I go to Momofuku Ssam bar all the time so I tend not to write about it. However, some recent changes in the place have prompted me to put together this brief Momofuku update. Don't worry, nothing bad has happened and Momofuku still remains my favorite place to eat in all of New York, but I thought it would be dutiful to report some actual news for a change.
Ssam Bar now has a tasting menu. Although I appreciate the idea, I went and compared the tasting menu items and looked at how much they would cost on the regular menu (assuming two people ordered every item and split them) and found out that ordering a la carte would be about two thirds the price. Since the tasting menu only really offers one or two off the menu items (for which we made educated guesses about the price to make the math work) its not really worth ordering. I am confident however, that the ever creative Momofuku people will find a way to make the tasting menu worthwhile
The other big new is that they’ve hired a pastry chef! They’ve eschewed the Mocchi Ice Cream Sampler and started creating their own in house desserts. I’ve tried the cheddar shortcake with ham cream and really enjoyed it. Don’t worry, ham cream isn’t as completely far fetched as it sounds. I also tried the PB & J which is comprised of concord grape jelly, a sort of peanut butter cookie, saltine ice cream and crushed saltines. It was fantastic and instantly brought a smile to my face—I love it when food can do that.
I’m also starting to think that the Banh Mi might be my favorite menu item. I love the pork buns but perhaps I’ve been eating too many. Every time I order the banh mi it really hits the spot with the perfect elements of spice, freshness (the cilantro) crunch, creaminess and savoryness. It might be the perfect sandwich.
Finally…if you go to Momofuku and are thinking of ordering the chicken Ballotine...Don’t! It’s probably the only thing I’ve had there that I have actively disliked. Instead, do yourself a favor and muster up enough courage to order the pigs head torchon. Its face meat rolled up, poached, coated in bread crumbs and then deep fried (it doesn’t look like a head but more like a little disk.) It is crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside and tastes like some sort of ethereal little corn dog. Definitely a must have if you go to Ssam bar and fancy yourself an open minded eater.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Mini Review: PO
This past week one of my former college roommates and I decided to get together for dinner. Since both of us consider ourselves pretty serious foodies, we wanted to pick a place that we thought would have really tasty food and that would be relatively inexpensive. The other criteria was that it had to be a place that we could get into relatively easy without a reservation, meaning places with waits like Momofuku or tough reservations like Little Owl were out of the question.
After some back and forth e-mails we finally decided on Po in the west village on Cornelia Street between Bleecker and West 4th. I think we both liked the facts that it has been around for almost 15 years and is pretty well known and that it used to be the home of Mario Batali. The six course tasting menu prepared by chef Lee McGrath was a mere $50 dollars, something relatively small compared to most others in the city and we thought the restaurant would be a nice pick and a good value.
My friend and I both ordered the tasting menu, and while we both finished the meal feeling full, I don’t think either of us was particularly ecstatic about the food. Even though the tasting menu came at a reasonable price I disliked was the fact that it was impossible to find out what’s on it. When we asked our server, he told us it was a compilation of what the chef feels like serving that day. When pressed for more details he asked us if there was anything we didn’t like and noted that those dishes would not be on the tasting menu. Thanks.
Nonetheless we pressed on. The meal consisted of a frisee and endive salad with goat cheese, a kale filled raviolo finished in a light cream sauce, homemade gnocchi Bolognese, lamb top sirloin over chickpeas and eggplant, cheeses and desserts. I thought the portion size, timing and selection were all a little off.
We received our salad literally seconds after placing our order and even before we were brought any wine. When a restaurant so urgently rushes a salad to the plate you’d hope it was for a good reason, but this salad was pretty forgettable. Very shortly after, our server brought us the raviolo. Nice texture, but the kale didn’t really feel like a spring flavor to me (maybe I’m wrong) perhaps the chef was ridding himself of winter surplus. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy as gnocchi should be, and the Bolognese was good if slightly unoriginal. It’s not very difficult to find a good Bolognese in New York. The lamb top loin was perfectly cooked and eggplant and chickpeas with cumin yogurt and mint pesto was satisfying but perhaps a little overwhelming, with flavors that didn’t really let the lamb shine as much as it should.
