This is a must-try! The ambience may be a tad sombre compared to some of the other meatpacking institutions next door, but the food does not disappoint at all. They split the dishes beautifully before serving them, so don’t be shy of sharing dishes during the meal – you get to try more dishes this way. The raw Yellowtail is delicious and really nice and light for an appetizer. Follow that up with the Basil and Tomato Spaghetti – the surprising super-simple house recommendation, but delicious nevertheless. The fish are all popular, we tried the Wild Striped Bass – was delicious too! Don’t make the mistake of simply walking in – reservations are a must..
Location: Meatpacking
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://www.scottconant.com/restaurants/scarpetta/new-york
Rating: 9/10
This place is electric on Saturday nights. There is an upstairs and downstairs which I always like. The lighting is colorful and dim and it has a tavern-like feel to it with cloth wall hangings and the brush-stroked paint on the walls. The tapas and wine is incredibly good. I especially recommend the Pollo Al Ajillo (garlic chicken) and but the one thing that is just supremely good is the Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes). I had two plates. The sauce is creamy and spicy and coats the potatoes in the most delectable way. Next to a red wine and some amazing meat tapas and in the midst of the buzzing Mission district, the dining experience is positively delightful. You have to go out and make a night of it after this dinner. Spicy potatoes at Esperpento = $4.50 … gotta do it.
Steak And Potatoes burrito in A Chile Colorado Sauce and a cantaloupe agua fresca = $8.00 … so incredibly worth it, its not even funny. What I love about El Metate is that it combines tacqueria prices with great ambiance. They have lively deep rust colored walls and small Mexican ornaments arranged throughout the restaurant. There is a large area with wooden tables to sit inside and a small outdoor seating area. The burrito itself, you can tell is made with fresh ingredients and is not the size of a small cow. And the cantaloupe agua fresca is the perfect drink to go along with it. I havent had a more wholesome satisfying meal for under 10 bucks.
2406 Bryant St @ 22nd
August 22, 2010 – 8:49 pm
Categories: Casual, Child friendly, Good for large groups, mexican, restaurant, san francisco, Uncategorized
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Tagged area, bay, bryant street, burrito, cheap, mexican, san francisco, tacqueria
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Tucked away in Castro is this Indian eatery that has mastered the art of elaichi chai. The small tables outside on the sidewalk are a stroke of genius. The chill in the cold San Francisco evening air is sweetly uncomfortable enough to make the chai-sipping experience be reminiscent of Delhi winters. The thorough Indian will while away the early-night hours at the street corner of 18th and Noe for the sake of nothing but banter. The nonchalant pastime that is the definitive mark of a desi. The setting of this fragment of Indian soul in the midst of quaint San Francisco charm is what gives rise to the magic. Elaichi chai at Kasa, $2.50 … paisa vasool.
