of a joke. So hoping that the experience would make me realize I had it all wrong we decided to stop in the lounge for a light dinner.
There seem to be dozens of servers at EMP and while I don’t know what the actual ratio is to diners, my perception is always at least 2:1. When you scan the dining room (still my favorite in NY) they seemed to be lined up around the perimeter just waiting for something to happen. So it was entirely unexplainable that we sat in the lounge for going on 10 minutes without anybody coming over and thus had no menus. One member of our group ordered a wine by the glass that was entirely too warm, and while she probably should have declined it when she was poured a small taste, shouldn’t a restaurant of this caliber serve wine at the correct temperature? Then several accompaniments arrived with the cheese but none were explained and we were left wondering if they really were meant for the cheese or for the foie. And the foie in no way compared to the one had a day prior at Per Se. Many of these things I would overlook elsewhere but at this level I admittedly nitpick because I have much higher expectations. And while we were in the lounge, I expect the service to be equal to that in the dining room. This is the 5th best restaurant in the world? Definitely not.
Marinated Foie Gras with Chamomile, Orange Blossom and White Asparagus 
Butter Poached Lobster with Dandelion and Ginger 
Selection of Local Cheeses with Rhubarb Jam and Sorrel Relish 
Per Se
The 4th of July is perhaps my favorite day of the year to be in New York. It is so quiet and basically empty. No battling hordes of people to get anywhere and you can drive through the city with amazing speed. What better place to end up for a maximum feeling of peacefulness but the salon at Per Se for lunch? Even with rain outside this is still one of my favorite views in NY and each time I’m at Per Se I feel like I am somewhere other than NYC. Consistently perfect. Beautiful plates and I still think the best service in the city. I love the extras in the salon such as the salmon cornets (which will always be one of my absolute favorite bites) and mignardises.
“Terrine” of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras
Squire Hill Farm’s Currants, Market Fennel, Spiced Walnuts and Orange Creme Fraiche
Served with Toasted Brioche
California Candycot Salad
Chanterelle Mushrooms, French Breakfast Radishes, Petite Basil and Riesling Emulsion
Elysian Fields Farm’s “Cote D’Agneau”
Squash “en Persillade,” Jingle Bell Peppers, Garlic “Confit” and REd Wine Vinegar Sauce
Grilled Fillet of Gulf Coast Amberjack
Celery Root “Pastrami,” Poached Bing Cherries, Mustard Cress and Miso-Mustard Butter
Wolfe Ranch Bobwhite Quail Breast
Caramelized Shallots, French Leeks, Flowering Watercress and Stewed Black Mission Figs 
I wish I could remember what this one was!
Coffee & Donuts
Mignardises
Elephant Bar at the Nomad
Unfortunately the Nomad Bar decided to close this year on July 4th which nearly derailed our entire day as we were counting on an afternoon hot dog. At least the cocktails are the same at the Elephant Bar.
Dead Rabbit
Congrats to the Dead Rabbit on your Tales wins this year! Always one of my favorite places in NY and if it wasn’t so far out of the way I would be here far too often. I seem to have missed quite a few drink pictures, or they went down way too quickly. Cannot wait for Greenriver to open in Chicago!
Batard
I have been meaning to get to Batard since it opened but sometimes it takes out-of-town guests to give you a push. We arrived early for cocktails after reading about their collection of vintage glasses which were absolutely beautiful. Such a lovely summer menu and the perfect amount of food.
Hamachi – fennel, passion fruit vinaigrette
English Pea Tortellini – burrata, caraway, pesto
Grilled Swordfish – melon, castelvetrano olives, warm ginger-citrus vinaigrette
Selection of cheeses
This new restaurant from Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman occupies a fantastic corner and the retractable doors make it perfect for summer dining. While the marinated sea scallops were in desperate need of salt, the house made tortillas were quite good. Definitely a solid choice for this neighborhood.
Marinated sea scallops, lime, green chile, cucumber 
Grilled cactus, little gem lettuce, onions, jalapeño, tomato, queso blanco, lime, olive oil 
Pickled vegetables & red jalapeños
Grilled tortilla, green chorizo, avocado leaf black beans, queso oaxaca, charred tomatillo salsa 
Consistently my favorite pre-show at Bowery Ballroom dinner stop. While everything was fantastic, the long beans are the dish that I oddly can’t stop thinking about. However one of the more off-putting service experiences I have had in recent memory. Our server tried very hard to push us into ordering a few more plates. I often ask if I have ordered too much or too little when doing shared plates, but this night had not even asked. I would welcome a helpful comment if I had under ordered but when the customer says no the sales pitch needs to stop, which it did not. And ironically after being told we didn’t order enough, we never received one of the dishes we did order!
heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic scape 
hamachi, jicama, ricotta, arugula 
long beans, kale, peanut, bbq sauce 
bavette, cauliflower, fava beans 
Blueberry, corn, lemon verbena 
Waffle 
How can you possibly have a bad day when you have lunch at Le Bernardin? Each time I am able to pop into the bar for lunch, I feel quite fortunate to live here. If I ever move this will be near the top of the list of things that I will greatly miss. Always impeccable.
Hamachi – hamachi tartare, cucumber, lemon-citrus emulsion
Salmon – barely cooked organic salmon, pea puree, yuzu butter sauce
Sorbets
I seem to suffer the same problem with every restaurant that requires you to physically wait in line. By the time you stand on the sidewalk for what seems like hours, too frequently in blazing heat (because who would do this in summer?), you are hungry, thirsty, inevitably need to use the restroom, and at this point will eat almost anything. It’s adding insult to injury when the restroom is out of order by the time you finally make it inside. The sandwich was certainly enormous with great crunch. But my chicken seemed to be tough and I had a very difficult time taking a bite without pulling the whole sandwich apart (I will note my companions did not have the same problem). As other reviewers have said the fries were abysmal which I just don’t understand. They don’t need to be the best, but there is no excuse for fries this bad. While others have surprisingly loved the salad, all I can say was that it was better than the fries. I will give it another shot on a weekday when hopefully the line will be shorter.
