BLT Fish Shack
21 West 17th Street (between 5th & 6th)

The main restaurant was shut...seafood on a Sunday...the BLT chain...all requisites for a disappointing meal. But I was talked into it and made the long trek on foot down. Nearly got lynched at the Pakistani Day Parade chaos...ugh...

The seating is ridiculous -- it's like they can't make any more money for squeezing us in like, well, sardines? The tables were so tight there was literally no room. It was just ridiculous. It was like a pretentious, overpriced diner that had some seafood. And plus, it being Sunday evening, no way I was going to touch the raw bar...

Me and my friend both passed on starters and I had the seared flounder. It was okay, nothing special. Totally overpriced. I can do better easily. A quick dessert of carrot cake and the bill came out to be as high as most of the top places in town. Ridiculous.

The place is a glorified diner and they charge this, just because of the bloody BLT brand? I'm going to boycott these people from now on. Ridiculous. Shambolic.

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

Daniel
60 East 65th Street (at Park)

I had been looking forward to this evening for a long time -- not really for the food (for once), but it was a key moment in my personal life as things with my girlfriend finally re-connected (hopefully, for good this time). And this night, helped by the ambience at Daniel, helped re-forge the magic.

This wonderful spot in the UES is fabulous for a special evening out -- definitely not one for lone dining, mind you. The service is extremely wonderful and attentive, extremely courteous without being intrusive. The space is wonderfully used, and the seating uses the interior design wisely to give both space to larger parties and cosiness to romantic couples. Rarely I do speak so highly about a restaurant's designs, but this place wins the battle easily.

From the first bits of house canapés to the complementary freshly-baked madeleine at the end of the meal, it was top notch all the way. Now I see what this place is always booked solid. The food portion, for such a restaurant, is quite good, and the extras are just overwhelming.

For a starter I enjoyed the scallops, which was done quite well. And at 3 healthy servings, it was a good start. My girlfriend enjoyed the crab salad, which was quite interesting too. My main course was the salmon -- a fish I rarely have out (partly because I tend to always like my own kitchen creations with this, one of my favourites to cook). A little overcooked, but it was quite good. It was a good portion too.

By now, with a few glasses of wine, we were both in a great mood. The dessert -- which is her section -- was extremely good and rich. The chocolate soufflé was excellent (she deemed it the best she's had), as was the other bits on our plates. It was absolutely overwhelming actually...

By the time we strolled out hand-in-hand past 11pm on a cool evening (to be terrorised by yet another maltempered taxi driver), we were both full and very happy. This was an extremely good experience, and the perfect place to go for a bit of magic.

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

Wolfgang's Steakhouse
409 Greenwich Street (at Hubert)

My hunt for a solid steakhouse in Manhattan contined last night, and this time was Wolfgang's Steakhouse in TriBeCa. I have searched in vain in the past, with some horrible experiences (Old Homestead and La Carne Grill), some pretty awful ones (Dylan Prime and Bull & Bear), a pretentious one (BLT Prime), and a pretty okay one (Blair Perrone). However, there was not one good place -- odd, considering this is New York. Why can't they do it nicely like Orlando's Vito's Chop House or even the bloody Fleming's chain?

It didn't start well as I had to wait for the maitre'D for like 2 minutes, and he promptly placed me at an awful table next to a large group (in a rather empty restaurant). Bad start. I ended up skipping the starter and had a nice ribeye. It was a little overcooked, but it was good and solid. The side of broccoli was just huge, and thankfully very garlic-laden.

The place filled up with larger groups of Wall Street types as I dined, and that killed any ambience...but I was just looking for a good steak, not frills. I got one, despite the strange service level. After a grappa, I headed out...but had to run back to get my mobile. I took my leftovers and briefcase and forgot this...

So in conclusion, it's a good place, but I won't travel across town for it. It's just easier to walk to Blair Perrone -- and the meat's about as good. And by the way, their website is just annoying...

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

Mediterraneo
1260 2nd Avenue (at 66th)

This UES eatery always seem to get bad reviews, and I can see what could drive people crazy at this über-busy place (especially its coveted outdoor tables). Nevertheless, me and my returning girlfriend (it's been months!) finally managed to meet and catch up. Surprisingly, despite the crowd, we managed to get a nice outside table and had a pretty good meal.

We had a nice chat and despite the noise on 2nd Avenue (especially when the damn trucks use their horns and air brakes, it's bloody loud!), it was a nice environment for conversation. The staff, at first stiff, was very good as the evening went along.

