Kobe Club

If eating chic and veneer is your genre, then Kobe is your place. Though the dark and provocative décor; shimmering knives dangling over patrons’ heads as the velvet drapes unveils extra exoticism, you can find yourself with the young and under middle aged crowd. Not for the serious romantics for a serious one-on-one—don’t invite the In-laws. Think of Kobe as a night club with the exception that they serve food. It’s loud, and wants to be louder. Choice of music was extremely poor—not sure if you would like JT’s beatboxing to come with your steak. Plus there were spotted repeats—playing FM radio would have been better.

Went during restaurant week, it was a full house. We didn't mind, Kobe would have been very tacky if there was not a crowd. Would you go to a night club if it was half empty? Didn’t think so.

Kudos to the fries with truffle oil and Parmesan cheese. It was full of crisp and flavor-did not have to dip the ketchup. The complimentary popovers were warm and soft; sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The popovers beat all the free breads from any restaurant I’ve been.

Steak:

You come to the Kobe Club for the steak. We ordered the American and Australian Wagyu filet. Served median rare; the texture was perfect. I was expecting more on the flavor. The side of horseradish sauce did not justify the filet. I was looking for more flavor from the natural juices of the beef. That said, I was missing a lot of 'beef' flavor.

Pros: Good for crowds, impress coworkers that you can dish the cash and be hip?

Cons: Dinner for two during restaurant week had a bill near $200. $ 115.00 for an 8 ounce, you do the math.

Gramercy Tavern

Supposedly the best NYC restaurant and one of the renowned in the country. Indeed a tavern decor with comfort classiness. A warm welcoming feeling as you walk through the rustic furnishings. Nothing over the top or pretentious. Surely it was an over the top urban bill for a rustic setting. But the wait staff was highly knowledgeable and attentive. Food and service were impeccable.

Details were on every dish; playing with the palate. I found many inspiriting ideas. Gramercy is the reason why aspiring chefs go to culinary school, so that they can work for the best and emphasize the importance of technique and combining skills to creativity. Instructions were embedded in every dish and carefully executed.

Two person for the three course selection, $82:

Handmade Pappardelle beef ragù and scallions

Smoked Trout sunchoke purée and pickled onion vinaigrette

Rack of Pork & Braised Belly baby turnips and Adirondack blue potatoes

Tilefish Cauliflower and Heirloom Beans

Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding cacao nib ice cream

Coconut Tapioca passion fruit & coconut sorbets, passion fruit caramel and cilantro syrup


Pro: Ask as many questions, it comes with the steep bill.

Con: Expect to fork out two Benjamin’s on a dinner pre fixe for two. (And that's modest)


Gramercy Tavern 42 E 20th St New York, NY 10003 (212) 477-0777

Le Cirque

Dined in the cafe, and with high expectations come very high disappointments. Perhaps service is top notch in the dining room but certainly not in the cafe during Restaurant Week. I dislike how restaurants discriminate their patrons during Restaurant Week. Since when does ordering from the prix fixe menu make you inferior and thrown in the secondary “bourgeois cafe room”? Certainly I felt like a lesser citizen. Aside from the non- existent high caliber five star service, the food was weak. Yes, I said weak. The dishes were a miss. The creme brulee was mass-produced; an unsatisfying piece of supposedly goodness.

I was not excited nor thrilled by the place (though, I was impressed by the many different utensils). Most of the time, I was looking forward to the check. Le Cirque is fancy yet boring. It’s for the desperate middle aged who hasn’t made his/ her first million; envying and trying to fit in with high society. Its pretentiousness extends as far as those celebrity head shots hanging by the hall to restroom.


Le Cirque : 150 E 58th St New York, NY 10155 (212) 644-0315

Dokebi

If you're in Bklyn and craving for Korean BBQ or just Korean, head to Dokebi in Williamsburg. It’s the only Korean restaurant in the neighborhood, hence crowds and waits are often. Very good for groups of friends to eat and chat. Unlimited kimchi and sides, though tiny in portions. Roomy wooden bench seating on the right hand side of the restaurant. There's a bar at the back of the restaurant, lots of space to hang around.