As many reviews have said, Santina is the hit of the summer. Its definitely my favorite opening this year and I will continue to visit frequently. Hence this may be the last time I add it to the blog otherwise the entires will become far too numerous. The food is consistently fantastic but on this visit, despite being one of the first parties in the restaurant at 10:15 am, we were seated at the worst possible table right by the entrance to the kitchen and bathrooms. Perhaps a minor detail, yet no need for that when the dining room is completely empty. I somehow didn’t take a photo, but a big thank you to the kitchen for the pannetone french toast. We didn’t even think to order it but it was some of the best french toast I’ve ever had!
Giardinia Crudité
Salmon Affumicato Cecina
Arugula Fig Salad
Shrimp Zingara with a poached egg
Yet another restaurant that had been on my to-do list for ages but with too much time spent out of town I had never made it here. But with a set menu, at a very reasonable price point, it seemed like the perfect spot for my birthday dinner. A perfectly sized menu and perfect for the season. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here!
lettuce, tarragon, ramp
snap peas, fresh cheese, herbs
squid, asparagus, walnut
scallop, sorrel, sea beans
beef, pistachio, broccoli rabe
peach, honey, occhipinti olive oil
strawberry and corn
I have no idea how many times I have driven by the Vail Mansion in Morristown and somehow never even noticed it. I suppose that is because it sits slightly back from the street but I am kicking myself for being so oblivious. I remember making a mental note when Jockey Hollow opened but then somehow forgot about it. Perhaps a bit late, but I am so glad I finally made it here. Such an absolutely beautiful building that it has been impeccably restored and is being utilized in such a fantastic way. I hope to check out the downstairs menus on a future trip although it will be difficult to miss out on the upstairs dining room. I do love how occasionally things come full circle. Many years ago I had lunch at L’Impero (and then Convivio) quite frequently as I worked only a block away and loved the brief escape into tudor city. So its no surprise that I would love a place where Chris Cannon, Ron Morgan and Chef Kevin Sippel have been reunited from those days. And its no surprise that all of the pastas were amazing. But actually everything was! Such a completely pleasant surprise to be in NJ and not feel like you are in NJ at all.
Yellowtail Toro Crudo – red radish, toasted quinoa and white asparagus
Scrambled Hen Egg – American caviar and accoutrements
Spring Pea Raviolini – carbonara, pea tendrils, smoked speck and king crab
Lamb Neck Casoncelli – wild ramp pesto and pane mollica
Duck Liver Agnolotti – fava beans, pecorino and mint gremolata
Monkfish Porchetta – pancetta, bean salad and adobo crema
Dry Aged Prime Sirloin – brussels sprouts and bone marrow au poivre
Buttermilk Spring Chicken – country ham, ragusano wild lettuces
Pavlova – cardamom rice pudding, rhubarb compote and rhubarb sorbet
Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese – cornmeal fritter, maple walnuts, huckleberries and frisee
Since it opened this has always been one of my go to places on the short list of restaurants that I visit repeatedly. I was very curious to see what the remodel looked like in person. Waiting at the bar for my guest to arrive, it honestly just felt really weird because the old bar was so unique and I felt like I was somewhere else completely. But oddly mid way through dinner all felt right again. I loved the concept, and taste of the deviled egg filling, but felt a bit like it was odd to just eat on its own because of the texture and resorted to spreading some on the chips that came with the guacamole. The sliced mango was outstanding as was the ceviche. The last time I had friend smelt was at Alinea so I had high hopes for these tacos and I could have eaten at least two more. A definite must order! Loved both of the desserts but unfortunately didn’t write down the descriptions. I’m looking forward to returning for the kitchen table and the pan-roasted lobster because when the table beside us got it we immediately regretted not doing so.
Pan-Galactic – Pandan-infused rum, oloroso sherry, lemon juice and egg white
Guacamole with pistachios
Deviled egg filling with trout roe
Sliced mango with perky toe crab, chile powder and lime
Ceviche of the day
Fried Maine smelts with cabbage and jalapeño relish
Shredded chicken with yucatecan pipian and toasted pumpkin seeds
Before switching jobs I was able to get to Marea for lunch much more frequently than I can now. My mind was evidently so focused on the fusilli that I didn’t even take a picture of my first course. And while it was a fantastic crudo, I can’t even recall which one. The fusilli remains probably my absolute favorite dish in NYC. I rarely order pasta when dining out, and certainly never crave it, but this one I do. Constantly. As a challenge to myself I am going to try my best to order something different when I return for brunch this sunday. Something tells me I won’t be successful.
Fusilli – durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow
Au Cheval
This will officially be my last blog posting that includes Au Cheval. Why? Because I love it too much, visit too often, and while I can look at this burger all day every day, I’m guessing some of my readers may become a bit bored with it. Chances are it will remain my favorite burger anywhere and I will be eating them just as often though!
Next Tapas
After the outdoor preview two nights prior I was very much looking forward to this menu. While I have liked and appreciated every Next menu for different reasons, I can admit that there are only a few that I have loved enough that I immediately wanted to repeat. This is definitely one of them. The contrast of the more simple dishes, like the absolutely perfect tortilla, with the very complex, such as the patatas bravas, was fantastic. I never cease to be impressed!
anchoas y aceitunas
coliflor asada con chorizo y coca cardona
hongos y cebolla
mejillones enlatados
pulpo y berenjena
cerdo y romesco
cebollas a la parrilla
yema de huevo frito
aceitunas de albert adria
brandada crujiente
datiles con jerez y chocolate
pomelo quemado y pinones
un plato de jamon iberico de bellota
esparragos y sepia
patatas bravas
chuleton
tortilla
gambas con fresas y habas
caramelo de aceite de oliva
chocolate con arandanos y avellana
fartons
tarta de queso
Bom Bolla
On a day that felt more like the end of November instead of May I trekked to the new cava bar Bom Bolla in Wicker Park. With a group of friends I could see this as a fantastic sunday funday location. I definitely enjoyed the different cava’s that I tried but have to admit that after having such an amazing pork bocadillo the night before at Next, this one was a disappointment. On a different day I might have liked it more without the comparison. But definitely order the marcona almonds! I thought they couldn’t be improved upon, but everything truly is better fried!