De Santos was the underdog. A disturbing last minute find on Opentable with a table available for 10 people for dinner on a nice summer weekend in the city..even more disturbing: it had time slots open at 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm, 8:30pm, 9pm…(any NYC habitant will tell you that it is a Herculean task to make such a reservation at a popular spot). Walking into the near-empty dining area that evening only added to our despondence..so there was only one way to go from there – UP. De Santos is quite charming on the inside, with a really attractive garden at the back of the restaurant too. The appetizers lifted our morale – the baked asparagus with melted cheese was delicious and the tuna tartare was fairly good too. In the main course, you can skip the Spinach Fettuccine with shrimp – it was a bit too creamy with little curry flavor that I am not sure jives well with shrimp anyway. The Trofiette (mushrooms, spicy italian sausage and shallots) fared better. Among the desserts, the Belgian Chocolate / Nutella crepes were delicious. So it was a case of underpromise and overdeliver…similar to the U.S. football team’s showing during the World Cup this year. The wins were upside, and the losses were expected. The emptiness in the restaurant may get to you though..So not sure I feel safe recommending De Santos…
Location: West Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://desantos.com.mx/pages/galeria/de-santos-ny.php
Rating: 7/10
Pic courtesy acuriousmonogram.com
Bottomline: if it wasn’t for the museum, and if it wasn’t for the windows, it wouldn’t have been special at all. Robert, perched on the 9th floor of the Museum of Art and Design, has floor to ceiling windows in one part of the restaurant that offer panoramic views of Columbus Circle and South West Central Park. But if you aren’t seated at the 5-6 vantage points in the restaurant, you may walk out feeling disappointed at not having the unique dining experience you signed up for. There are several other things going for Robert’s: live music (piano), 8 floors of eccentric museum art below that you can browse before dinner (the museum is open till 9pm on some weekdays), interesting cocktails, a full wine list, curious chairs, lights etc in the restaurant…it’s a lot of things going for Robert’s, but it isn’t the food per se. The food is alright, but doesn’t merit Robert a recommendation on that basis alone. We tried the green salad, Orecchiette with lamb (definitely have had better elsewhere in the city), and the fettuccine with mascarpone and vegetables (tasty, but you risk overdosing on cheese!). We were told the scallops are very popular, so you could give those a try. So, browse the museum before heading up to Robert and fight tooth and nail for a table by the window and you will think you got your $$$s worth!
Location: Columbus Circle, Upper West Side
Cuisine: American Nouveau
Website: http://www.arkrestaurants.com/robert.html
Rating: Ambience 9/10; Food 7/10
Barbuto is located right on my favorite block in NYC – one block off the picturesque stretch of the west side highway, a couple of blocks from the nerve center of meatpacking, in the heart of the serene west village – it just can’t better. Barbuto gets high marks on ambience despite its unpretentious interiors. Usually packed on weekends, the restaurant has a lively buzz to it and the 2 block separation from meatpacking lends a little more of a relaxed feel which is a good balance. The food is really great too. The menu changes often and has changed since I visited Barbuto, though the scallops were some of the best I have had and highly recommended. The gnocchi was good too though the carbonara wasn’t exceptional. Overall, definitely worth a visit.
Location: West Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://barbutonyc.com/
Rating: 8.5/10
Barbuto (pic courtesy Nymag)
I can either stubbornly stick to my guns or humbly admit that my good friend, Arjun, has annoyingly managed to shake my faith in my all time favorite Dim Sum restaurant in NYC (Dim Sum Go Go). Just that Mandarin Court could give me a few moments of doubt about Dim Sum Go Go’s unshakable top notch status in my books speaks volumes of this place! Its dim sums on the cart vs. the a la carte system at Dim Sum Go Go..which is admittedly, more fun in a large group. Everything is fresh and piping hot…the chicken and shrimp noodle rolls are great as are all the steamed dim sums. There is also fried rice, some greens and other fried/pan roasted dumplings on the cart that are delicious. The narrow, congested lanes leading to Mandarin Court will test your determination to get there, but the restaurant itself is squeaky clean and large enough to avoid long wait times. And the beauty of Chinatown – no matter how much you stuff yourself, you will hardly ever pay more than $20 per person. Brace yourself for some serious communication issues though..everything suspiciously is “pawk” (pork) or “not pawk”. You need to keep the faith and hope that you didn’t consume anything you didn’t mean to while your original order was lost in translation!! Not sure I am a convert at this point, but Mandarin Court does give Dim Sum Go Go a run for its money!! (And Arjun, you can stop gloating now)
Location: Chinatown
Cuisine: Dim Sum / Chinese
Website: You must be joking! Here is how you can get there:
61 Mott Street New York, NY 10013
(212) 608-3838
Rating: 8.5/10
Mandarin Court (Pic courtesy Nymag)
Dining at A Voce was akin to riding in a NYC cab that was trying to catch all the green lights, then suddenly braking at a red and accelerating again. We walked into A Voce with a slight bias against dining at a large, multi-branch restaurant. In particular, we knew that this location (between a couple of office buildings at the corner of Madison Square Park) is suspiciously convenient for the suit-tie, expense-account flaunting, post-work drinks and dinner crowd. But as we approached the restaurant from the park, the sight of packed sofas on the sidewalk with cocktails being served from a small outdoor bar, was a great start to the evening (racing..green light)! Walking into A Voce, we held our breath for a table outside on the sidewalk, but of course, the expense-account folks had cornered all of them and would probably hang on to them for hours we were told, stoking my pet peeve! The meal began well – the pork sausage with pesto was actually very good (we seemed to have caught another green light)! Next – we asked for recommendations for the main course and were recommended 2 pastas – the Strascinati (almond shaped pasta with sausage and mushrooms) and the goat cheese and prosciutto ravioli. The first one was a major disappointment, with a weird after-taste (a screeching halt at a RED LIGHT) and though the second one did better, not much to write home about. The desserts – the best Panna Cotta I have had in NYC (vanilla with a strawberry sauce)..and so we were off to a green again!
