Byblos
200 East 39th Street (on 3rd)

It was by fate that I ended up at this restaurant a block from home. I was actually going to Salute! to dine a few blocks west, but it was utterly horrible there. After 10 minutes they were still not serving me -- despite me sitting at the bar. Horrific service and attitude, I won't even bother with this place again. And those prices? Yeah, right I'll try again...

So en route home I decided to drop into Byblos -- a place I walk next to every day. And it was due to good fortune I found this excellent Lebanese restaurant so close to home. With a nice bottle of Lebanese red, I enjoyed the meal. The only bothersome bit came from screaming children from a table of people who couldn't care less their kids were out of control. Goodness...

The starter of grilled goat cheese was awesome. I love this dish, and can eat it all day. I scarfed down the food with glee -- though the pita that came with it tasted like it was made a week ago...ugh...

I enjoyed the cheese and was not prepared for the sight of my main course, the stuffed lamb breast. It was the entire half of the ribcage! It was roasted and stuffed with mince and rice. It was like the Ukrainian dish holubtsy (Polish gołąbki and English stuffed cabbage) -- but it was a rack of lamb instead of cabbage that held the stuffing! Amazing stuff!

I ate about half of it and had to surrender...quite amazing! I saved enough room for dessert, and was given an extra large portion of milk pudding...mmm. I had to take half of it home. I left happily, with two strong arak to go with it. I was more than happy to find this place. It's larger than one would suspect, and they advertise belly dancing in the weekends. I rather like a quiet meal and lightning fast service -- and cheap too for Midtown standards -- so it worked out great this evening. Check it out!!!

Oh, as a side note. I was happily looking forward to eating the rest of the stuffed lamb but I saw a homeless man en route home -- so I gave him the lot. I know he'd be having the meal of the year then and there.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: A-

davidburke & donatella
133 East 61st Street (between Park & Lexington)

I was invited to brunch by a friend last Sunday, and he picked davidburke & donatella (sorry, I hate the pretentiousness of them not capitalising, but I have to follow them...). I haven't been there in ages, and was not impressed the first time. And this time it failed to impress me again.

The place was quite full, and their spacing between tables is near record low...ridiculous how intrusive it is between tables. I hate restaurants that boast such a philosophy. And also, I hate the prix fixe experience, as my frequent readers know.

With a bloody mary in hand, I chose the pretzel-crusted crabcake. It was pretty bland to be honest, nothing fancy except the visuals. The taste was bland, and you couldn't tell if it was fresh crab or tinned crab -- or even if it is whitefish. That does not bode well for the kitchen, in my view.

With the pretty lame service (again, they pushed table crumbs on me!), the main course came. The mustard crusted tuna was sincerely boring, and overcooked (despite me asking for it to be rare). Very lame, the fact that by the time I got to the last piece it was nearly cooked through showed me that the kitchen is not functioning to deal with this type of delicate timing. Shame, really.

The dessert of coconut cake was plain boring, and you could barely taste the coconut. What a waste of a brunch! And I had to endure one of the stupidest conversations I've ever heard from two "off-the-boaters" adjacent. Ugh...what a bad way to start Sunday...

Food: C
Atmosphere: C-
For Lone Diners: C- (*)

Old Homestead Steakhouse
56 9th Avenue (between 14th/15th)

For some reason I was craving a steak Wednesday evening, and chose to hike all the way out to Old Homestead. After experiencing too many bad steakhouses in NYC (especially the previously-reliable Bull & Bear and the absolutely awful La Carne Grill), I had hoped for better. Well, I didn't get it...

The service, for one, at this venerable institution was just rubbish. The staff barely noticed what was going on, more interested in chatting with each other than to serve diners. There was also an air filtering problem, as cigarette smoke kept being pumped into the dining room. Yuck...

I skipped the starters and chose to go with the restaurant's most-celebrated dish, the gotham steak -- the bone-in 38oz rib steak. I also ordered a side of broccoli. I forgot how big these portions are (the vegetable was enough for a full meal!).