Shrimp with tomato & horseradish
Grilled pork shoulder, preserved lemon, manchego bocadillo
Pork fat fried Marcona almonds
Broken Shaker
The Chicago location of the Miami import Broken Shaker recently opened in the Freehand hostel. Having visited the Miami location fairly recently I was curious as to how the concept would translate without the cool outdoor space. I think they have done an excellent job however of maintaining the same vibe within the constraints of a city location. While walking in seems perhaps a bit too similar to the Ace next door, when you actually get to the bar it feels entirely different and far removed from your physical location. This will definitely enter my regular rotation for future visits.
Bitch Don’t kill my Vibe – lemongrass reduction, aperol, shaken with tropical juice and vodka
Gin tonic from the market – shaker g&t with market fresh botanicals, built on beefeater gin and lillet
Formentos
Pickled vegetables are one of my absolute favorite things. If on any restaurant menu, it is guaranteed that I will order them. Case in point, I had an assortment of pickled vegetables the previous night at Parachute and would have the off-the-brunch-menu pickles at Au Cheval the next day. It doesn’t matter what vegetables are pickled but classic giardiniera is the best. So any restaurant that begins the meal with a bowl of this has already won me over. The shrimp scampi was perfectly done and sometimes it is just great to have a well executed classic. I can’t even think of the last time I have had it in a restaurant but now need to rethink how I have been making it at home. Looking back at my pictures I can’t believe I ate all of the enormous lamb t-bone, but I could never leave lamb unfinished! And what a better ending than my favorite cake, carrot cake? I didn’t necessarily think about it at the time, but one of the reasons that I enjoyed this meal so much was that it was perfectly composed of some of my all time favorite foods. Food aside, it was a pleasure to see some familiar faces. I unfortunately don’t remember my server’s name, but she did a very graceful job of dealing with the extremely difficult patrons sitting beside me. And while I love the cozy ambience of the dining room, I hope to return before the end of summer to take advantage of the patio!
Giardiniera
Roasted heirloom beets – orange, castelrosso, pistachio
Shrimp Scampi
Lamb T-Bone – lupini beans, Gaeti olives, green garlic
Carrot cake
Next
I’m so happy I managed to make it to Next on one of the very few beautiful June evenings there have been in Chicago. Such a great idea to have the separate outdoor tables and menu to go along with the Tapas menu. Exceptional as always! I could drink these G&Ts all day. And while it doesn’t look like much in photos, the bocadillo is definitely one of the best things I have had this year. If you haven’t been yet, get there before the Tapas menu ends!
Gin & Tonic 
cold octopus and celery salad 
iberian ham with tomato 
porkbelly and manchego sandwich 
Parachute
I loved my first visit to Parachute and was looking forward to a return visit. The bing bread was just as good as I remembered and if not for the earlier trip to Next I would have eaten a full order on my own. Unfortunately I have no recollection of what our last two courses were and the photos are useless. I really hope this Estela plating trend stops. I just don’t get it and I have no idea why so many chefs are copying it.
c&k immature brandy, yujacha, lemon, egg white 
baked potato bing bread, bacon, scallion, sour cream butter 
house pickles, kimchi, chili chayote, watermelon radish zuke 
ceviche 
pork belly and mung bean pancake, kimchi, black garlic, hen egg, pineapple 
Spyglass Rooftop
While the drinks are overpriced, it is hard to beat this view!
Extra Fancy
Frozen G&T. Enough said.
Maison Premiere
This may be the best outdoor dining space in the city. You truly feel like you are somewhere else. Unfortunately as it was so dark my photos are as well and I can barely decipher what we had. But regardless I’m just very proud of myself for ordering oysters a few weeks after a horrific bout of food poisoning. Definitely looking forward to getting back here a few times this summer!
I’ve been a fan of Jason Atherton’s for quite a while and so was quite excited to try Clocktower soon after it opened. In general out-of-town chef’s who open restaurants in NYC when not living here just don’t make it and I’m usually not sad to see them go. But I certainly hope that Clocktower sticks around for a while. There were some service issues with the timing of courses but as I was there so soon after opening I forgive them! I’m generally not a fan of cocktails with savory components but these were some of the best that I have had and actually some of the best cocktails overall that I have had in NY in recent memory. While the starters and salad were great, and the cote de boeuf amazing, its oddly the green bean and foie gras salad that stole the show for me. A completely standout side dish that should be its own starter!
Los Pollos Hermanos – Del Maguey Vida mescal, Olmeca Altos blanco, herb infused agave, lemon juice, chicken stock, egg white
Give Peas a Chance – Beefeater gin, yellow Chartreuse, salted pea cordial, lemon juice, mint, Butterfly absinthe, egg white, flora
Warm white asparagus, slow-cooked egg, chicken thigh, chicken cornflakes
Roasted sea scallops, ragout of line caught squid, cepe, bacon, celery root puree
English breakfast radishes, salad leaves, cucumbers, feta and pistachio puree
40 day dry aged cote de boeuf 32 oz, green bean and foie gras salad, bone marrow jus, potato gratin
Strawberries and cream, vanilla custard, olive oil cake, verjus sorbet
Mignardises
Sixteen is yet another Chicago restaurant that I had been trying to get to for ages and I’m still bummed that I missed some previous menus that looked amazing. It really doesn’t get better than having such a fantastic meal while gazing at some of my favorite buildings in the city. I could never get tired of this view. The theme of the spring menu is Food in Progress: Assessing an American Food Revolution. The menu presentation with the seed box, filled with small bites, was absolutely adorable and just so much thought clearly went into the structure of the menu and the theme of every course. I haven’t transcribed the whole thing here but I even mores regret missing the architecture menu!