Location : Flatiron
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://www.avocerestaurant.com/avoce_madison.html#/home/
Rating: 6.5/10
A joint review of a cafe and a bakery since the combination of the two is better than the individual experiences. Right across the street from each other, Le Grainne is a charming French Cafe with great crepes, while Billy’s typically has a Magnolia-esque queue for its baked goods! Le Grainne has a really good brunch menu in addition to its lunch/dinner menu. The crepes though tend to be very lean with only typically one ingredient in each..so if you ordered the spicy sausage crepe, the crepe has absolutely nothing in it except the sausage. If you like to bite into a crepe with greens, meat and/or cheese, its better to just order the Crepe Maison (make your own crepe with 3 ingredients). After a bite at Le Grainne, cross the street to Billy’s Bakery. Billy’s is run by a former Magnolia employee which explains the wild popularity of its cupcakes, but Billy’s appears to have more broad based popularity for other desserts too. Try the Key Lime Pie or a slice of the carrot cake. Le Grainne’s recall is more for the cute French cafe feel than for the food, while Billy’s is dessert deliciousness all the way.
Location: Chelsea
Cuisine: French (Le Grainne)
Website: http://legrainnecafe.com/ and http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/index.html
Rating: Le Grainne 7.5/10; Billy’s 8.5/10
Le Grainne
Billy's Bakery
My super-creative, dramatic (and ignorant!) opening for this review intially read “The Pastis of the Lower East Side” but was edited out after I learned that Schiller’s IS from the family of Pastis-Balthazar restaurants! The resemblance to Pastis is unmistakable. So if you are on the East Side, and don’t like the slow ride across the 10 avenues to get to Pastis, this is your Plan B! Visiting Schillers for brunch, I tried the signature Eggs Hussaard (poached eggs with ham, tomatoes, mushroom hollandaise and bordelaise sauce) on what seemed like fried bread. The eggs left me feeling like one would after a huge meal at Shake Shack – really full and guilty of the calories I had just consumed, except with Shake Shack, you always think it was worth it..unfortunately, not so with the Hussard. I might be too much of a conformist at brunch to fully appreciate the mushroom and Bordelaise with my poached eggs..so you could give them a shot with an open mind! The omlette with the goat cheese and herbs though was great, as was the French Toast. The restaurant is child friendly, good for large groups and the ambience is usually abuzz without tripping into “loud” territory. Worth a visit.
Location: Lower East Side
Cuisine: French / English
Website: http://www.schillersny.com/index.php
Rating: 7.5/10
I was determined to try this restaurant the first time I passed by and looked in from the sidewalk. Even if the food tuned out to be awful, the ambience would be worth it. But the food held its own too! For appetizers, the grilled lamb merguez is great. The hummus is good too and is served with a footlong size bread which is delicious by itself. On the main course menu, I enjoyed the Lamb Terra Cotta (lamb kebabs in a light tomato base covered with flat bread and baked) and loved the grilled Branzino. Other grilled options looked very tempting too and included Salmon, Swordfish and Bass. Barbounia always has a lively buzz in the evenings and is definitely worth a visit.
