So so happy to be back at Wildair! I’m pretty sure I have had several dreams about the spicy tuna toast since I left New York and one of the few dishes I’ve ordered twice in one sitting.
Tag Archives: LES
NYC – 4/29/17 – Wildair
Sadly this ended up being my last dinner at Wildair before moving. It is definitely one of the places that I miss the most and if I had lived in the neighborhood I would have been here every single night (and would have overdosed on tartare). Love you Wildair!
beef tartare, smoked cheddar, horseradish, brazil nuts
fried shrimp, lemon, herb mayonnaise
tete de cochon on toast, ndjua, nettles
chocolate hazelnut tart
NYC – 9/27/16 – Wildair
If there wasn’t always a wait I would be at Wildair every night. Actually even if I just lived in the neighborhood I would be here every night regardless. I am pretty sure I could never get tired of the spicy tuna toast which was one of my favorite dishes of 2016. A previous iteration I reordered for dessert. Yes it is that good. I just wish the secret wasn’t out.
Potato darphin, maine uni, jalapeno
Breakfast radishes, seaweed butter
Fluke crudo, pineapple, ‘nduja
Beef tartare, smoked cheddar, brazil nuts
Spicy tuna toast, tomato, scallion
Crispy grain salad, hearts of palm, tarragon
NYC – 7/25/16 – Rebelle – Winemaker Dinner Series – Abe Schoener – Scholium Wines
I may have arrived soaking wet but I am so glad that I braved the elements for this winemaker dinner at Rebelle. I have been trying to get to one of these since they started but the dates never seem to work out. Luckily this one did and I could not pass up a chance to catch Abe Schoener and try so many Scholium wines in one sitting. In this setting Abe’s past life in academia shines through in fantastic stories about each of the wines and incredibly interesting tidbits of information on California wine history. I am looking forward to more wine dinners at Rebelle but the bar may have been set too high.
blossom beignet
squash and scallop
beet and green
quail and currants
comte
NYC – 3/12/16 – Wildair & Momofuku Ko
Wildair
Still one of my absolute favorites and I love being able to bring friends who haven’t been here before. Although I admittedly wish it wasn’t quite so popular as even a few minutes after opening you are lucky to get a seat.
Beef tartare, smoked cheddar, chestnut
Tallow roasted beets, kumquat
Bass crudo, pineaple, nduja
Ko
And for dinner number 2 of the evening, on to my other favorite for the bar menu at Ko. I cannot say enough how much I love this place. Perhaps the most complete package of great food and hospitality in New York. And foie 2.0 gives the original some serious competition.
NYC – 2/26/16 – Mission Cantina
It has been quite a while since I’ve been to Mission Cantina and I must admit it will probably be a while until I return again. First our server completely disappeared after taking our drink order and was finally replaced by someone else. And then we were basically pushed out the door the second we finished eating. I can’t help but feel that they are trying a bit too hard to fulfill a LES dive aesthetic. I have no issues with the concept of that but at some point certain dishes, such as the guacamole, did not even look appetizing.
I must admit I love the chandelier and the juxtaposition with the neon menu.
Guacamole
Special of the day and it was fantastic
Crab rangoons
Broccoli oyster sauce
General Tso’s chicken
NYC – 2/10/16 – Mission Chinese Food
I had been putting off a visit to the new Mission Chinese probably because its seems such a trek to the outer edge of the LES. While the design is certainly exceedingly better than version 1.0, it is sad as Rosette, the previous restaurant in this space, was beautiful. It took me a bit to get past it, but when I finally did I realized how much I missed the food. I order a green papaya salad everywhere that has one and this one of the best. I have though had enough of the trend of a restaurant bringing out more dishes at once than will fit on the table. I realize this is easier for the kitchen than having to actually course out and appropriately time the meal and I conceptually don’t mind. But I don’t want to speed eat so that a plate can be removed to make room for my water glass. Nor do I appreciate a server looking at me as if I am supposed to somehow magically make the table twice as big and rearrange all of the plates for them. I don’t know what the solution is but its getting to be intolerable.
Tingling negroni – gin, pinecone liqueur, tingling oil, aperol, cynar
Green papaya salad – smoked chicken, green tomatoes, pickled tea leaves, peanuts
Green tea noodles – ginger, scallion, hoisin, matcha
Broccoli beef brisket – baby chinese broccoli, house made oyster sauce, seeds
Hokkaido scallop sashimi – kombu bured, grapefruit, nori
NYC – 2/6/16 – Lucky Bee
Lucky Bee has to be one of the most cramped restaurants in NYC and after trying to navigate to the bathroom I gained an entirely new appreciation for the servers. Another fun option on the LES but after using Reserve to book and making my friends sign up so that we could split the bill through the app, it was disappointing that we couldn’t pay this way.