We then had a really long break before our cheeses and desserts. The cheese plate was a nice composition of flavors and textures but probably pushed us over the brim of fullness. I thought the desserts really stood out. The apple tart being appley, sweet, crispy and buttery all at the same time and the chocolate terrine brightened up by subtle hints of marzipan and amaretto.
In the end food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that great either. The pacing of the meal was a little awkward with the first several courses coming in quick succession, not leaving enough time for our bellies to recover to a state of un-fullness. Even though the meal was perfectly decent, there are a slew of other restaurants in New York City within the same price range that serve better food. I wouldn’t mind going back to Po, but for my money it seems a little dated and is a place I can’t recommend.
After some back and forth e-mails we finally decided on Po in the west village on Cornelia Street between Bleecker and West 4th. I think we both liked the facts that it has been around for almost 15 years and is pretty well known and that it used to be the home of Mario Batali. The six course tasting menu prepared by chef Lee McGrath was a mere $50 dollars, something relatively small compared to most others in the city and we thought the restaurant would be a nice pick and a good value.
My friend and I both ordered the tasting menu, and while we both finished the meal feeling full, I don’t think either of us was particularly ecstatic about the food. Even though the tasting menu came at a reasonable price I disliked was the fact that it was impossible to find out what’s on it. When we asked our server, he told us it was a compilation of what the chef feels like serving that day. When pressed for more details he asked us if there was anything we didn’t like and noted that those dishes would not be on the tasting menu. Thanks.
Nonetheless we pressed on. The meal consisted of a frisee and endive salad with goat cheese, a kale filled raviolo finished in a light cream sauce, homemade gnocchi Bolognese, lamb top sirloin over chickpeas and eggplant, cheeses and desserts. I thought the portion size, timing and selection were all a little off.
We received our salad literally seconds after placing our order and even before we were brought any wine. When a restaurant so urgently rushes a salad to the plate you’d hope it was for a good reason, but this salad was pretty forgettable. Very shortly after, our server brought us the raviolo. Nice texture, but the kale didn’t really feel like a spring flavor to me (maybe I’m wrong) perhaps the chef was ridding himself of winter surplus. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy as gnocchi should be, and the Bolognese was good if slightly unoriginal. It’s not very difficult to find a good Bolognese in New York. The lamb top loin was perfectly cooked and eggplant and chickpeas with cumin yogurt and mint pesto was satisfying but perhaps a little overwhelming, with flavors that didn’t really let the lamb shine as much as it should.
We then had a really long break before our cheeses and desserts. The cheese plate was a nice composition of flavors and textures but probably pushed us over the brim of fullness. I thought the desserts really stood out. The apple tart being appley, sweet, crispy and buttery all at the same time and the chocolate terrine brightened up by subtle hints of marzipan and amaretto.
In the end food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that great either. The pacing of the meal was a little awkward with the first several courses coming in quick succession, not leaving enough time for our bellies to recover to a state of un-fullness. Even though the meal was perfectly decent, there are a slew of other restaurants in New York City within the same price range that serve better food. I wouldn’t mind going back to Po, but for my money it seems a little dated and is a place I can’t recommend.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tasting Menu Eleven Madison Park
(Caution, this post is long)
Once every three or four months, my friend Josh, someone I went to elementary school and high school with and another serious food person, leaves London and comes to New York. Every time he is here we do a quarterly ‘occasion’ dinner where we go eat somewhere that is definitely out of our price range and order some sort of decadent tasting menu. When we first tried out this idea we went to Union Square Café (safe and easy), three months later we went to WD-50 (an eating adventure) and four months after that we ate at Gordon Ramsay in The London (a disappointment.)
Since we only get to have this meal (and probably only want to pay for this type of a meal) on a quarterly basis, much thought is placed into picking the right restaurant. Usually about three months ahead of time we exchange e-mails, listing some restaurants we’d like to try and reasons for trying them. Eventually after three or four days of going back and forth we come to an agreement and then try to find one or two other people to join us. This time, our ‘occasion’ meal was at Eleven Madison Park, one of Danny Meyers established restaurants that has been getting glowing reviews ever since Daniel Humm recently took over as executive chef. The fact that Eleven Madison Park was given the honor of top pig dish in New York pretty much sealed the deal.