Location: Flatiron
Cuisine: Greek / Mediterranean
Website: http://www.barbounia.com/#pageID=824
Rating: 7.5/10
Sigiri is the classic example of how the most finger lickin’ food in NYC is not cooked in a chic restaurant but in a small cart or “hole in the wall.” This is probably the only Sri Lankan restaurant in the city, and a small studio apartment might put this restaurant to shame with less than 20-odd seats. Its also a BYOB restaurant, which isn’t too inconvenient since there is a wine shop right below. The tiny room gets warm and stuffy so if you prefer to eat in the more spacious and airy confines of your apartment, you should perhaps make this a take out (Sigiri doesn’t deliver). The food though attracts its loyal clientele for its authenticity. A must try is the traditional String Hopper Kothu (spaghetti with veggies,onion,chicken etc.). We also liked the traditional Sri Lankan chicken curry paired with Aapas (thin pancakes). The Aapas are not available for take out so you will miss out on those if you don’t eat in. The biryani is good too, but you don’t get that distinctive taste of Sri Lanka so stick with the more traditional dishes on the menu. This restaurant is the acid test for you to see if you are a devout Asian food lover – if you can survive the long wait time, sit in a cramped space, buy your own booze and embrace the spice in the heat, you have passed with flying colors!!
Location: East Village
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Website: http://www.sigirinyc.com/index.htm
Ratings: Food – 9/10; Ambience – its not about the ambience at all!
Its takes a lot of courage to be a contrarian to a revered NY food guide like Nymag. But here goes before I lose courage: Faustina is great! Colored by the reviews and generally hotel-phobic for dining out in NYC, I was sceptical of the Cooper Square Hotel’s ultra – modern restaurant in the grungy East Village. But the combination of my equally food-obsessed friend, Rebecca’s advice and Scarpetta’s impeccable reputation (same chef) drew me in. And I am glad it did. The outdoor seating is great, as is the high stool seating in the bar and dining area. It is a very large restaurant so you can count on Faustina to get you last minute reservations for a large group even on a Saturday night like they got us. (But no – the good review is not out of gratitude!). The Stromboli (bread) with proscuitto & smoked mozzarella wrapped inside was probably the best thing we ate all night. The beets were nice, but not a must try, especially if you are the kind of person who takes 15 minutes to get over the fact that you are paying to eat beets! In the main course, we were recommended the mushroom ravioli since we wanted something light – it came in a deep bowl with so much frothing that you would wonder if it was a giant cappuccino but was really delicious – and very light. We tried the seared scallops too – delicious again. Don’t get anxious about saving space for dessert – the panna cotta is better at several other restaurants in the city, and the banana tart (caramelized bananas with gelato) bordered on a bit sour. Bottomline: its me vs. Nymag on this one!
Location: East Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://www.faustinanyc.com/
Rating: 8/10
Son Cubano makes heads turn as people pass by the restaurant in the meatpacking district – its the strains of live Latin music, the eye catching Cuban interiors and the really loud crowds inside. The cocktails are quite different – my favorite was the Bellito (a mix of Bellini and Mojito), though the Mango Mojito was a bit too spicy for me. There are several small plates on the menu, with the Shrimp Ceviche being the most memorable one for me. We were recommended the Empanadas, which you could skip, and the Croquetas, which were good, but very heavy. The scallops are tossed up with plantains and in the dim candlelight, its hard to tell them apart. So if you wear your dislike for plantains on your sleeve, you may want to spend a few minutes picking the scallops out before the regrettable bite into a piece of plantain!! Among the large plates, the Traditional Cuban Chicken is good. Overall, the food is ok, not great. The live music does get a bit loud and some tables welcomed the reprieve when the live performers took a break and lighter music came on the sound system. So go to Son Cubano if you want some good cocktails in a casual setting, decibel levels don’t bother you and you have some curiosity about Cuban food. Don’t go to Son Cubano expecting the food to create a lasting impression or expecting to sustain a meaningful conversation with someone and you won’t be disappointed.