For a starter I enjoyed the grilled calamari, which was pretty good -- more like a salad though. The portion was rather large, which was good. My girlfriend enjoyed one of the specials, the goat cheese ravioli (which wasn't bad either).

The main courses were actually too large! The grilled lamb chops were huge, and I could barely finish half of it. It was a bit overcooked, but they were good pieces of meat. We skipped dessert as it was late and headed out soon.

Mediterraneo may be maligned by its rush and lack of a reservations policy, but when it works out, it's a good place to be -- especially on a warm evening outside.

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

Cendrillon
45 Mercer Street (between Broome and Grand)

I am usually not a big fan of Asian cuisine, but once in awhile I get in the mood. And Filipino food is a rare commodity here in New York. Nevertheless, I managed a very solid lunch at Cendrillon downtown between two meetings.

I've not had Filipino food in ages. I spent several years in a Californian town that had the biggest settlement of Filipinos outside of the islands, so I've had my fill of lumpia and adobo amongst others. But still, I checked out this place and it was an interesting lunch.

The place is decorated nicely in an Asian restaurant way, nothing too excessive. The booths are a nice touch, and it was comfortable eating here. After a nice, icy drink made with lambanog, the interesting coconut-based booze, I felt ready.

I thought the portions were typical New York lunch ones, but when my starter arrived, I knew I was in trouble. The ukoy (shrimp and vegetable fritters) was huge...a large plate of it! I was nearly dead when I finished all the pieces! It was quite nice, but too much for one person. I couldn't believe that I ate it and went after the main with gusto still...

The main was the typical chicken adobo -- chicken cooked in a vinegar-heavy sauce. Usually I'm not a big fan of this most-popular Filipino dish, but this was cooked well. Again the portion was extremely large and I almost died finishing it. I barely touched the rice on this one...

After a coffee I somehow managed to get up and make my next meeting...this was a little too much. Nice to get some nostalgic food, and it's a good place to drop back into. It's good and safe.

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

E.U.
235 East 4th Street (between A & B)

I am a little biased when it comes to eating at E.U. and I don't always write reviews when I come here for that reason -- but this time it was special, and I had to do it. My friend, chef Akhtar Nawab, put on a masterpiece for me and a friend and it was just spectacular...

It was Wednesday evening, the day of New York's subway mayhem and the day of the humidity-from-hell. Nevertheless, I walked all the way down from near Grand Central and was nearly dead as I arrived. Thank goodness for the sangria in my hands seconds later...

For starters me and my friend split two -- the pickled tongue was just excellent, with the right flavour and texture. It certainly had more content than when I was at nearby Hearth. The second starter was the Parisian gnocchi with crab. Excellent taste. All this with a very nice salad, full of beets. We were ready for the masterpiece now.

The reason we went down there was the spectacle of suckling pig. Nawab roasted several pigs and we received a sizeable portion -- from rib cuts to loins. He expertly marinated and roasted the pigs, and served wonderful portions. It was almost too much...mmm...

A few drinks later and good conversation continued to flow, but it was late, so I had to make my exit. It was a wonderful dining experience, and it just puts more confidence in me in this excellent chef. I shall elaborate in future postings...

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

Victor's Cafe
236 West 52nd Street (between Broadway and 8th)

I am a big fan of Cuban food, but it has been a long time since I've had any. So when my friend suggested Victor's Cafe for lunch, I happily agreed. I have been on a health kick for the last fortnight, and have actually not eaten out since the last review. I just needed to burn off some of the excess, and it's worked well. So I felt wonderful as I walked into the well-reviewed eatery.

It's a pretty large space, and we were placed in the back under the sunroof. On a day like this, it was pretty nice. I love the mechanical fan paddles on the ceiling -- a nice touch. There's a real relaxing feel to the place, which I like.

I ordered a glass of white -- my first glass of wine in awhile too. The food was excellent, of course -- my friend went with the prix fixe but I wanted a bigger choice, so went for the main menu. My starter was a nice order of las croqueticas con jamon (croquettes with ham), which was nice with a tangy salsa.

But the main course was the awesome el lechon asado (roast pork). I always love the Cuban version of this classic, from the juicy and soft meat to the slab of roasted skin...I've been good for 2 weeks, I can enjoy this! The accompanying rice with beans was excellent. I have to say the balance was just excellent.

After a coffee, I was more than happy to venture back into the horrible heat and humidity. I had already walked quite a bit in this sticky mess, but ended up walking all the way back to the home office all the way across the island. I'm sure I sweated out more than I consumed...

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