When I walked into Eleven Madison Park, the first thing I noticed was the room. I know it seems redundant to notice the room you’re walking into, but Eleven Madison Park is really a beautiful restaurant. At night, the high ceilings, dim light, and art deco interior make you feel like you are about to be dining in a really classy establishment. The spacious atmosphere and the assorted pictures of New York (and a cocktail list featuring various New York inspired cocktails) made me feel comfortable and at home. The space is simply a great place to have a meal and eating there made me feel much more important (and classy) than I really am.
The space is great but what about the meal? Obviously if the food is no good then the space doesn’t matter. Like all of the other Danny Meyer restaurants I’ve been to, the food was very good. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but every dish was perfectly executed, beautifully plated and tasted pretty good. Out of the 11 course tasting menu there were a few standouts.
I don’t think that I am able to write concisely enough to weave all eleven courses into this post in a matter that won’t bore everyone so I’ll break them up and grade them.
Maine Diver Scallop
Corrolle with “La Ratte: potatoes, leeks and Sterling Royal Caviar
Dewazakura, Dewasansan Nama Geshu, Junmai Ginjo, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
I really enjoyed the fresh scallop and the creamy potato leek mix gave the dish some substance. I can’t say I really tasted the caviar, but the dish was light and a nice way to start the meal. Although me and my friends don’t really know that much about Sake, we thought it was a fun decision by the sommelier to give us a pairing that might differ a bit from the norm. Overall B+/A-
California Celery
Cappuccino with Celery Root and Tricastin Truffles
Claude Genet Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Chouilly, Cote des Blancs
I think everyone in our party really enjoyed the Celery Root part of our Cappuccino and didn’t really like the strong celery underbelly lurking beneath the foamy part of our cappuccino. The strong celery taste took away from the flavor of the truffles. The Champagne served with this course was excellent however as its dryness helped ease the richness of the dish
B+
Cape Cod Peekytoe Crab
Cannelloni with Daikon Radish and Madras Curry
Bernhard Ott, von Rotem Schotter, Feursbrunn, Donauland, Austria 2005
This dish was stunning to look at—a small cannelloni in a rectangular plate surrounded by multi-color dots of sauce. The crab inside the cannelloni however, was nothing out of the ordinary. It seems the crab was all dressed up but lacked substance. The Riesling paired with it was ok, but the plainness of the dish didn’t really help the wine to stand out
C
Elevage Perigord Foie Gras
Torchon with Venezualan Cocoa and Quince
Heidi Schroeck, Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria 2005
I was really excited for this one (I love foie gras) but was a bit let down. I think my tendency to eat everything on my plate sort of ruined this for me. The foie gras was sitting in the center of a plate full of quince, swirled with lines of cocoa and accompanied by a slice of brioche toast also swirled with cocoa. In moderation these elements played together well—rich foie gras, hint of cocoa and sweet and acidic quince. My problem was that there was too much quince on my plate, causing the dish to be a little overly sweet. Josh on the other hand didn’t eat all his quince and was perfectly happy. I suppose the lesson here is to beware of too much quince. Because I ate too much quince, the sweet Riesling was probably a bit too sweet for this course. I was a little disappointed they went with another Riesling here and would have liked to see something different. I would have gone with a young Chenin Blanc.
B/B-
Mediterranean Loup de Mer
Slow cooked with Saffron Endive Nage
Domaine Pierre Usseglio, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone Valley, France 2005
I really enjoyed the creamy fish and the saffron broth it was served in. This was simply a really well executed fish dish. The White Chateauneuf went particularly well with it.
B+
Scottish Langoustine
Crisped with Lemon Verbena and Bok Choy
Wegeler, Wehlener Sonnenhur, Spatlese, Mosel Saar-Ruwer, Germany 1994
The langoustine was pretty tasty but perhaps it was served to us at the wrong time. It looked awfully similar to the Langoustine served by Joel Robuchon that was featured in the times the Wednesday before our dinner. While it was nice to be served an older wine, serving another Riesling was a little too much. We were hoping the wine pairing would give us a whole bunch of things to try and not simply be a test to see if we could determine the nuances of various ages and styles of Riesling.