The steak took awhile to come but that's good when the meat is good. It was a good piece of meat, but certainly nowhere near 38oz. It's maybe half of that at best -- which is already too big. The meat was a good piece, but it was extremely bland. Maybe that's why there's this huge bottle of steak sauce on the tables.

I was disappointed with the food, and upset with the service. I did not leave this place happy at all. And frankly, this was one of the worst examples of a restaurant not knowing what to do with lone diners. Bad move...

Food: C
Atmosphere: C
For Lone Diners: D-

Salmu krogs
3 Grenču iela (Riga, Latvia -- on road to Jurmala and airport)

I was in Latvia during my most recent European trip. I've not been back to Latvia for about 4 years, which was a long time; when I used to live in Estonia, I used to go to Latvia several times a year for a break. Riga was wonderful then, and is wonderful now -- despite the drunken Brits! I was there officially to interview the President, but it was a great chance to catch up with friends I've not seen in awhile.

One of these moments was the day I was departing. A good friend of mine drove me to the airport and we stopped for lunch at Salmu krogs on the road to the airport (and Jurmala). The farmhouse-like flagship of this small Latvian chain was the perfect place to have a nice final Latvian meal. The straw tavern (the literal translation of the restaurant's name) really boasted a wonderful exterior, matching the image the name conjures up.

The restaurant boasted an incredibly long menu, and it was hard to go through it all. But as I was a bit hungover, I didn't drink and ended up having just one course -- the special at the time, roast loin of wild boar. Wow, it was fantastic, done medium and with the most wonderful herbal touches. I was in heaven...

This just shows that Central/East European cuisines should not be scoffed at. I've been to hundred of excellent restaurants in CEE that does CEE cuisine expertly. And before you try it, don't knock it. If you get a chance to go to Latvia, enjoy Riga -- and try to drop into Salmu krogs en route to the airport. You'll love this final meal.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
For Lone Diners: B+ (*)

Dani
333 Hudson (at Charlton)

Last time I dined at Dani it was an odd, post-holiday Tuesday -- and it was empty. However, knowing the quality of the place, I chose it as a perfect Saturday night date location with my (thank goodness) once-again girlfriend. We needed a good night out, and Dani gave us the perfect scenario.

It was a busy night there, totally packed -- which was quite different from last time. How ironic that I end up at the same table (which the staff joked about, as they actually remembered me). After a wonderful sparkling cocktail, we opted for a bottle of excellent Italian white that the operating partner recommended. Knowing his excellent reputation concerning wines, we happily went along with it -- and it was refreshing and excellent on this mild evening.

My girlfriend had her usual salad, this time with her favourite goat cheese. I chose the fritto misto. It wasn't as good as last time, but still excellent. I wish there was more fish like then. But it was good. And we also enjoyed a mid-course pasta, freshly made with wonderful vegetables and taste. Mmm, this was turning good.

They had run out of the day's special (braised shortribs), which is a good sign of how well they are doing (it's still packed). So I opted for the scallops with pork belly. My girlfriend enjoyed the grilled swordfish. Unfortunately (and fortunately) the previous courses were so big we were nearly full when the main courses arrived. We ate them partly and had to bag them...

In the meantime we were switched to a larger table -- partly because they were trying to fit a party of 8. I don't mind this, especially to a better table. I think this type of consideration is good for a restaurant. For that move, we were treated by the operating partner to an assortment of desserts -- chocolate cake, sorbet, biscotti...wow. It was nearly too much!

After a grappa and some coffee, we made our way to the door. The restaurant at 11pm was still relatively full, which shows how good this place is. It still makes me think why it was so empty that other day, but seeing this tonight justified my choice and faith. Good call!

Food: B+
Atmosphere: B+
For Lone Diners: B+ (*)

Index

Once again I need to create an index...this is one problem with blogs like this. But nevertheless, here it is -- updated up to last week. Again, my top five is listed -- and the disaster three. The lists have changed a little...