Spring Pea in its Shell, Green Strawberry Almond and Mint
Soy Bean Panna Cotta, Pine Nut, Tomato Hearts
Veiled Green and White Asparagus with Blood Orange and Curry
Comte Flan with Chive Flowers, Morels and Asparagus Soup
Barley Porridge, Escargot, Mustard Greens and Juice
Carolina Gold Rice Congee, Sorghum and Country Ham
Abalone, Dulse, Sea Grape and Dashi
Potato soufflé with Sturgeon and its Caviar
Wild King Salmon, Crushed Favas, Fava Leaves and Shiso
Loup de Mer in Whey, Wild Dill and Fennel, Clam and Parsley-Horseradish Emulsion
Smoked Squab with Sour Cherry and Sorrel
Porcelet, Roast Brined Carrot, Buttermilk and Ferns
Grass-fed, Dry-Aged Beef Ribeye, Fermented Ramps, Sprouting Alliums
Cheese
Mandarin and Avocado Sorbet with Freeze Dried Mandarin
Pistachio and Yogurt Cake with Blueberry and Lavender Jam
Creme Fraiche Panacotta with Rhubarb Compote and Buttermilk Chip
Toasted Milk and Strawberry Ice Cream, Poppy Seed Sable with Fresh Anise Hyssop
Pineapple, Verbena Mousse, Coffee Jelly and Salted Caramel
Chocolate Cremeaux with Sesame Cake, Blackberry and Sudachi
Embeya
As frequently as I am in Chicago there are still restaurants that I have always wanted to go to but somehow never seem to have the time for. Embeya has been on my to-do list probably since it opened but it took the relaunched version with Mike Sheerin at the helm to get me there. An absolutely lovely lunch and perhaps our only complaint was that the broth of the mussel dish was under seasoned.
Tete charcuterie Sai Krok Isan – pineapple, green garlic, cilantro
Charred baby carrots – cured ham, togarashi, yuzu vinaigrette, mint
Green papaya – cucumber, Chrissy shallots, Thai basil, mint
Steamed mussels – spot prawns, halibut, lemongrass-lobster broth
Chicken thigh – steamed cabbage, roasted potato, soy-mirin jus
Yuzu semifreddo – sake soaked strawberries, angel food cake
Ganache – whole wheat graham cracker,miso-caramel ice cream
Intro
For those not familiar Intro is sort of a long term pop-up concept where the chef rotates every few months. Erik Anderson was the second chef in residence at Intro, and while I generally avoid opening nights of anything, we planned our trip around this dinner. The last time I was in this space was in the L2O Laurent Gras days and remember it as a dining room out of a tv show…so sophisticated and modern and just perfect. So it was certainly very strange to be back with taxidermy on the walls! But if I avoided the comparisons I did like the decor. I’ve previously loved Erik’s cooking and this meal was no exception. And while the entire meal was great, the foie tart was so memorable that I’ve almost totally forgotten about all of the other courses.
Island Creek Oyster – Gueuze
Preserved Foie Gras Tart – Salted Strawberries – Hazelnut Milk – Radishes
Pike Boudin in Onion – Lettuce – Snap Peas – Ramps – Egg Yolk – Smoked Lamb’s Tongue
Roasted Poularde – Lobster – Morcilla – Fava Beans – Madeira and Black Truffle Sauce
Roasted Hay Custard – Fresh Creme – Maple Syrup
Bourbon – Tea Baba
A multitude of fantastic reviews have already been written about Shuko and as I wholeheartedly agree with all of them I won’t bother repeating what has already been said. As suggested by others we opted for the longer Kaiseki menu for the first visit. I look forward to returning to try the shorter omakase menu. Unfortunately no menu and most of the courses came so quickly that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up even if I was writing them down.
Dachgarten
I booked lunch at Dachgarten as it affords entry into the Reichstag building and certainly seemed easier than trying to figure out how to register to visit otherwise. It is quite the production to get through security and into the building but certainly worth it as the dome is stunning. Lunch was quite good although the prices a bit steep. But consider it the price of admission!
Green rooftop salad – smoked ricotta, cucumber, green asparagus, peas, avocado, wid herbs 
Unfortunately I don’t recall all of the ingredients to this dish!
Horvath
I admittedly ended up at Horvath by default as it is the only Michelin starred restaurant in Berlin open on Sundays. Whatever the reason I’m quite glad to have visited. It was a bit of a hike from public transportation and sits along a canal on a slightly difficult to find street. The space was quite cozy and almost felt sort of tavern-ish which was the perfect atmosphere for such a chilly evening. Every course was accompanied by a small card listing the name of the dish and ingredients. I’m actually not sure if these were provided to all tables, or only to me as an English speaker. Either way it was a cute touch and I’m happy to have the detailed description as I am writing this.
broccoli | mustard seeds | garlic
steamed broccoli from the “keltenhof”, white chocolate cream with camelina oil, roasted garlic, sprouted mustard seeds
mushrooms | celery | malt
bread cream, well-hung sour cream, burnt celery root, king oyster mushroom cooked and baked, poppy-seed oil, reduced celery root juice
trout | eggplant | pork chin
raw “lunenburger hiade” trout filet, grilled eggplant with ham-caramel sauce, pork chin and mustard pickle compote, cucumber-yoghurt emulsion, grated iceberg lettuce, cress, smoked greaves
parsley | egg yolk | radish
duck lard emulsion, poached egg yolk, juice and oil from the garden parsley, in beer marinated black radish, frozen radish, wild herbs
veal | root vegetable | chervil
roasted veal “tafelspitz”, root vegetable with meat aspic, pickled flamed yellow carrot, beaten egg bouillon with chervil
hazelnut | molasses | brown butter
salty hazelnut cream, roasted hazelnuts, molasses aspic, sweet hazelnuts and root vegetables, hazelnut oil, fluffy chocolate, nut butter ice cream
Tim Raue
Some friends had been to Berlin a few weeks before me and Tim Raue was their favorite dinner of the trip. While I was visiting for a much shorter period of time and could only fit in 2 of Berlin’s 2* restaurants, I was certainly looking forward to this one and it exceeded my expectations. I love encountering things I haven’t seen in other restaurants, such as the very cool tables with inlaid linen tablecloths – the perfect way to make a white table cloth completely modern. Beautiful plates and plating and an overall absolutely delicious dinner. I could go into much more detail, but suffice it to say this will be my first stop on any future trips.
Unfortunately I did not write down descriptions of all of the initial courses.