Location: Meatpacking, NYC
Cuisine: Latin / Tapas
Website: http://www.soncubanonyc.com
Ratings: 7/10
Cafe Noir is one of the exceptions to my rule of never repeating a restaurant. And I’m guilty of multiple visits to this longtime Tapas favorite in the heart of Soho. Seriously good sangria, a rustic and inviting Mediterranean ambience, great music and pleasant service – are all icing. Also, it is surprisingly easy to make reservations for large groups even at short notice. The spicy lamb meatballs and shrimp & spinach gratin are my top choices, though you can’t really go wrong with the order here. Also try the croquettes, Moroccan pizza, the Merguez, and the paella. After a few pitchers of Sangria and several tapas, you can roll over to Naked Lunch – don’t let the name mislead you! – its a regular bar and lounge right next door that plays a lot of classics and you are guaranteed to hear more MJ and the Jackson 5 here than any other bar in the city! Just the right recipe for a nice evening out.
Location: Soho, NYC
Cuisine: Moroccan / Spanish / Tapas
Website: cafenoirny.com
Rating: 8/10
With its formal chic interiors, Apiary seems a bit out of place in a block that’s a longtime NYU student stronghold – with a dorm building opposite the restaurant, an AMC cinema across the road and a legendary pub for a neighbor – Pourhouse – packed with loud, screaming fans on game nights, one is struck by the contrast outside and inside this restaurant. This dinner-only restaurant clearly targets a more mature audience than the flip-flop touting students strolling around the block..The lack of default foot traffic might explain why this restaurant is a little empty on week nights..another reason might also be the competition from the multitude of restaurants right next to it – The Smith, Bodhi Tree etc. Whatever the reason, one can’t fault the food! I lived a block away from Apiary for 2 years and visited it a couple of times and enjoyed the food. The menu has changed a little over the years, but the dishes that I liked were the Chatham Cod, Roast Chicken, Morrocan Lamb, Braised Pork Belly and the Green Salad. This is a nice place, and you will enjoy the food but its just not the place you will be tempted to visit multiple times – I would pin that on the slow ambience and the short menu which comprises good, but not very differentiated dishes..
Location: East Village
Cuisine: American Nouveau
Website: http://www.apiarynyc.com/
You shouldn’t go to Artisanal (or bother reading this review) if a) You don’t love cheese; b) you are on a diet or otherwise counting your calories; or c) your love for cheese takes a backseat to eating out in a really lively, fun ambience. If you are still reading and plan to visit Artisanal, then brace yourself for a sinful trip to the holy mecca of cheese-land. Go for brunch (can’t possible take in so much cheese at dinner!), and go in a large group as the numbers will help justify the large order of fondue! A couple of bites down and you feel really full. Take a break, sip the bubbly and restart after a few minutes! Get the assorted cured meat plate and some small hors d’oeuvres like the crepes, but frankly, everything is incidental to the fondue! If you aren’t a fondue lover, get the cheese plate, but really, don’t go to Artisanal if you aren’t a cheese person at all. It’s not the ambience (which is a bit stiff and old school), its not the location (midtown doesn’t lend itself well to a fun before or after stroll around), and its not the other dishes on the menu. It’s the cheese.
Location: Murray Hill
Cuisine: French / Cheese
Website: http://www.artisanalbistro.com/
An address in the heart of the West village. Check. Exposed red brick interiors with a fireplace. Check. All restaurant employees armed with a heavy italian accent. Check. Small cute bar area. Check. All tables occupied even on a rainy week night. Check. Reasonably good food. Check. So even though I just checked all the boxes that qualify a restaurant for a recommendation in my books, somehow it doesn’t all come together at Bellavitae. The restaurant is nice, but not nearly as charming as some of its neighbors in the village. We waited over 45 minutes past our reservation time for a table but didn’t see any gratitude from the maître d’. Some dishes were delicious (pappardelle with lamb ragu) while some others were average (spaghetti with Grey Mullet) and yet others were sub-par (the Arugula salad was dry and the dressing, or the lack of it, couldn’t take away the particularly sour aftertaste of the Arugula). The dessert (cream custard with cherry sauce) was nice and smooth, but not something I’d necessarily remember or go back for. In a nutshell, this one leaves me a little indifferent.