The top five are:

1) Esca (43rd & 9th)
2) Alfama (Hudson & Perry)
3) Megu - midtown (1st and 46th)
4) Porcão (Park & 26th)
5) Villa Berulia (34th & Lexington/Park)

And the "worst" five are...

-1) Cinqueterre (E38th at Madison)
-2) La Carne Grill (Lexington & 39th/40th)
-3) Bar Americain (52nd & 6th/7th)
-4) Perry Street (Perry & West)
-5) wd~50 (Clinton between Stanton & Rivington)

Nevertheless, here's the whole list alphabetically...

212 (E65th at Lexington)
Alcala (E46th & 1st/2nd)
Alfama (Hudson & Perry)
Alto (E53rd between Madison & 5th)
Ammos (Vanderbilt at 45th)
Artisanal Bistro (Park & 32nd)
Avra (E48th between 3rd & Lexington)
Bann (50th & 8th/9th)
Bar Americain (52nd & 6th/7th)
BLT Prime (E22nd between Lexington & Park)
Bolo (E22nd between Park & Broadway)
Bull & Bear Steakhouse (Park & 49th)
Cafe Frida (Columbia between 77th & 78th)
Cinqueterre (E38th at Madison)
Country (Madison & 28th/29th)
Craft (19th & Park/Broadway)
craftbar (Broadway & 19th/20th)
Da Ciro (Lexington & 33rd/34th)
Dani (Hudson & Charlton)
Divine Bar [east] (51st between 2nd & 3rd)
Eight Mile Creek (Mulberry between Spring & Prince)
Esca (43rd & 9th)
E.U. (4th between A & B)
Geisha (61st & Park/Madison)
Gennaro (Amsterdam between 92nd & 93rd)
I Trulli (E27th & Park/Lex)
Japonais (E18th between Park & Irving)
Korea Palace (E54th & Park/Lexington)
Królewskie Jadło (Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint)
La Carne Grill (Lexington & 39th/40th)
La Grenouille (52nd & Madison/5th)
Les Halles (Park & 28th/29th)
Lonesome Dove Bistro (W21st between 5th & 6th)
Madiba (DeKalb between Carlton & Adelphi in Brooklyn)
Megu - midtown (1st and 46th)
Nice Matin (79th & Amsterdam)
Philippe (60th & Park/CPE)
Phoenix Garden (E40th & 2nd/3rd)
Perry Street (Perry & West)
Porcão (Park & 26th)
Public (Elizabeth between Spring and Prince)
Regional (Broadway between 98th & 99th)
Ruby Foo's (Broadway & 49th)
Tabla (Madison & 26th)
Taksim (2nd & 54th/55th)
Tintol (W46th & Americas/Broadway)
Tocqueville (15th & USW/5th)
Turkish Kitchen (3rd & 27th/28th)
Ureña (E28th & Park/Madison)
Villa Berulia (34th & Lexington/Park)
wd~50 (Clinton between Stanton & Rivington)

And here are those places not in New York...

Barrafina (SoHo, London)
Kishmish (Chelsea, London)
Matsuri [St James's] (Jermyn Street, London)
Royal China [Queensway] (Bayswater, London)
Rules (Covent Garden, London)
Sarkhel's (Wimbledon, London)
St John (Farringdon, London)
Wódka (Kensington, London)

Alfama
551 Hudson Street (corner of Perry Street)

I have always found it difficult to find good Portuguese food anywhere, even when there is a big Portuguese community -- such as Toronto. I have in the past praised the Portuguese tapas restaurant/bar Tintol (read my review), but have never made it down to the West Village to Alfama. But on this Thursday evening, I did manage to hike down there.