Green asparagus
violet | coriander
boiled green asparagus, butter & green thai chili, coriander coconut cream, mango
Pikeperch
kamebishi soy 10y | leek & ginger
steamed pikeperch, butter, spring leek & young pickled finer, stock of 10 year aged kamebishi soy sauce
Langoustine
wasabi | caantonese style
stock made from fish sauce, mango & carrot, langoustine turned over in starch flour and deep fried in wok, marinated with wasabi mayonnaise & deep fried green rice
Pork chin
papaya | nuac mam
smoked pork chin, jus from smoked paprika, nuoc mam jelly, carrot raw & cream, pickled papaya, sour tomato, trevisano salad, basil
Manny’s beef
beetroot | morel
manny’s dry aged beef shoulder, morel stock, braised beetroot, as jelly & meringue with morel mash, pearl onion pickled in port vinegar, green thai pepper
Strawberries
pondicherry pepper | basil
raw gariguettes strawberries, woodruff jelly & woodruff meringue, rhubarb-strawberry stock, ice-cream, pondicherry pepper oil
And my favorite wine of the evening
NENI
I’ve switched the order of lunch and dinner here because I just couldn’t start this post looking at this meal. Its rare that I have a meal that I would describe as horrid and leave hungry. NEHI is located on the top floor of the Hotel Bikini and was close to my hotel (and appeared on a recent Eater heatmap) so I decided to check it out for lunch. When I got on the elevator and it was full of tourists, I should have been tipped off that this would not be good. Ufortunately the only thing NEHI has going for itself is the gorgeous view. For the only time on this trip I felt like I was being ignored by waitstaff as I was alone. I received most of my food before I had even received my drink which is an immediate indicator that nothing is prepared to order. The salads were so horribly overdressed that they were literally swimming in liquid and one of my dishes was entirely forgotten but appeared on my bill. I left here starving, and went back to my hotel where I had some absolutely amazing hummus.
I never thought I would publish this post after almost losing 2 months worth of photos on my iPhone. An expensive lesson learned….back up frequently. Actually this dinner almost didn’t happen due to a delayed flight and crazy traffic. Then when I finally arrived at Reinstoff horribly late, I discovered that the restaurant had cancelled my reservation after supposedly not being able to reach me to confirm. By some miracle there was an empty table in this relatively small dining room on a friday night. While the overall vibe was quite casual and friendly (and I felt a bit overdressed) service was impeccable. So glad that I did not miss out on this one!
Onion tartlet
Brown trout jerky
Chioggia beet and Mochi
Venison sausage
Black morel in stock, mushroom noodle and fermented shallots
Artichokes, hop sprouts and baby artichokes in beer
Fried veal sweetbreads, peas, young lettuce, apple and liquorice
Quail – leg, mirepoix and gravy
Quail – breast, vegetables in red wine and Mangalitza pork ham
Refresher – Medlar sorbet, fir shoots and orange wine
Goats cheese from fresh to mature with roasted celeriac and pickled strawberries
Asparagus and mocca caramel
Tiramisu, Andraschko coffee and ice cream
I wish I had dined at Tantris on my last trip to Munich, and was kicking myself for not doing so after being fairly disappointed in the places I did visit. I vaguely remember looking at some photos and thinking that the decor may be a bit over the top then rushed to judgement and bypassed it on my to-do list. Not that it doesn’t photograph well, but what I thought was ‘too much’ in photos is just really really cool in person. Such a completely unique dining room that you would think wouldn’t work, but totally does. And despite its very large size manages to feel quite cozy. An overall lovely spring menu! I seem to spend all of my time in Germany trying to avoid spargel, but here I had the first preparation that I actually enjoyed. Fantastic wine pairings including perhaps my favorite riesling in memory.
Variation of tuna with mackerel tatar with white asparagus and yuzu
Red mullet with oak choy, yellow curry-lentil puree and sauce mignonette
Medallion of veal fillet with cabbage, carrots, fresh morels and potato gnocchi
Mousse of brilliant savarin in olive cracker with braised rhubarb
Chocolate dumpling with pineapple-papaya-mango ragout and passion fruit ice cream
Cotto Crudo
Overwhelmed by the mobs of tourists on the Charles Bridge, I escaped to the tranquility of the Four Seasons and the Cotto Crudo restaurant. The view from the outdoor patio was absolutely lovely and lunch was just the reprieve I was hoping for.
 
Cuttlefish carpaccio with soya honey reduction and caviar
Formaggi
Pan seared tuna, panzanella salad, crispy bread, red wine vinegar emulsion
Tretter’s Bar
Evidently Tretter’s was inspired by NY bars of the 1920s which was evident in much of the decor. The drink menu was quite lengthy and my cocktails well made. But as somebody who has been bothered by cigarette smoke my whole life I will admit that I kind of couldn’t wait to get out of here. I’m not sure I could ever get used to this aspect of so many places in Europe.
Le Degustation
I’ve often said that you can tell a lot about a restaurant based on how they treat solo diners. I had what I thought was the best table in the restaurant with a perfect view of the open kitchen. La Degustation’s modern take on Czech cuisine was fantastic with some truly surprising courses such as the tomato sauce with mustard (amazing!). The wine pairings were all very interesting and made for an overall lovely meal.
trout, egg, dill, buttermilk
tomato sauce, mustard, honey
skubanky, poppy seeds, prague ham
poultry giblets, semoline puree, corn
beef tongue, yellow pea, apple
olomoucke tvaruzky, caraway seeds
I escaped the mobs of tourists for a calmer area of town and dinner at Sansho. Far removed from the more traditional restaurants of Prague, Sansho has communal tables and one set menu served family style. Unfortunately there was no printed menu (at least that I remember) and I took no notes which I blame on jet lag. I definitely benefited as a solo diner and often seemed to receive the portion for 2 people of several of the dishes. Service was excellent and I still can’t get over what a value this meal was. I loved it so much that I seriously considered going back for lunch the next day and am kicking myself for not doing so for the soft shell crab slider alone.