Location: West Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://www.bellavitae.com/
Bellavitae (pic courtesy restaurant website)
Pick the odd one out: Shake Shack, Burger Joint, Ruby’s, DBGB (all burger / hot dog restaurants in NYC). Right answer: DBGB. Why? It is a burger / hot dog joint like the rest. Or is it?? This is touted as Daniel Boulud’s foray into casual dining (he has several other high end restaurants in the city), but its pretty chic going by casual NYC standards! You need to respect German tradition and order a couple of different beers to wash down the meat laden menu! Ask your waiter for a beer recommendation based on how you like it, and you won’t be disappointed. On the food – I tried the sausages – Tunisienne (lamb merguez with mint – loved it) and the Toscane (pan roasted italan sausage – liked it). The DBGB dog is popular too. Vegetarians shouldn’t tread into this hip, glorified burger joint – there is absolutely nothing vegetarian on the menu! A good choice for a large group of friends looking to knock back a beer or two and chat without worrying about decibel levels..its meant to be “downmarket”, but its all relative to DB’s definition of “upmarket” so don’t venture into this one in your shorts and flip flops like you would at Shake Shack or Burger Joint!
Location: East Village
Cuisine: German / Hamburgers
Website: http://www.danielnyc.com/
DBGB
Haru isn’t really the genre of NYC restaurants I like to write out – its a storied chain of sushi restaurants throughout the city, even catering to seamless web users – so there is no dearth of reviews on Haru out there. But I couldn’t omit the restaurant where I have probably had some of the best and most unique sushi in the city. Spice lovers will relish my favorite – Kiss of Fire Roll – white and spicy tuna wrapped around jalapenos and more jalapenos! But the one that blew me away, on sheer creativity, was the Strawberry Surprise Roll – yes, strawberry slices on a sushi roll with small chunks of mango and yellowtail inside! Hard to describe, but safe to say – a must try! Being a very conservative sushi eater, I almost didn’t order it, but thankfully, my curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, this roll is a “special” on some days only and not a menu regular. The seared scallops are really delicious too – and done just right. The perfect fantasy is another specialty roll that’s good (asparagas and avocado) but was overwhelmed by the really distinctive flavors of the other two rolls. By my own admission, I am a Haru regular – on seamless web from the Wall Street location, in the restaurant near Union Square, and have visited the location on the Upper East Side as well – and the consistency in quality is quite stunning. The Upper East Side location also has outdoor seating which makes for a really nice afternoon on a nice sunny day with some cold sake…!
Location: Wall Street, Upper East Side, Union Square..multiple branches
Cuisine: Japanese / Sushi
Website: http://www.harusushi.com/
The Perfect Fantasy, The Kiss of Fire and the Strawberry Surprise Rolls
A small quaint French restaurant nestled in a busy Chelsea block, Gascogne is the best value for money brunch in NYC. For a fixed price of $22, you get 3 courses and a beverage (you can choose from mimosas, a bloody mary and fresh juices). Would recommend the leek mousse as the first course, though the baked mussels are popular as well. The eggs benedict or lamb chops make a great second course and the dessert is a caramel custard. The restaurant is popular for lunch and dinner as well and has fixed price and a la carte options for those. Request a table in the outdoor garden – it is gorgeous on a bright sunny day..but make sure you only go when you have no agenda for a few hours and want to have a relaxed brunch..the 3 courses take time and you may find yourself getting impatient if you had to be somewhere. Good for large groups and child friendly. One of the few peaceful restaurant havens in the city where you will find several single New Yorkers sipping coffee and leisurely reading a book at the table as the food comes and goes…Definitely worth a visit.