B
Four Story Hill “Boudin Blanc”
Poached with Hawaiian Prawns, Morels and Asparagus
Hubert Chavy, Les Enseigneres, Puligny-Montrachet 2005
This dish came as a surprise. I don’t think any of us had extremely high hopes for boudin blanc, but the sausage was creamy, delicate and satisfying all at the same time. The morels and asparagus also added nice color and complimentary flavor to the dish, acting as sidekicks that didn’t let the sausage stand out too much (who really wants a sausage course in a tasting menu) without detracting from it. The Puligny was also probably the best wine we had all night. Maybe I was just happy it wasn’t Riesling.
A-
Vermont Farm Suckling Pig
Confit with Cipollini Onions, Dried Plum chutney, and Five Spice jus
Domaine De la Cote de L’Ange, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Rhone Valley, France 2005
Ahhhh the pig course. We had been looking forward to this for months and it certainly did not disappoint. The pig was just as crackly and piggy as we had been led to believe and there were even two other forms of pig on our plate. One was a bit smokey and chewy, and one had a taste that was appealing but a texture that was a little too smooth. I loved the cippolini onions as well. As for the pairing, the Chateauneuf was nice but…We had already had a white Chateauneuf earlier in the meal. I wish they could have given us any other red. The pig was great though
A/A-
Lynnhaven “Chevre Frais”
Heirloom Beets, LAudemio Olive Oil and Fleur du Sel
I loved this cheese so much I even went to the farmer’s market the next week to buy some to bring to Boston. Creamy and zesty without lingering too much, it was a nice and refreshing cheese course. I also loved the colors of the heirloom beets and the sparkling Moscato D’asti that accompanied. Having a drink with bubbles to go along with creamy goat cheese is definitely easy on the tongue
Jermann, Vinnae, Veneza Giulia 2004
A
Coconut Sorbet with Chantenay Carrots and Parnsips
Not bad, but not great. The typical palate cleanser.
B
Bittersweet chocolate
Moelleux with Passion fruit bourbon sour
Kiralyudvar, cuvee Ilona 2001
I devoured the chocolate cake but don’t really remember that much about it. Could it be that the wine was finally getting to me at that point? I remember it being a bit dry, but having the passion fruit bourbon sour make up for the dryness. I thought the Tokaji tasted a bit too much like the other Riesling pairings for me to give the pairing a ringing endorsement.
B
Despite the fact that I gave most of the courses grades in the B range, I was still extremely happy with the entire experience. I probably graded a little harshly due to the price of the food and would have been extremely pleased with several of these dishes had I ordered them at a less expensive restaurant.
Other than getting to sample several tasty and a couple of really tasty dishes, the price of our meal also brought us impeccable service. Danny Meyer restaurants are known for being extremely courteous towards their patrons and Eleven Madison Park is no exception. The restaurant has an incredibly large and helpful staff that caters to your every need. We were offered bread after every course and our waitress was willing to answer any questions we had and help us with anything we needed throughout our three and a half hour dining journey.
Overall, the food and the service helped make the night go by smoothly and enjoyably. The best part of the experience was being able to sit back and enjoy whatever aspect of the dining experience we wanted, whether it was the wine, the food, or catching up with friends, Eleven Madison Park proved an excellent backdrop for all. They even gave us a brioche loaf to eat for breakfast the next morning.
A-
Who to Bring:
Eleven Madison Park is a place to go to either pamper yourself or really impress someone else. The food is interesting enough for food people and the 47 page wine list has enough choices for serious oenophiles. A great place to go if you’re willing to splurge a little.
Note:
The pictures in this post are not my own (I still don't believe in taking pictures in restaurants.)
Here are the links to the flickr sets from which they came.
http://flickr.com/photos/mhaithaca/374760340/
http://flickr.com/photos/mhaithaca/374760445/
http://flickr.com/photos/ulteriorepicure/434543243/
http://flickr.com/photos/shugyou/419028592/
http://flickr.com/photos/shugyou/419026486/
Monday, April 2, 2007
Restaurant Review: Royal's Downtown
Royals Downtown
215 Union St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718.923.9866
This past Thursday I found myself doing something I don’t usually do. I went to Brooklyn to meet some friends and dine in a restaurant. The occasion was Brooklyn restaurant week and I thought it would be a good time for me to try to go and eat at a serious meal in one of the outer boroughs. It’s not that I am prejudiced against Brooklyn; it’s just that with so many choices here in Manhattan I find it hard to talk myself into traveling over or under a body of water to go eat a meal.