Steamed pork and sesame dumplings, chinese black vinegar, black bean, fried garlic
Tuna tartare, roast chili & shallot, lime, popped wild rice
Green papaya salad, tamarind & lime, toasted peanuts, snake beans
Smashed cucumbers, dill pickle, fried peanuts, sweet rice vinegar, coconut milk
Spiced massaman curry of lamb shoulder, kipfler potato, pineapple vinegar
NYC – 1/13/16 – Momofuku Ko
In the past few months Ko has quickly become on of my absolute favorites in NYC. Often I stop by just for a drink as I feel a bit guilty indulging in tasting menus too often when I’m not traveling. I love when any restaurant can take a food that I typically am not crazy about and make me love it. On this menu for instance, I generally dislike razor clams, uni and monkfish. But these particular preparations are outstanding. As I’m writing this post 6 weeks later the menu has already undergone several changes which means that its fortunately time for another visit. #firstworldproblems
potato waffle. pommes soufflees. lobster paloise. millefeuille.
madai – consomme, shiso, fingerlime
scallop – tonburi, citron
uni – chickpea, hozon
razor clam – apple, basil
beef – rutabaga, green peppercorn
caviar – potato, fermented radish
monkfish – liver, poblano
pyramidi – broccoli, aged cheddar
venison – kale, olive berry
foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly
carrot cardamom – meringue 
chocolate – mint, fernet branca
Macaroon 
NYC – 1/9/16 – Babu Ji and Mace
Babu Ji
Its rare that I will arrive at a restaurant prior to opening and wait in line to get in. Far too often its not worth it. Luckily in this case it absolutely was. We opted for the Chef’s table menu which was a great way to try a multitude of dishes, especially the entrees. The only problem is that I don’t know what many of these dishes were over a month later. The only thing I do know is that I may order double of the Butter Chicken on my next visit.
Mace
I’ve been meaning to get here for a while. Fantastic cocktails and a lovely atmosphere earlier in the evening. Looking at my pictures, perhaps it was just by chance, but is everything in a coupe?
NYC – 12/11/15 – DBGB & Wildair
DBGB
I don’t always post about places where I stop for a pre or post dinner drink. But DBGB is one of my favorites whenever heading anywhere on the Lower East Side. While there are always interesting beers on draft we of course had to go for the ode to the boilermaker.
Wheat beer and grand mariner with tequila
Wildair
I have said it before, but I love Wildair. I only wish that so many others did not as well (ok not really I suppose from a financial point of view). It is not always possible to get there at opening and unfortunately I just don’t have the patience for the ridiculously long waits later in the evening. But I will still try my best to get here as frequently as possible.
Bread and olive oil
Sweet potato, ricotta, tahini, herbs
Beef tartare, smoked cheddar, chestnut
Black bass, pineapple, nduja
Persimmon, butternut, burrata, jalapeño
Pork milanese, gribiche, mustard greens
NYC – 12/4/15 – Contra w/ in de wulf
I’m not sure if I will make it to in de wulf before they shutter at the end of the year so what a fantastic opportunity to have Kobe Desramualts’ food at this collaboration dinner with Contra. Definitely a longer menu than I was expecting and while the pacing wasn’t the best, it was actually better than I expect at any event where there rhythm of the kitchen is vastly disrupted. It seems so predictable to be my favorite course, but I could have eaten 4 more of the kerremelkstampers. I hope that Contra keeps doing these!
snails
beetroot, sloeberry yogurt
sea urchin, carrot, husk cherry
kohlrabi, scallop, green strawberry
mussel broth, charcoal roasted vegetables
kerremelkstampers, caviar
monkfish, celeriac, liver
red kuri squash, crab, egg yolk
lobster and homemade butter
persimmon, tangerines, bourbon
chocolate, sunchoke, beer
NYC – 10/6/15 – Contra & Commis
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
NYC – 9/10/15 – Wildair
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
NYC – 7/22/15 – Rebelle
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
NYC – 7/17/15 – Huertas
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
NYC – 6/25/15 – Pearl & Ash
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 
NYC – 6/14/15 – Fuku
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.
iwillmakeualist 
