Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Euzkadi
108 East 4th Street (between 1st & 2nd)

I had to apologise to my friend when we left this restaurant...this was how strange of an experience it was. I had found this place by accident online, and with my love of Basque cuisine, I thought -- why not? Wow, was this wrong...

From the really annoying (and hard to use) website to the strange atmosphere, this place was not a winner from the first moment. It was nearly empty and it seems like a one-man shop. The sangria was okay as was the house wine, but that's the best part of the evening.

We had some starters and they were mixed. The cheeses were pretty boring, but the spicy olives were nice (although they could have come from any deli...read on to see why this is significant).

We chose to go with the paella for two for the main. It looked nice and tasted nice, with mussels and calamari and shrimps, but the pan was very shallow. There really wasn't much food there. This is like a personal sized one. That was disappointing. So we both went with a dessert...which was a complete disaster...

After 20 minutes they said they are still working on it. We notice one of the kitchen staff sneak out and back into the restaurant with a brown bag...and in a few minutes we had "almond cake" on our table. It was disgusting. It was half frozen. They had so obviously bought it from a corner store! We walked out pretty pissed off!

Sorry, sorry, sorry! This is just a shambolic restaurant! Avoid!!!

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

Porcão
360 Park Avenue South (at 26th Street)

When my London friend made it back to New York for a few days and looked for a good night out, I went through a lot of different options. Nothing looked perfect -- the good places booked, others were just inconvenient on a rainy evening. So we went with the safety of Porcão -- the volume and the volume...

I've explained in a previous post why I like Porcão so much more than other Brazilian places, partly because they have a more reckless abandon method to this already extreme eating process. And we ended up with 2 bottles of wine, a lot of meat, and a wonderful evening.

Some of the cuts of meat were wonderful, such as the bacon-wrapped filet mignon, as well as the sirloin and the lamb. I was a little disappointed with the limited sides, but the meats were fantastic. They were fatty, flavourful and dreamy...

After a few hours, a lot of food and wine, some more dessert wine and coffee, we wandered into the rain happy and extremely full...this place is always wonderful for a feast!

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

Ammos
52 Vanderbilt Avenue (at 45th)

It's odd how I always end up at Ammos for lunch -- even though they boast a much, much better dinner menu. Perhaps it's the convenience as it is adjacent to Grand Central. Me and my friend wandered there as our first choice, the Grand Central Oyster Bar, was full and besieged by a crazy woman demanding a table...

I've described Ammos before, and it is night and day comparing lunch to dinner -- the lunch crowd is very much a "long office lunch" type of place. The movements are a lot faster, and the menu reflects the velocity. But the one thing that is less usual is the huge portions...and we were floored by it, frankly.

We both ordered a starter -- he had the grilled octopus, I had the smoked trout salad. It was quite good, with plenty of smoked fish and nice quail eggs. It was a healthy portion, and that worried me about the main...

The mains arrived and they were huge. The rib-eye sandwich was gigantic with a side of fries and salad...and I couldn't finish them. It was quite good and the entire lunch was actually quite nice. I can see why this place is popular for a long, liquid lunch by the business set in this area...

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

L'Impero
45 Tudor City Place (between 42nd & 43rd)

I had eated at L'Impero a few years ago and thought it was a very nice place -- unusual dishes with a flare. As this is my friend's last meal in New York before heading back to Blighty, I thought, why not this place. Tudor City, for those who have never been up to this oasis in the middle of Manhattan, is a lovely if not odd place -- great views are aplenty.

They took awhile to set the table up, as this restaurant is busy on a bad day. After a drink, we moved over into the dining room. With a nice bottle of red, we embarked on a nice dinner. I enjoyed the grilled octopus for a starter. It was done very well, and the uncut tentacles give it more texture than others who do it chopped. My friend enjoyed his order of sweetbreads.

For the main course, I stuck to a pasta -- the malloreddus with crab, tomatoes and sea urchin. I wanted a lighter dinner as I've been eating too much with my mate's visit, and this was lighter than I expected. It was not bad, but it was rather lacking in the main ingredients -- especially compared to how my Mario Batali personally lobbed into my dish at Esca once. My friend enjoyed the roast guinea hen, and from all indications it was nice.