Love the extra touch of flavored water 
Salmon sashimi
Clams
Smoked Trout 
Pork Belly Pepper Sauce
Soft shell crab slider
Penang Curry
I couldn’t be happier that the White Label burger is finally available outside of Ai Fiori. I have no idea why this burger doesn’t end up on more best of NY burger lists other than maybe too many people haven’t had it. Hands down one of my 3 favorite burgers in NYC. Everything else was wonderful, but I can be honest and say I was just here for the burger.
Carrots
Oysters
Artichokes Alla Giudea
White Label Burger – bacon marmalade, mcclures pickles, American cheese, fries
Its so great to see so many new places opening on the western side of the Hudson. Razza is rather small and does not take reservations so a wait is very likely. Unfortunately you actually have to stay and wait and they will not call or text you like so many other places now do. Fortunately there is ample room to wait, but no seating so plan your footwear accordingly. I may have skipped ordering the bread and butter if I hadn’t previously read so many great things about it. The homemade butter was outstanding and next time I will definitely be having a double order. The homemade bread from the wood fired oven was perfect accompaniment. The pork pie sounds as good as it actually is and is baked with cubes of gelatinized pork which melt over the top while baking. But most surprising was the panna cotta, a dessert I typically hate and completely avoid. If only all were as dense as this and topped with a layer of salted caramel.
Ceci – chickpeas with CA EVOO and parmigiano reggiano
Bread and butter
Farmers salad
Special pizza of the day
Pork pie – pork broth, bacon, shaved onion, parmigiano
Panna cotta
I have to admit that I just wasn’t as blown away by Cosme as everybody else in NY and beyond seems to be. Maybe it was just overhyped and my expectations were too high. The space is comfortable and service was quite good. But overall it was just ‘good.’ After ordering one cocktail that was far more ice than cocktail, I switched to wine. The chicharron and hamachi were good, but I’ve had far better versions elsewhere. As someone who favors more savory desserts I did quite like the husk meringue but it certainly wasn’t the prettiest to look at. I went back to re-read the NYT review and do find it interesting that it contained an Estella analogy as its the other NYC restaurant that I think is extremely overhyped and I completely disagree with all of the accolades it has received. But I guess you can’t love everything.
Chicharron, radish, cilantro, avocado, hot sauce
Sliced raw hamachi, fermented serranos, fish sauce, black lime
Smoked raw sepia, salsa mexicana, avocado
Duck carnitas, onions, radishes salsa verde
Husk meringue with corn mousse
Tasty n Alder
I don’t know why there can’t be a brunch place like this everywhere. I love the idea of brunch, but mostly hate brunch menus. Too many repeats of the same uninspired dishes and its usually just not worth it. So many things on this menu that I wanted to try. The radicchio salad may have been predominantly bacon, cheese and egg, but that is exactly why it was so delicious. And if one bacon and egg dish is good, two is definitely better. The Bim Bop should be on brunch menus everywhere.
Radicchio – bacon lardons, manchego, chopped six minute egg
Griddled banana walnut bread, cajeta 
Bim Bop Bacon & Eggs 
Olympia Provisions (formerly Olympic Provisions)
I discovered Olympia Provisions last year in the other Portland. We were waiting for a table at Central Provisions, stopped at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club for drinks and a snack which was a ‘bord’ that included Olympia Provisions Sweetheart Ham. We loved it, ordered 2 hams over the holidays and then I received the best Christmas gift a girl could ask for – a salami of the month membership. So even though this was lunch following brunch, I had to check out one of their locations. I just hope my membership is renewed next year!
Italian Board – two italian salamis, mortadella, capicola, italian sausage, taleggio, fennel-parsley salad, olives
Whiskey Soda Lounge
While I try not to visit places with NY outposts, I often am just curious to see what the originals are like. I made a quick afternoon stop for a cocktail and this was the perfect refreshing choice after a long trek through the Japanese Garden.
Le Pigeon
Another place I have wanted to visit for years was Gabriel Rucker’s Le Pigeon. I think its amazing for a restaurant 9 years old to still have lines at opening time and I’m certainly glad that I got there early and made the first seating or I would have missed my flight. The Hamachi was one of the most beautiful dishes I have had in months and I’m still thinking about the rice pudding. And the signature foie profiterole certainly lived up to my expectations!
Hamachi, teriyaki pineapple, pickled jalapeño, foie gras macadamia nut butter, shiso
Roast Pork & Prawn Salad, fresh almond, chickpeas, zucchini, poblano tomatillo dressing
Fish special
Beef Cheek Bourguignon 2015, epoisses risotto, oyster mushrooms, dijon pickled onion, sweet herbs
Jade Rice Pudding, rhubarb fritters, toffee sauce
Foie Gras Profiteroles with sea salt and caramel sauce
Maurice Luncheonette
Once again this year’s Bon Appetit best new restaurants list hits it out of the park. Such an adorable space, fantastic food, and amazingly friendly service. Not to mention that compared to my skewed NYC barometer, the prices were downright cheap. If I lived in Portland I’m afraid I would be here every other day…and it would not be a bad thing.
Carrot, Prune & Pea Greens 
Nora’s Lefse with milk braised pork
Lemon Souffle Pudding Cake
Clyde Common
A quick stop for a mid afternoon drink. On my next trip I hope to actually be able to stay and eat!
Land Speed Record – gin, orange juice, Noilly Prat ambre, lime, Fernet Branca, bitters
Expatriate
Having the 2nd seating at Beast gave me the perfect opportunity to check out Expatriate, Kyle Linden Webster and Naomi Pomeroy’s cocktail spot right across the street. While the cocktails were fantastic – and yes the blue drink theme continues – I still think about the burmese tea leaf salad. I could eat that every single day.
Four in Hand – Control Pisco, Aperol, Marolo Chamomille Grappa, Cynar, Foreign palm sugar, fresh grapefruit and lemon
Burmese tea leaf, green cabbage and cherry tomato salad
Hollygrove -Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, Yellow Chartreuse, Fresh Lemon, Foreign Palm Sugar, Fresh Orgeat, Blue Curaçao
Beast
This is definitely the Portland restaurant that I have wanted to visit for the longest time and it did not disappoint. The ambience was charming – perfect lighting, cozy communal tables, an open kitchen and polished service. While I know the menu doesn’t change much, for the first time visitor it was a lovely meal and the signature charcuterie was exactly what I was hoping it would be.