Despite being late by half hour due to massive problems on the yuck-invoking L train, I relaxed once seated into a comfortable sofa seat against the wall. The service was good, quick and friendly. Even before my white wine showed up, my chouriço had already arrived, flaming and smelling delightful. And it tasted great...usually I rather like it more grilled, but I was so hungry I devoured the sausage quickly and with delight.

By this time, I had been enjoying a beautiful bossa nova performance by master vocalist Alessandro Panicola. The beautiful, soothing sounds from his voice and guitar made the entire experience more than just a meal. He has one of the best faux-trombone I've ever heard.

I was more than happy when the mariscada (seafood stew) came in a traditional cataplana. The stew was very rich, filled with shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster and scallops, alongside the traditional potatoes. It was just wonderful, borderline mesmirising for those of us who love shellfish. Simple, but done well -- many other Portuguese places really skimp on the quality of this fantastic dish.

I was too full for dessert, but enjoyed quite a few drinks afterwards -- especially of their fantastic port selection. I also enjoyed the fantastic amarguinha, the almond liqueur...quite stunning. I stayed for a few more at the bar, taking away an order of almôndegas (meatballs of pork and shrimp). Eating it at home hours later, I had a lasting memory of this wonderful evening...

I certainly recommend this wonderful place, to experience awesome Portuguese food and drink, but just to enjoy this beautiful restaurant where there is a true love for the food of their beloved Portugal.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: A-
For Lone Diners: A-

Barrafina
54 Frith Street (in SoHo, near Leicester Square Tube)

During my two brief drop-ins to London the early part of April, I had three (yes, three!) opportunities to dine at this fabulous new tapas bar in London's SoHo. Quite an impressive place, I must say, blending freshness with sophistication, casualness with high quality. It was bloody expensive and always full (no reservations, use the webcam to see how busy they are!), but quite excellent.

Over the three meals with a good mate of mine, who introduced the place to me, we went through nearly the entire menu! Most of the dishes were absolutely fantastic, ranging from morcilla (blood sausage) to grilled razor clams (a special), from the baby squid (chipirones) to the lamb chops, everything was fantastic! The tortillas were a bit heavy and they help to keep the costs down!

The nicest thing is to have a generous helping of jamón ibérico as the meals wound up...that is just a spectacular treat. I think I put on about 5 pounds from the meals, but it was well worth it!

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: A- (*)

Les Halles
411 Park Avenue South (between 28th & 29th)

I do apologise for the gap in posting -- this is due to heavy travels to both England and Latvia, as well as a stressful period relating to various projects, taxes, etc... But my stomach has rebelled, and I am once again dining out! So let the reviews flow once more! BTW as the coming days and week go on, I will add some reviews from both locales of my travels, so enjoy!

The other evening I wandered out to Les Halles in Midtown for a good meal. I've had a few bad experiences at the famous eatery (of Anthony Bourdain fame...well, in some ways...), so I wasn't expecting much -- especially my once-again-girlfriend had gone incommunicado at work.

I was sat at a corner window table, which was nice, as the place was rather empty -- both due to it being Monday evening and also from the after-effects of the nasty storm in the region (Central Park received almost 9 inches of rain that Sunday!). With a nice bottle of red from Languedoc, I had a good meal for once.

Service in this factory-like-bistro is always problematic, especially when an unordered shrimp and avocado salad showed up... After 10 minutes the grilled calamari with fennel (encornets grillés, crudité de fenouil) showed up. It was okay, nothing too special -- too little squid, way too much fennel... So I was lukewarm by then.

The main course was the grilled rib-eye (l'entrecôte du boucher), which was done rather spectacularly -- one of the best steaks I've had in months. I was suitably impressed for once, though the side of grilled green beans was a bit boring.

After some coffee and polishing off the bottle of wine, a chat with some of the staff (an excellent front-room co-ordinator named Jenna -- ask for her if you drop into Les Halles) and some patrons, I wandered out, somewhat relaxed but tired...

Not bad, I may just have to come back to this place...

Food: B
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: B+