We ended up ordering all the cheese for a long after-dinner session, as we had to polish off the second bottle of wine anyway. So a good evening ended up a nice note. By now, the restaurant was nearly empty -- so we took that as a sign to head out.

L'Impero is a nicely-designed restaurant using space quite effectively, with divisions that almost created separate rooms within the main dining area. The bar has a different feel as well, and it really created the feeling of an oasis within the oasis that is Tudor City. I like this place, it's safe and interesting in every aspect. L'Impero is certainly a better bet than their other Midtown offer, Alto.

And don't go directly there by cab, you lazy gits. Take the walk up the stairs, it's a refreshing way to get there and get the sense of how isolating this place is.

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

Monday, October 22, 2007

Insieme
777 7th Avenue (at 51st Street, at the Michelangelo Hotel)

When I dined at Insieme many months ago soon after it opened, I was rather impressed by the place. So when two good friends flew into town -- one from London, the other from Texas -- I had to pick a sure bet. So I went with Insieme, knowing how good it is.

The place has become ultra-trendy and I'm glad to see that. The service is fantastic, ranging from the attentiveness to the between-course treats. The canapes to start was great, as was the pumpkin risotto between courses. Excellent. With a wonderful bottle of Lagrein -- one of my favourite reds (from what the Austrians call Südtirol -- now in Italy). Wonderful.

My friend was dying for a martini, and I think they made one for him that satisfied him and made the flight and delay from London worthwhile. I had a scotch before switching to wine. It was all fantastic, up to the grappa after the meal...

Oh, the meal... For a starter I enjoyed the elk carpaccio. Very nicely done, I really enjoyed it. My friends also enjoyed their starters -- the octopus carpaccio and the fritto misto alla Luchese (a wonderful, meaty version of the staple). Excellent. And after a nice risotto that I mentioned earlier, we had the main course. I once again enjoyed the lesso misto -- the boiled meats. Wonderful flavour and texture, amazing! My friends enjoyed their main courses too: gnocchi with seafood and the shortribs. It was a fantastic meal all around.

I skipped dessert as I was too full, though my friends shared a cheesecake. We were amongst the last to leave this wonderful restaurant, savouring how nice the entire evening was. Only sad thing for me was my girlfriend was not able to join us... But still, excellent!

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

Plataforma
316 West 49th Street (betwen 8th & 9th)

The last time I was at this churrascaria was before I began this blog; it was a very good experience. I had enjoyed Porcão a bit more, but this time Plataforma was just awesome. Me and a friend had both been under a lot of stress, so we really had a long and liquid meal to get it all out of the system -- and it was much needed.

The meats at this place is awesome, from the various cuts of amazing beef to the succulent lamb and flavourful chicken...it was all excellent. There was a good balance, and despite it being a very busy evening, the service was quick.

Due to how busy it was, they asked if we were willing to move tables -- and we got a better table and a free bottle of wine. How nice it turned out. We enjoyed a lot of excellent Croatian red, which was one of their specials. Excellent. We didn't have the stomach to try the red from Ensenada, Mexico...

They also, as usual, offer plenty of sides. With the bananas and vegetables, it was a great balance. Forget the bloody salad bar!

Plataforma is a wonderful place for a long, liquid meal with people, laced with awesome food and good conversation. They know how to do meats right!

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

Cafe Gray
The Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle

All of the restaurants in the Time Warner Center have reputations that few can live up to, and sadly, I think Cafe Gray is the furthest from its target amongst them all. I had a Sunday night meal with a friend there and I was rather disappointed.

The space is big and the open kitchen is a nice touch, but when the chefs look like they are goofing off and running into each other, it's really like a bad episode of some bloody Gordon Ramsay show. It just didn't look very professional; although the service staff was excellent for the most part.