Since I don’t know that much about Brooklyn restaurants we decided we would try to find a place in Carroll Gardens, close to my friend’s house, and would go from there. Using my handy Zagat Online subscription, I cross referenced the Brooklyn Restaurant week list with the Zagat list of top restaurants in Carroll Gardens. I then looked at menus and came up with Royal’s Downtown on 215 Clinton between Union.
I found the experience extremely disappointing.
Our three course prix fixe was reasonably tasty, featuring a porcini soup that got better with each bite (although the strong tasting parsley was an odd and unwelcome accompaniment), a better than average penne Bolognese and three scoops of overly sweet sorbet. My dining companions had a rather dry, but not unappealing chocolate cake for dessert and a seared hanger steak that was cooked perfectly to medium rare but wasn’t anything extraordinary. All of this with a bottle of Chianti came to forty dollars a person after tax and tip—not bad for a decent restaurant meal.
What was the problem with the meal then? It took almost three hours for us to receive our three courses, pay the bill and leave. We were averaging one course about every 40 minutes. Normally I am sympathetic to restaurants. If they re crowded, I’ll excuse slow service. However, Royal’s was not full and our waiter was incredibly neglectful. It took us at least 20 minutes before any kind of hello or offer of drinks. When we did order wine, it took another 15 minutes. We didn’t even get a glass of water until after the wine was poured. We were incredibly parched.
Once the food started showing up, we began to receive barely audible “sorry for the delay’s” muttered from the mouth of our waiter. There was one with our soups, an even quieter one forty five minutes later with our entrée and another one 45 minutes later when I received my three scoops of sorbet. By the time dessert rolled around I didn’t even want it anymore, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep. We were trapped.
About half an hour later, we were wondering why we didn’t receive a check. There were two other tables seated in the restaurant and all we wanted to do was give them our money so we could leave. At this point my friends and I decided we would leave a 10 percent tip—we never (I emphasize never) leave less than 20 percent, but they had to know that something (our waiter) was absent from our dining experience.
Purposefully, we began to look visibly agitated. Maybe if the waiter saw that we were angry he would give us our check so that we could be excused from our table (we joked about just walking out, he probably wouldn’t have noticed.) Finally, after several minutes of visible agitation, our waiter looked up from whatever he was doing and gave us the check. Sensing the anger and vented up frustration he offered another muted and insincere “Thanks for your patience tonight.”
There are ways for restaurants to apologize for doing something wrong. They can give you something for free, usually wine or dessert. They can also apologize sincerely, and profusely, and spend some time doting on you—that’s ok too. Or, they can at least make you feel like they want you to come back. Royal’s Downtown merely offered a couple of halfhearted apologies and continued on like a little kid who says sorry thinking it will make everything better. When our waiter thanked us for our ‘patience’ it was like the restaurant was giving us a big F-you. One of our dining companions then uttered under his breath, “yeah and F-you too.” Only it wasn’t really under his breath. Me and the third person at our table both cringed—the tip just went back up to 20 percent.
I really wanted to like eating in Brooklyn, but Royal’s just didn’t cut it. I suppose I’m disappointed because at least for a brief moment I let my Royal’s experience taint my view of what all Brooklyn restaurants are like.
When I came home after the dinner, my dad asked me, “Where did you eat?” I responded quickly with “We just finished a 3 hour three course meal at a place called Royal’s Downtown.” I then sneered, “In Brooklyn.” I went to my room and commenced to be disgusted with myself. Did I really just denigrate Brooklyn, because the one restaurant experience I had wasn’t a particularly good one? After a day of recollection I’ve decided that my Royal’s experience (there are so many jokes about how un-royal the experience was that I can insert here, but choose not to in lieu of pointing out that I can insert them) was an anomaly. I am now determined to go have a delicious Brooklyn meal in the near future. Any suggestions?
Grade: C-/D+ Nothing special about the food and horrendous service I will never go back. As for who to take, make sure they have either have extreme patience or masochistic tendencies.
Links:
A deep fryer and goldfish living in perfect harmony.
Danny Meyer and Keith McNally are on to those slimey PrimeTime Tables people.
David Chang loves Larry Bird!