Food:

Seafood scallion pancake was small not much seafood plus not as crispy.

Nakji Bokum (spicy, baby octopus, veggies & noodles) on a sizzling plate (14): Ruby red dish and spicy. Good amount of octopus to balance the heat. Well sized portion. Repeat: Spicy.

Bibimbahp choice of toppings, served w/ vegetables, fried egg and chili sauce over rice with beef (10): typical fried rice but with a sizzling stone bowl for $2 extra. You do get a sunny side up egg, where the yolk is still smooth. Other than that, its fried rice.

If you can't make it to K-town, try Dokebi. Food here is more carefully prepared, though less flamboyant and bustling than K-town.



199 Grand Street (between 1st St & Bedford Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 782-1424

Marlows and sons

A European feel with all the imported goods displayed as you dine by them. After dining here several times, it is always consistent and rarely disappoints. I always find myself ordering their pressed sandwiches and raw oysters. Known for their oysters, and the demand for them, they are usually fresh. The scene is hip and yup, and everything in between. The young who come to socialize over wine and olives and the young at heart comes to simply enjoy a quality meal. Portions are more than modest but the award goes to the food. Food is not throw into a dish, everything here is well thought out and prepared. Their toasted baguette, a major plus.

Con: Rubbing elbows; very very easy to ease drop. Busy most of the time: wait time.

Pros: Servers have extensive knowledge of the menu. Good place to bring a casual date. Social scene and well prepared dishes.


Marlow and Sons. 81 Broadway Williamsburgh Brooklyn 11211 (718) 384-1441

Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches

Briefs:

On the go, grab yourself a $5 sandwich. The classic, with a choice of spicy or not--of course I go for the spicy and it was indeed spicy (later heartburn). Despite the unexpected heat, I enjoyed it. The baguette was toasted and the minced meat and pickled vegetables were satisfying. No complaints. It’s not something that will stuff you but you will finish it and feel like it was just right. I wasn't as impressed about the pork sandwich compared to the classic.

Pros: Crispy baguette, can dish out the hot spice

Con: More like a take out. Decor can be better.

Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches: 311 Atlantic Ave. (btwn Smith & Hoyt) Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-855-8838 CLOSED MONDAYS

Bread

Briefs:

Italian made to disappoint. My crispy polenta was buried with welted mushrooms. My polenta was soggy. Despite the poor plating, the polenta was not cooked to any where 'crispy.' It was a heavy plus salty dish. To add salt to injury, melted fontina was slewed on top, making the dish look tacky and very salty. Did I mention it was salty?

As we were about to leave, the people behind us were pleasant Italian tourists, and I wonder if the food ruined their pleasantness.

Cons: There isn't a schooled chef in the kitchen. Questionable dishes and flavor.

Pros: Large glasses for water, good ambiance, dine in the very back of the restaurant.

Bread: 20 Spring St New York, NY 10012 (212) 334-1015

Hope & Anchor

Briefs:

One of the first restaurants to open up in Red Hook, and prides itself for that. The menu ranges from burgers, sandwiches to bistro entrees. The dishes jump from diner food to semi-gastro-pub; on top of that, there are international specialties i.e. samosas, spring rolls, etc. I get skeptical when a restaurant tries to run the gamut on multiple genres. And, I am almost always right when I say: be skeptical. There are rare exceptions—if the chef has the culinary expertise to lead the expedition or simply driven by passion. But Hope & Anchor’s came out short. The multiple cuisines were not a success.

CONS: The lack of depth in the sophisticated dishes
PROS: More room/ space at the back, bar food, enjoy drinks with friends, stick to diner food


Hope & Anchor: 347 Van Brunt St. (At Wolcott St.) Brooklyn (718) 237-0276

Perry Street

Many of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants are hyped. Perry Street is hyped—meekly. Perry Street walks away from the New York City’s pretentious attitude by omitting the flashy frills through simplification. If Simplicity = Modernity; Perry Street = Simplicity + Modernity. Perry Street takes architectural concepts from Richard Meier and reflects the sophisticatedly simplexes into its dishes. This 60-seat restaurant had smoothing and comfortable ambiance—even for Restaurant week.