Dungeness crab deviled eggs, salmon roe, piparras peppers
Charcuterie
steak tartare, quail egg, toast
foie gras bon-bon, peanut shortbread, sauternes gelee
crispy pork shoulder rillettes
bourbon cured duck breast
seizoen & sage pork sausage
Anderson Ranch rack of lamb chop – mint & green garlic sauce verge, spring raab, mesquite grilled onions, poblano-hazelnut romesco
Oak leaf lettuces – shaved fennel, candied walnuts, creamy gorgonzola & cider vinaigrette
Selection of artisanal cheeses, prosecco-poached apricot, acadia honey, fried macron almonds, black pepper crackers
Saigon cinnamon pain d’épices, toffee sauce, candied kumquat, malted date ice cream
A perfect late night stop for a fantastic cocktail and snacks. I have to say I am thrilled to see the amaretto sour resurrected. Granted I didn’t know any better, but this was my favorite drink in my college days. And done right, its really is so good. Oddly as I was sitting here drinking my amaretto sour, I happened upon the recent Eater article about blue drinks so of course my second drink had to be the blue hawaii.
Amaretto sour
Blue Hawaii 
Roasted carrots (maybe some of the best I have ever had) 
On my first trip to Mistral a few months ago, I enjoyed each dish individually but the menu seemed very disjointed. Some dishes were very complex, others were very simple and they just didn’t seem to belong in the same restaurant. I’m very glad I made a return visit and happy to see what appears to be a lot of growth and a very cohesive menu. Now if only Elements would hurry up and reopen so I would have another option in Princeton!
Sunchoke tahini, warm pita, caviar, sieved egg
Squash & Kale salad, mole granola, queso fresco, chipotle , cacao
Charred squid salad, green curry, peanuts, coconut, puffed rice
Pork Belly Tteokbokki, jersey rice dumplings, fermented radish, shitake
Tuna tartare, turnip tofu, furikake, ponzu
Warm date cake, cream cheese ice cream, pecan crunch
I typically try to avoid the first day of anything to allow a restaurant some time to get the kinks out. But if I hadn’t known, I wouldn’t have guessed that this was the first brunch service at King Bee. We weren’t crazy about the pork cracklins I have to admit. But foie makes everything better!
Pork cracklins, peanut, caramel, malt vinegar powder 
Brûléed bread pudding, foie gras, rhubarb, cheddar, maple syrup
Mushroom buckwheat crepe galette, maitake, trumpet royal, shiitake, rucola, spring onion confit, egg
Farro salad
Louisiana crawfish roll
I’m not a fan of buffets but I have to admit this one was beautiful! Fantastic service and just an all around lovely family Easter dinner.
One of my earliest NYC restaurant memories is a trip to Cafe Boulud with my aunt & uncle who were visiting from out of town well over a decade ago. That of course was the Andrew Carmellini era and while I don’t remember anything that I ate, I must have loved it as I followed Chef Carmellini when he left to open A Voce. For no reason other the UES seems so far away I hadn’t been back since. So it was appropriate to finally return with my same relatives so many years later. Still lovely so many years later.
Tai Snapper Tartare, caraway, paddlefish caviar, watermelon radish, cucumber dill broth
Crescent Farms Pekin Duck, lavender honey, kasha, currants, turnip, arugula, jus de canard
Colorado Lamb Loin, fava bean, panisse, spring garlic, morel mushroom, jus
Crêpe Cake, poached rhubarb, thyme diplomat, ricotta sorbet
Marrakesh Delight
Its been ages since I’ve been to Cafe Cluny and ended up here for a late brunch purely by accident. Wherever it was that we wanted to go was in between lunch and dinner service. Just as I had remembered it, always a solid choice, the salad presentations were lovely and the burger satisfied the craving I had for weeks! 
Yet another place that I have not been to in much too long. Perhaps I have always thought of dell’anima as a date spot in which case I suppose I am not dating enough. An absolutely lovely meal with a front row seat at the chef’s counter. And again waiting months to update this blog has come back to bite me as several menu items have changed and thus I have no descriptions. Oh well….these were all delicious!
Fluke crudo
Arugula – lemon, parmigiano reggiano
charred octopus – Rice beans, chorizo, chicories
Bone marrow – testa, charred cippini, pickled red onion
I am very happy that the service at Marta has improved since my first visit shortly after opening. As I like a thin, crisp crust this is one of my favorites in NYC. But my previous experience left so much to be desired that I was very hesitant to return. I still think there is much room for improvement but at least it is headed in the right direction.
Suppli Alla Terrazza – green risotto croquettes, mozzarella, mixed herbs
Seppioline – grilled baby cuttlefish, potato, calabrese chili
Funghi – fontina, hen of the woods, hedgehogs, red onion, thyme
Anatra – duck confit, fennel, golden raisins, fontina
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 toast
Waldorf salad with yogurt and pistachios
Burrata with salsa verde and charred bread
Steak with spicy marmalade, potatoes, and taleggio
Ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and pecorino sardo
Ten 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!).
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!
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!
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
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
My first visit to Santina happened to be during a snow storm and the bright cheery seaside decor was completely transporting. But at the same time the glass walls offered a beautiful view of the snow falling in the hours before the plows come out and it turns into an ugly mess. This is probably my favorite restaurant opening in NYC in the last year. It truly doesn’t often happen that I feel the need to immediately return to a restaurant because I really want to try the majority of the menu. While I did not try any of the pastas on this visit, everything I did have was very light, especially in comparison to Major Food Group’s other recent openings.
The lamb tartare was elevated with mint and olives and a terrific filling to the cecina, a chickpea pancake served in a cast-iron skillet. But the stars of this dish were the accompanying salsa verde and tomato soffritto. Separately both are extremely good, but together they are spectacular. I wish I could eat the Tricolore splendido salad, topped with tuna carpaccio, everyday for lunch. And the squash carpaccio is easily one of the best squash dishes I have ever had and so much more than I was expecting when I ordered it.