Location: Chelsea
Cuisine: French
Website: http://www.gascognenyc.com/
Gascogne Garden (pic courtesy nymag)
June 9, 2010 – 1:07 pm
Categories: breakfast, brunch, cafe, Casual, Child friendly, French, Good for large groups, lunch, nyc
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Tagged Best Brunch Chelsea NYC, Best French Restaurant Chelsea NYC, Cute French Cafe NYC
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There are a few things about L’artusi that are very atypical of a NYC restaurant – with capacity at 110 seats, L’artusi dwarfs its neighboring West Village eateries by a large margin. It also has a seemingly unending 30-seat bar – starting from the entrance and eventually wrapping around a part-open kitchen at the back end – and a walk in wine cellar thats closes down to convert into a charming private room. The restaurant is packed even on weekdays till late into the night, and you might suspect the draw is the ambience, the wine list or the bar, but truly, its the food! Cut to the chase – probably the best gnocchi in town. The pastas are good too -the Cavatelli with spicy lamb sausage and swiss chard is really good. Oops – I cut to the chase a bit too fast – forgot to mention the starters! Start with the cheese selection – if you don’t know whats good, just ask for a recommendation – we got a very good one! Also try the “Crudo” scallops if you are a raw food enthusiast or sushi/sashimi lover. The portions are very manageable, and you may even want to pile up on the starters if you were starving before sitting down at the table! Good for large groups, private parties, formal dinner meetings (the second floor is quieter), or even a drink and/or a meal at the bar – this one can fit any order!
Location: West Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://lartusi.com/
L'Artusi Bar Area (Pic: courtesy L'Artusi website)
The menu at Sushi Samba can easily offend Sushi purists with Filet Mignon and Kobe Sliders interspersed with Sashimi and Teriyaki! The special sushi rolls in themselves have a fusion twist..my favorites are Maya (shrimp, avocado and…tomatillo salsa!!) and El Topo (salmon, jalapeño, melted mozzarella, crispy onion – and no – this is nowhere close to the Philadelphia roll, but maybe close to a mini fish burger!)..the Bobo Brazil roll with seared kobe beef (naturally!) and lobster rolls are very popular too. The Crispy Red Snapper wasn’t outstanding, but the Guava Martini definitely did the trick! The Yellowtail seviche was good too! Sushi Samba has several branches in NYC, the most lively one for sure is the one in the West Village which is known for its terrace and outdoor seating and lively happy hours. Very unlike the usual sombre sushi dining ambience, Sushi Samba has loud music, fun service, a young and lively crowd which will be more reminiscent of your last visit to a restaurant in the meatpacking area than to any other Sushi restaurant. Raise your hand as a Sushi Samba fan only if you are comfortable losing credibility as a sushi connoisseur! So my moment of truth – when i have to choose between retaining credibility on sushi or just declare my love for Sushi Samba..aahh – have to keep this honest – I LOVE SUSHI SAMBA!!
P.S. – PLEASE still do read my blog posts on other sushi restaurants!!
Location: West Village, Gramercy
Cuisine: Latin American /Sushi
Website: http://www.sushisamba.com/
Sushi Samba, West Village NYC (pic: restaurant website)
Santorini?! Nope. You are in NYC, but the pristine white interiors of Periyali give you the illusion of being somewhere beautiful in Greece..and the good news – the food matches up to the decor! The Mousaka is great, as is the Stripe Bass. The lamb chops are extremely popular too. Good for couples and larger groups, this restaurant also has private rooms which are even nicer than the main area. Quick tip – try and catch this one during restaurant week – unlike some restaurants in the city, this one honestly puts up its best dishes on the restaurant week menu which makes it really worth the visit at that time! Definitely try this one if you like Greek food..or if you don’t!