215 Union St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718.923.9866
This past Thursday I found myself doing something I don’t usually do. I went to Brooklyn to meet some friends and dine in a restaurant. The occasion was Brooklyn restaurant week and I thought it would be a good time for me to try to go and eat at a serious meal in one of the outer boroughs. It’s not that I am prejudiced against Brooklyn; it’s just that with so many choices here in Manhattan I find it hard to talk myself into traveling over or under a body of water to go eat a meal.
Since I don’t know that much about Brooklyn restaurants we decided we would try to find a place in Carroll Gardens, close to my friend’s house, and would go from there. Using my handy Zagat Online subscription, I cross referenced the Brooklyn Restaurant week list with the Zagat list of top restaurants in Carroll Gardens. I then looked at menus and came up with Royal’s Downtown on 215 Clinton between Union.
I found the experience extremely disappointing.
Our three course prix fixe was reasonably tasty, featuring a porcini soup that got better with each bite (although the strong tasting parsley was an odd and unwelcome accompaniment), a better than average penne Bolognese and three scoops of overly sweet sorbet. My dining companions had a rather dry, but not unappealing chocolate cake for dessert and a seared hanger steak that was cooked perfectly to medium rare but wasn’t anything extraordinary. All of this with a bottle of Chianti came to forty dollars a person after tax and tip—not bad for a decent restaurant meal.
What was the problem with the meal then? It took almost three hours for us to receive our three courses, pay the bill and leave. We were averaging one course about every 40 minutes. Normally I am sympathetic to restaurants. If they re crowded, I’ll excuse slow service. However, Royal’s was not full and our waiter was incredibly neglectful. It took us at least 20 minutes before any kind of hello or offer of drinks. When we did order wine, it took another 15 minutes. We didn’t even get a glass of water until after the wine was poured. We were incredibly parched.
Once the food started showing up, we began to receive barely audible “sorry for the delay’s” muttered from the mouth of our waiter. There was one with our soups, an even quieter one forty five minutes later with our entrée and another one 45 minutes later when I received my three scoops of sorbet. By the time dessert rolled around I didn’t even want it anymore, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep. We were trapped.
About half an hour later, we were wondering why we didn’t receive a check. There were two other tables seated in the restaurant and all we wanted to do was give them our money so we could leave. At this point my friends and I decided we would leave a 10 percent tip—we never (I emphasize never) leave less than 20 percent, but they had to know that something (our waiter) was absent from our dining experience.
Purposefully, we began to look visibly agitated. Maybe if the waiter saw that we were angry he would give us our check so that we could be excused from our table (we joked about just walking out, he probably wouldn’t have noticed.) Finally, after several minutes of visible agitation, our waiter looked up from whatever he was doing and gave us the check. Sensing the anger and vented up frustration he offered another muted and insincere “Thanks for your patience tonight.”
There are ways for restaurants to apologize for doing something wrong. They can give you something for free, usually wine or dessert. They can also apologize sincerely, and profusely, and spend some time doting on you—that’s ok too. Or, they can at least make you feel like they want you to come back. Royal’s Downtown merely offered a couple of halfhearted apologies and continued on like a little kid who says sorry thinking it will make everything better. When our waiter thanked us for our ‘patience’ it was like the restaurant was giving us a big F-you. One of our dining companions then uttered under his breath, “yeah and F-you too.” Only it wasn’t really under his breath. Me and the third person at our table both cringed—the tip just went back up to 20 percent.
I really wanted to like eating in Brooklyn, but Royal’s just didn’t cut it. I suppose I’m disappointed because at least for a brief moment I let my Royal’s experience taint my view of what all Brooklyn restaurants are like.
When I came home after the dinner, my dad asked me, “Where did you eat?” I responded quickly with “We just finished a 3 hour three course meal at a place called Royal’s Downtown.” I then sneered, “In Brooklyn.” I went to my room and commenced to be disgusted with myself. Did I really just denigrate Brooklyn, because the one restaurant experience I had wasn’t a particularly good one? After a day of recollection I’ve decided that my Royal’s experience (there are so many jokes about how un-royal the experience was that I can insert here, but choose not to in lieu of pointing out that I can insert them) was an anomaly. I am now determined to go have a delicious Brooklyn meal in the near future. Any suggestions?
Grade: C-/D+ Nothing special about the food and horrendous service I will never go back. As for who to take, make sure they have either have extreme patience or masochistic tendencies.