Fiori – gin, chamomile, Campari 
Lamb tartare cecina 
Tricolore splendido 
Amalfi gold – bourbon, orange, ginger, creme de peche
Squash carpaccio
Lime meringa 
I have to admit that my favorite part of this evening was seeing Joe Guidice at a table behind me with a tired stereotypical NJ blonde (and not the same one that appeared on the covers of tabloids a week later). I love seeing some redevelopment in Jersey City and hope this area continues to improve. Great food, although nothing was what I would have assumed. Unfortunately no photos as it was so dark in this restaurant that everything is just a messy black blob.
Gato has been one of my favorites since it opened as evidenced by previous posts here. I’m always happy though to be able to bring somebody new. As much as I love the menu I am hoping that spring brings a few changes.
DJ DJ – Rittenhouse Rye, St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, cognac, Kelso nut brown lager
Gato spreads with buckwheat pita –
Greek yogurt/charred green chile pesto
Chickpea, meyer lemon/smoked paprika
Whitebean, feta, garlic/walnut-piquillo relish
White anchovies, pink pepper, mint
Piquillo filled with raw tuna, saffron sauce
Eggplant, manchego, oregano, balsamic
Roasted octopus, tangerine vinaigrette, bacon, oregano
Brussels sprouts, pomegranates, pistachios
Kale and Wild Mushriom Paella – crispy artichokes, egg
Apple Tarte Tatin – salted calvados caramel, vanilla-black pepper gelato
2015 is certainly off to a good start for Next. I was super excited about this menu when it was first announced. As I started seeing photos pop-up online from my many friends who were able to get there before me I knew I was going to love it. I think the menu substitutions were a super smart idea from the restaurant’s perspective. There are very few Next menus that I have done more that once but I left this meal already trying to figure out when I could return because there were too many dishes I desperately want to try. The beef tenderloin was amazing….four of my favorite components on one plate is hard to beat. And I very much enjoyed the beverage pairings for this menu…perhaps next time I can just have a dish of the armangac soaked prunes please??
Ceuf a la Beran (chicken custard with crispy chicken skin and chives)
Soupe de Poireaux et Pomme de Terre de Jules Gouffe (jules gouffe’s potato and leek soup)
Foie Gras Au Torchon (foie gras with brioche toast points, huckleberry, murray river salt, and black pepper)
Aile de Raie Meuniere avec des Capres et des Choux de Bruxelles (skate wing with capers, brown butter, lemon, and brussels sprouts)
Tarte a l’Oignon Caramelisee avec Gruyere et des Anchois (caramelized onion tart with gruyere and anchovies)
Tournedos Rossini aver use Puree de Pommes de Terre (beef tenderloin with foie gras, black truffle, and potato puree)
Escargots de Bourgogne avec du Pain et du Beurre Maitre d’Hotel (burgundy snails and herbed butter topped with bread)
Champignons Sauvages (wild mushrooms)
Prune Armangac, Punt E Mes, Angostura
Pear brandy, Cocchi Rosa, Grapefruit
Patisserie du Jour
Assiette de Fromage
The Betty
A huge thank you to the consummate gentleman John Schafer for escorting us down the street to the Betty in our inappropriate heels on extremely snowy and icy sidewalks. Very big shoes to fill at Next! I love all of the new additions to the West Loop. Love the space and the vibe at the Betty and my drink was quite good. Looking forward to going back!
Life During War Time – genever, green tea syrup, aperol, fennel bitters, bitter lemon soda
The Brass Monkey
What a nightmare to find anywhere to have dinner on Valentine’s Day when you are traveling and forced to dine out, yet want none of the horrid prix fix ridiculousness. Luckily, having just opened a few days prior, the Brass Monkey was serving the regular menu. Such a great space and a fantastic addition to the West Loop. I’m not totally sure about the 70s theme but at least its something different! Thank you to my oldest friends from NYC for letting me be the third wheel! Everything was delicious although the lighting not conducive to photography.
Foie Gras Torchon three ways: aux natural with house made jam, brûlée with apple compote & seared with brandied cherries
Swedish meatballs – wild boar meatballs, classic jelly glaze, charred grapes
Lobster bisque – classic bisque with lobster meat, chives and puff pastry
Pepperoni pizza – picante, fresno chilis, house mozzarella
Seared Brussel sprouts
Braised short rib – potato puree, kale, cippolini onions, acorn squash, red wine reduction
Lentil salad – french lentils, shrimp, seasonal greens, fried onions, house vinaigrette
truffles
Pineapple Upside Down Cake – cherry pineapple relish, vanilla gelato, coconut milk cake, candied walnuts
Flourless Chocolate Cake – dark chocolate cake, pistachio gelato, Bailey’s Irish Cream, candied pistachios
The Office
Thank you Julia for the fantastic (and beautiful) cocktails and for making me feel quite a bit better about being alone on Valentine’s Day! There is no place I would have rather been.
This really needs to be my last post about the Nomad Bar or it is going to overtake this blog. It wasn’t planned for the evening but I had a burger craving all day and after working out found myself only 2 blocks away. How could I not go?? Its somewhat miserable to battle the weekend crowds but totally worth it as always!
Hair Trigger – venezuelan rum, fernet branca, ginger, lime, cucumber
Brussels sprouts – roasted with smoked lentil & parmesan
Burger – dry aged with cheddar, red onion & pickles
Mott & Mulberry – rye whiskey, luxardo amaro abano, apple cider, lemon
I do love when a business trip allows me to visit with my bff and have a fantastic meal. Loved having a great view of the kitchen at the chef’s counter even if it was exceedingly warm. Everything was absolutely delicious….especially the lasagna even though it did not photograph well at all.
Wild mushroom arancini – crispy risotto balls, buffalo mozzarella, truffle aioli
Grilled little gem caesar – chicories, charred broccolini, parmesan, lemon-anchovy dressing, polenta croutons
Arugula & pear salad – fennel, parmesan, toasted hazelnuts, lemon-olive oil dressing
Lasagna al forno – roasted mushrooms, garlic, blistered cherry tomatoes, herbed bechamel
Warm pumpkin spice cake – cinnamon Stracciatella gelato, caramel, pumpkin seed praline
iwillmakeualist 