Location: Flatiron
Cuisine: Greek
Website: http://www.periyali.com/
Periyali (Pic courtesy: nycgo.com)
Another one of those nice, tiny American Nouveau restaurants tucked in the West Village, with a great bar area to hang out in, and good food. I’m not going to say this was a memorable one though..perhaps it was for the cocktails, but not as much for the food. The starter scallops with cauliflower puree were delicious and probably the highlight of the meal. The Radish and Arugula salads were nice too, though didn’t have any special twist that would make them memorable..Skip the Salmon- it was very ordinary..Try the pastas instead – the Cavatelli with house-made pork sausage was good..the Tagliettelle in Pomodoro sauce is pretty much the usual fare but nice if you want to keep it light..the bar is usually packed which lends a lively buzz to the restaurant, but I’m not sure it gets the “devout regulars” some of the other restaurants in the West Village get just for the food… Overall – definitely good, just not great..
Location: West Village
Cuisine: American Nouveau
Website: http://www.employeesonlynyc.com/
Employees Only (courtesy restaurant website)
This tiny bakery packs in a fairly large selection of baked treats that tempt you from the very minute you set foot inside! The average wait (even on weekdays) tends to be at least 15-30 mins and you end up waiting tantalizingly close to the take away/cafe area where the blueberry crumble appears to be calling out to be ordered while you wait!! The view straight into the kitchen from the waiting area doesn’t help either as you watch the massive waffles, French toasts and pancakes being prepared and garnished with the caramelized bananas and blueberry sauce!! The shakes and eggs are great too..the Spanish Scramble was nice, though of course, you cannot go to Clinton St. and not order a pancake or waffle..the other not-to-be-missed item is the house strawberry jam – spread it on the buttermilk biscuit or toast – its perfect- not too sweet, as you will get enough sugar from the other baked goods! Casual, good for small groups and cash only.
Location: Lower East Side
Cuisine: American / Bakery
Website: http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com/
I should really start being critical in some of these reviews, but cannot possibly start with August! Everything – from the glass ceiling garden table, wood fired oven pizzas, the Asparagus Mimosa (its an appetizer, not a drink don’t worry!!), Roasted Striped Bass…-makes me want to break my rule of never repeating a NYC restaurant so much!! The Tarte Flambe is known to be the most popular appetizer, but I would probably not order it if its just two of you – its good, but soaks up too much appetite to enjoy the main course..By the time dessert found its way to our table, I had too much wine and food in me to really relish it, but everything that preceded it was good enough for me to recommend this!
Location: West Village
Cuisine: European
Website: http://www.augustny.com/
August Garden
You will almost certainly miss this one in the West Village. The little stairway down to a basement entrance is difficult to find, even if you are looking out for it. But this one really is a hidden gem..the brunch eggs are very different..and the dinner is reputed to be even better! Try the “Green, Egg and Ham” – the melted leeks are reallllly good. Also go for the breakfast dish with the sauerkraut and poached eggs, though you can skip the Eggs Rancheros..It also has a garden which is open after April. This is the quintessential charming West Village restaurant and it has great food too!
Location: West Village
Cuisine: French
Website: http://www.bobonyc.com/#HOME
Bobo
This one has been a bit difficult to write about..I usually come away from a meal with a few perfect words to describe the experience and then it just flows when I start blogging..but this time, I am searching for the right words.. There is a pretty, beautifully lit garden at the back of I Coppi and a table there makes for a great low-key dinner among a small group of friends or a couple. The food was nice – recommend the Arugula salad and the Pappardelle with lamb ragout – but didn’t have the high recall quotient that some other Italian restaurants have in my mind for the food standalone. The Tuscan bread was passable, and the Prosciutto pizza was nice, but wouldn’t pass muster with the discerning Italian foodie. The desserts (we had the tiramisu and the baked pear and apple) were better than the main course. So – love the ambience, underwhelmed (thats the word!!) by the rest.
Location: East Village
Cuisine: Italian
Website: http://www.icoppinyc.com/
I Coppi (Pic courtesy: Nymag)
