Borough Food and Drink
12 East 22nd Street (between Park & Broadway)

I was invited to lunch by a friend and he suggested Borough Food and Drink. I've not heard of the place, but walked down anyway. The place was half empty for brunch on a Sunday and we took an outside table.

It took ages to get service and the waitress just seemed hyper and confused...can anyone say meth? Ugh...that was a bad start. Took them 15 minutes to bring coffee -- and the restaurant was half empty! They gave us each a hard-boiled egg as a freebie...great...

After 45 minutes of waiting for our food, we started to get impatient. Every 5 minutes we got the "it'll be 2 more minutes" line from various members of the useless staff. Others who were seated near us -- who came 10-30 minutes after us -- were already being served. Ridiculous!

After another 10 minutes, I said screw this. I'm not waiting an hour. The manager rushed after us saying they are just about to serve. Yeah, right. We walked out rather upset...and had to look for another place.

AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!

Food: ???
Atmosphere: F
For Lone Diners: F

Tamarind
41-43 East 22nd Street (between Park & Broadway)

After that debacle at Borough Food and Drink, we walked down 22nd and ended up at Tamarind -- and it was an inspired choice that turned out for the better. I've not been here for awhile, and was looking forward to a good meal. And I must say, this was the best Indian meal I've had in New York since moving here a year ago -- almost London good. That's saying a lot!

We had a nice back booth, which was a nice touch in the open-spaced restaurant. The staff was very friendly and helpful, a great change from 20 minutes earlier. We ordered two mains to share, and both were absolutely excellent. The shrimp moiley, served in a faux coconut shell, featured some wonderful flavours. It worked wonders with the selection of naan we ordered, with full and bright flavours. The other dish was the murg lazeez -- the minced chicken and spinach with spices. This was plentiful and skillfully mixed, and also worked brilliantly with the naan.

After all this, we went for a dessert. We split a mango cheesecake, which was perfect -- not sweet but just right. It was well worth the meal after the earlier fiasco...so at the end, it worked out. I've found my Indian solution in New York, finally!

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

Benjamin Steakhouse
52 East 41st Street (between Madison & Park; at the Dylan Hotel)

I had almost given up my search for a good steakhouse in Manhattan. With so many bad experiences (La Carne Grill, Old Homestead, etc...), the only ones that came close to being okay were Blair Perrone and Wolfgang's Steakhouse. So when I headed to Benjamin Steakhouse Sunday evening, I didn't expect much.

I was actually surprised by the experience. Less stiff than many other places, less corporate than other places, it helped by being the restaurant for the Dylan Hotel. It was rather empty when I began my meal, but it slowly filled up. Nevertheless, it was a comfortable experience.

Asking for the size of the dishes, I decided to skip the starter and go straight for the lamb chops (which was described as being large). I was happy to hear that, as I've not had good lamb for awhile. And also, a side of broccoli.

It took awhile, but when it came I was surprised. The two chops were quite large, double thickness, and cooked well (maybe a little more than the medium rare I wanted). It was flavourful and nice, and rather rich too -- as it was somewhat untrimmed. That was a great combination, especially from the broiler. I just wish the lamb in this country had more flavour (instead of the bland taste that is marketed to those who do not like lamb's "gaminess").

I had to take one of the chops home with half the vegetables. It was a good late night snack later on. Overall this was a good experience, and I think I found my steakhouse in Manhattan! And the added bonus, it's close and in walking distance! Not a bad way to end a really horrible week...

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

Alcala
342 East 46th Street (between 1st & 2nd)

I had always praised this place the previous times I've dined here (read my previous review here). I had chosen to drop by this place this horrible and stormy evening. I wandered up to the usually safe place and had a rather mediocre meal...unfortunately.

The usually nice and cosy place was as usual, except for one table with a rather drunken middle aged woman who had to loudly laugh, clap, and offer opinions of various things (racially ridiculing a Latino waiter, talking about "low-class" Brits with their cockney accents, and how she was still okay to drive home...). It seriously really marred the experience...

The starter, despite it being a simple set of Spanish charcuterie, took longer than usual -- and left me to listen to that drivel coming from the nearby table. The meats were good, so I tried to relax.

The main course was the cochinillo -- suckling pig. This, alas, was a disappointment. The pieces were not roasted well; parts were burnt and hard to eat, parts were like it was boiled. It was just very uneven cooking. Plus, the salad had such an extreme amount of balsamic that it was nearly inedible. It was just not a good dish, especially compared to the excellent versions of the special at E.U. or the roast pig at Victor's Cafe.

I didn't want any more of that noisy table so I took my leave. I was rather disappointed...I hope this was an anomaly...

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

Texas Smokehouse
637 2nd Avenue (between 34th & 35th)

As I explained in the previous entry, it has been a long and difficult few weeks. I've dined out less than usual, and opted on takeaways a bit more (I usually avoid delivery since everything in a delivery range is walkable). So this time I went down to a place I go to once every few months, the rather good Texas Smokehouse a few blocks away.

The place is great for a casual feast, as the food is voluminous and good. Solid BBQ, especially if you -- like me -- love ribs. One of their specialties is the giant beef ribs, which was what I opted for. I hate eating ribs (and lobsters) in public, so I took it home instead. Too bad, I like the place...

The beef ribs were huge and very meaty, and cooked so nicely that the meat just falls off the giant bones. This really is a guilty pleasure... After the feast (which was actually 2-meals-in-1 due to the size of the rack), I was so full it was pleasurable... Not easy to eat this much in Manhattan for this price!

If you live in the area, it's a great takeaway. If you don't, it's still a good place for a feast. And the service is very fast. With Stella Artois on tap and plenty of liquor, this is a fun place! Just prepare your stomach!

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

Vice Versa
325 West 51st Street (between 8th & 9th)

I do have to apologise for the lack of posting recently. but it has been a very difficult few weeks. Nevertheless I have a few entries to catch up with, starting with this one. I was invited for lunch last week at Vice Versa. As I had a few errands to run, the location -- Midtown West -- worked out well.

The restaurant was empty when we arrived but the lunch crowd soon made it a bit more lively. The larger-than-I-thought restaurant was a good place for lunch, and I did enjoy the meal. With a glass of wine and good conversation, it was a nice way to relax during a very difficult day and week.

The starter was a tart of calamari and artichoke. It was a strange fried dish, but it worked pretty well. It was filling but not stuffy, and the radicchio balanced things out. The main course was the restaurant's best-known dish, the veal ravioli. The portion was rather big and filling, which was a surprise. The ravioli was rather rich, but not excessive. Excellent.

I was beyond full by this point -- especially for lunch -- so I just enjoyed a coffee and we headed out soon. I'm beginning to like these Midtown West places for lunch...they have been pretty good the last few times.

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