Links:
A deep fryer and goldfish living in perfect harmony.
Danny Meyer and Keith McNally are on to those slimey PrimeTime Tables people.
David Chang loves Larry Bird!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Restaurant Review: Alta
Alta
64 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10011
between Fifth and Sixth Aves.
212-505-7777
The other day my friend Aaron and I found ourselves sitting in a bar just south of Union Square looking for a place to meet some friends for dinner. We wanted to go to a place that was relatively informal, that neither of us had been to before and one where the food would be generally accessible by even non-adventurous eaters. (Aaron wouldn’t let me pick Momofuku.)
After some deliberating and browsing through New York Magazine, we decided on Alta. We wanted a tapas style meal and he wanted a place where they definitely served Sangria. After he called to make sure the delicious, fruity wine concoction was available (it was!) we made up our minds.
From the outside, Alta appears to be a non-descript neighborhood bar, located on the south side of West 10th street just off of 6th avenue. You’ll miss it if you’re not looking for it. However, once you walk in, the dimly lit narrow bar room that precedes the main dining room exudes energy and ‘trendiness’, with patrons sharing small dishes and drinks in what aspires to be a Tapas setting. This is definitely a place to take a date.
While the plates are small, and the cuisine is semi-Spanish with sides of Marcona almonds, and the words ‘Piquillo,’ ‘Aleppo,’ and ‘chorizo’ scattered all over the menu, the food is a bit too fussy to be traditional Tapas. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Of the several dishes we tried several were delicious, some were good, and a few didn’t quite work.
When head Chef Harrison Moshler keeps his dishes uncomplicated, and lets the flavors of the ingredients come out on their own, the food really shines. The shredded pork with 40 minute soft cooked egg helped fulfill my pork craving for the night while the soft cooked egg added just enough extra richness without going over the top. A dish of perfectly seared sea scallops over an artichoke puree with yuzu mayonnaise, balanced textures and tastes perfectly. The crispy brown scallop top contrasting with the artichoke puree and the acidity of the yuzu mayonnaise providing enough spark to really open up the taste buds. The tuna tartare with macadamia nuts, hearts of palm and chorizo was also a real winner. The crunchy macadamia nuts and hearts of palm differing just enough from the soft fattiness of the tuna to distract you from its deliciousness, only to make it taste so much better when you finally come back.
Crispy Brussels sprouts were not bad for what they were, but instead of crispy, the chef might have been more informative had he used a word like charred or a phrase like burnt into unidentifiable blackness. Nonetheless, the apples in the dish made it manageable. It’s not something I would order again though.
Some dishes however, were perhaps a little too ambitious. Tuna tataki, cantaloupe cloud, marsala caviar, prosciutto flakes, and toasted hazelnuts seemed to lack any sort of identity, the ever growing ‘cloud’ of cantaloupe devouring and overwhelming the too delicate prosciutto flakes and the seared tuna. Do we really need ‘clouds’ of cantaloupe? Is crème fraiche ‘foam’ really necessary? If it is, they actually have two kinds. Why stop at crème fraiche foam when you can also have the ‘crème fraiche-verjus’ as offered with crabmeat cannelloni. I was given so much information about every menu item except for one. What might be in the “Philadelphia Truffle Surprise?” Cream Cheese and truffles? Truffled cheese steak? I couldn’t quite figure it out and wasn’t about to ask our absentee waitress about the contents.
In fact, the service left something to be desired. The food wasn’t really served in any sort of logical order and we had to ask about our oxtail ravioli several times before it was brought to our table an hour and a half into our meal.
When Alta tries to stay relatively close to tradition, many of the offerings can be very good and is definitely a place to go to with a group of people that want to whimsically eat drink and be merry. However, the prevalence of too many foams, clouds, and other words for fluffy things on the menu, make detract a little from what has the potential to be a serious place for foodies. For the price (200 for a group of 4 including tax tip, 2 drinks a person and 9 small plates) Alta is a fun place to hang out and take a date or a group of friends. I just wish they would take their food a little more seriously.
B (I may sound vindictive at times but I can see myself going back with the right people.)