For starters we both had the risotto with mushrooms. It was nice, but nothing very special. The presentation was nice, but there was not much substance to it. The main course we both had the special trout, which was tremendously disappointing. The fish was bland, and it was done like something from cooking school. The whole place looked more like a training area for chefs than one with a serious eye for foodies.

After a dessert of sorbets, which wasn't bad, we left disappointed. If it wasn't for the plentiful wine, it would have been a total disappointment.

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

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Hatsuhana - Park
237 Park Avenue (in the elevated pedestrian path between 45th & 46th)

I had a really, really bad day and just needed a quick and solid meal. I had walked near this place a few times but never went in. I heard good things about this sushi bar (hard to find if you don't know how to find this "237 Park" on this elevated alley), so I went into it.

It's a cosy little place that caters to both lone diners needing a quickie or a party that wants to lavish. I sat at the sushi bar and had a good sake with my meal. I had some sushi that was generally okay -- nothing special, but decent. The toro was nothing to write home about, though the tako was better than usual. The hamachi was also a bit bland, but the uni was okay.

But what made my meal was the anago tempura (eel tempura), which was fantastic. With a bit of lemon and sea salt, it was just wonderful. This was what I wanted to have for months, and I found it just next to Grand Central...how convenient.

This is a good place I think, with quick and attentive staff. Maybe the main location of this restaurant, on 48th, is better, so I should check it out. The only annoying thing is that when the commuter trains leave Grand Central, the entire place rumbles... Still, a good place.

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

Villa Berulia
107 East 34th Street (between Lexington & Park)

From my previous review I'm sure you can see that this is one of my favourite places in the area and all of New York. I've not gone out to eat at night in ages, so one night me and a friend headed out to this safe and grand eatery and once again had a wonderful time.

The busy and lively restaurant was once again full, and we took a seat far in the back. Despite some drunk patrons making a scene at the end, it was a fabulous time. The family-run place has a charm that many top restaurants in Manhattan has lost -- its personal touch.

One joy about this Italian-Croatian restaurant is the availability of excellent Croatian wines -- one of the few places in Manhattan you can really enjoy them. We chose a wonderful red from that paradise vine-laden Adriatic island of Hvar, which complemented our meal delightfully.

As the portions here are large, we skipped the starters. This restaurant, already boasting a lengthy and excellent menu, is famous for having tons of different specials each day. However, I went with my typical -- the double veal chop (their specialty). It was wonderful, with a side of broccoli, and I was very content as I ate the last bit of the very large dish.

After a very nice dessert, some coffee and a little bit of šljivovica, we left this place very happy and full. Villa Berulia is like that down-home trattoria you earn for when you just need a guaranteed solid meal in a wonderful atmosphere. What a wonderful place...that's why it's always popular. One of the best bets in Manhattan.

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

Pigalle
790 8th Avenue (at 48th Street)

I do apologise for the lack of entries in recent weeks. To tell you it has been stressful is not even an apt description of what I've been enduring. But hopefully the fog is being lifted...anyway, here's a few catch-ups.

First of all was lunch at the schizophrenic Midtown West eatery Pigalle. I trekked across town to meet a friend for a delayed lunch, and we decided on this staple of the area. I've had a few bad experiences here before, but usually service-oriented rather than food. This time, sadly, was both.

The service was, as usual, lacking and unattentive -- for instance, it took longer to get the check than for the food to arrive. Liquids spilled on my friend's glasses amongst other problems, they just seem to fit the local diner description better, not a popular Midtown eatery. Bit minus here.

The food came lightning fast. The fact it was Columbus Day, a nominal holiday in the grander scheme of New York, the menu was an unexpected weekend brunch menu. So I chose an omelette with mushrooms, chorizo and goat cheese...awful. First, the food came out in like 2 minutes and it looked like one of those omelettes made by one of those George Foreman machines he peddles on TV. There was nearly no chorizo, and the goat cheese was isolated to one blop on one side. And the entire omelette was very bland.

Simply put, we should have gone to a diner.

The location of this place makes it easy to use and somewhat popular, but I think I've learned my lesson. If the rubbish service can't be backed up by adequate food, this place should just be avoided from now on.

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