Who to take:
The environment and affordability of Alta make it a great place for anyone in their twenties. It would also be fun to sit at the bar, grab a quick drink or two and have a few small dishes before a night on the town. Definitely a good date or party spot, but not necessarily a place for devoted, serious diners.
64 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10011
between Fifth and Sixth Aves.
212-505-7777
The other day my friend Aaron and I found ourselves sitting in a bar just south of Union Square looking for a place to meet some friends for dinner. We wanted to go to a place that was relatively informal, that neither of us had been to before and one where the food would be generally accessible by even non-adventurous eaters. (Aaron wouldn’t let me pick Momofuku.)
After some deliberating and browsing through New York Magazine, we decided on Alta. We wanted a tapas style meal and he wanted a place where they definitely served Sangria. After he called to make sure the delicious, fruity wine concoction was available (it was!) we made up our minds.
From the outside, Alta appears to be a non-descript neighborhood bar, located on the south side of West 10th street just off of 6th avenue. You’ll miss it if you’re not looking for it. However, once you walk in, the dimly lit narrow bar room that precedes the main dining room exudes energy and ‘trendiness’, with patrons sharing small dishes and drinks in what aspires to be a Tapas setting. This is definitely a place to take a date.
While the plates are small, and the cuisine is semi-Spanish with sides of Marcona almonds, and the words ‘Piquillo,’ ‘Aleppo,’ and ‘chorizo’ scattered all over the menu, the food is a bit too fussy to be traditional Tapas. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Of the several dishes we tried several were delicious, some were good, and a few didn’t quite work.
When head Chef Harrison Moshler keeps his dishes uncomplicated, and lets the flavors of the ingredients come out on their own, the food really shines. The shredded pork with 40 minute soft cooked egg helped fulfill my pork craving for the night while the soft cooked egg added just enough extra richness without going over the top. A dish of perfectly seared sea scallops over an artichoke puree with yuzu mayonnaise, balanced textures and tastes perfectly. The crispy brown scallop top contrasting with the artichoke puree and the acidity of the yuzu mayonnaise providing enough spark to really open up the taste buds. The tuna tartare with macadamia nuts, hearts of palm and chorizo was also a real winner. The crunchy macadamia nuts and hearts of palm differing just enough from the soft fattiness of the tuna to distract you from its deliciousness, only to make it taste so much better when you finally come back.
Crispy Brussels sprouts were not bad for what they were, but instead of crispy, the chef might have been more informative had he used a word like charred or a phrase like burnt into unidentifiable blackness. Nonetheless, the apples in the dish made it manageable. It’s not something I would order again though.
Some dishes however, were perhaps a little too ambitious. Tuna tataki, cantaloupe cloud, marsala caviar, prosciutto flakes, and toasted hazelnuts seemed to lack any sort of identity, the ever growing ‘cloud’ of cantaloupe devouring and overwhelming the too delicate prosciutto flakes and the seared tuna. Do we really need ‘clouds’ of cantaloupe? Is crème fraiche ‘foam’ really necessary? If it is, they actually have two kinds. Why stop at crème fraiche foam when you can also have the ‘crème fraiche-verjus’ as offered with crabmeat cannelloni. I was given so much information about every menu item except for one. What might be in the “Philadelphia Truffle Surprise?” Cream Cheese and truffles? Truffled cheese steak? I couldn’t quite figure it out and wasn’t about to ask our absentee waitress about the contents.
In fact, the service left something to be desired. The food wasn’t really served in any sort of logical order and we had to ask about our oxtail ravioli several times before it was brought to our table an hour and a half into our meal.
When Alta tries to stay relatively close to tradition, many of the offerings can be very good and is definitely a place to go to with a group of people that want to whimsically eat drink and be merry. However, the prevalence of too many foams, clouds, and other words for fluffy things on the menu, make detract a little from what has the potential to be a serious place for foodies. For the price (200 for a group of 4 including tax tip, 2 drinks a person and 9 small plates) Alta is a fun place to hang out and take a date or a group of friends. I just wish they would take their food a little more seriously.
B (I may sound vindictive at times but I can see myself going back with the right people.)
Who to take:
The environment and affordability of Alta make it a great place for anyone in their twenties. It would also be fun to sit at the bar, grab a quick drink or two and have a few small dishes before a night on the town. Definitely a good date or party spot, but not necessarily a place for devoted, serious diners.
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