My party of three took advantage of the pre-fixe (35):

Appetizer:
Nectarine and goat cheese with wasabi on Frisée: Amazing. Who ever thought nectarine and goat cheese go so perfectly together. I was mesmerized by the pairing. The Frisée was nicely seasoned with a light white dressing.

Red Snapper Sashimi lemon, olive oil and crispy skin: neatly sliced fish assembled on a plate of olive oil topped with fried scallions. I liked the sharp crunch from the scallion with the soft lingering sashimi. Good texture contrast.

Entrée: A yin and yang
Red Snapper: served on top of a mint potato mash (on one side of the plate), and cucumber mint vinaigrette on the other. The snapper was perfectly steamed with a soft minty mash potato; this side of the plate was delicate and hearty. On the green vinaigrette side, it was refreshing—robust citrus sour flavor. Great transition from one side to another. The mint on the mash gave a slight preview/ teaser or even an open act for the vinaigrette. Very on point and clever pairing.

Pan roasted Chicken with a tableside bath of a deeply flavored broth made from smoked chicken and studded with corn. The waiter poured the sauce in front of us. The dish was hearty and savory. The semi thickness of the sauce was keenly complemented with the sweet corn. The chicken was cooked on point with a crispy skin.

Dessert:
Chocolate Pudding fresh cream, crystallized violets: Awesome. Violets??? Yes, they were infused in sugar and water and then crystallized in shapes of peanuts. The crunchy and light garnish over the creamy pudding was absolutely magnificent. The violet leaves a wonderful fragrance. This was an extraordinary delight.

Cherry jubilee: served with freshly marinated cherries with sugar, cream; in foam texture, cherry sorbet topped with a thin white chocolate smudge. The components could have worked more collaboratively, I felt the dish didn’t come together nicely. The cherries were deep dark red and heavily marinated with a red sugar sauce. Perhaps the cherries were out of place; even though it was a cherry dessert…

Drinks:
Cucumber Martini Hendricks gin, cucumber, mint: The prefect summer cocktail. Summer and cucumbers go together very very well. The cucumber drink was refreshing and delicate and very fun.

Fresh Homemade Sodas ginger: Nothing beats homemade. Not your typical everyday Schweppes. Ginger is good for you and the Perry’s ginger soda was good. Not overly sweetened and a strong natural ginger flavor. It’s the real stuff.


Whether you go during or after restaurant week, you will find yourself satisfied and culinary enlightened. The dishes are creative and consistently pushing one’s palate by bridging uncommon pairings and flavor into pure matrimony. Perry Street’s not-over-doing-it theme keeps patrons coming back.

Perry Street leaves behind the fanciful, colorful, festive, and stunning décor. What you will be stunned by is how pleased you will be by how little you need for a completely captivating dining experience. Perry Street knows that by being modern, minimal and unpretentious in today’s modern, consuming and exaggerated world is the next revelation.

Lamb and Jaffy in Greenpoint

It was a quiet Sunday night in Greenpoint as we dined outside at the patio overlooking a splendid little garden, and accompanied by the restaurant cat. With just my buddy, the cat and I out in the patio, I felt relaxed and not awkward with all the wonderful space we have inherited for the evening.

> Food

Appetizer: Chicken liver with sausage ($14) was perfect-o. The inkling of having two unrelated and very different components in one plate was phenomenal. Kudos to the chef for pulling it off--so well. The sauce between the two was cohesively savoring.

Next app. was the baked feta with calamata olives in marinara sauce ($8). A disappointment. The feta was on top of a bed of olives and sauce served on a mini cast iron skillet with a side of sliced pitas. The feta was over baked, dryed and unattactively stiff. The skillet was more interesting than the food itself.

Entree: I had the bison burger (10) medium rare- always. I expected much more. The patty was thinner than most similar establishments. In fact the patty's size is like the ones from Mickey D's. I know, you think I'm exaggerating but it was indeed minimal. The presentation was plain; served on an over sized roll with LT without the B, onions and a pickle. Not impressive. But can you expect too much for $10? I did.

The roasted hen (17) made up for the lack-of-a-burger. Half a bird; perfectly roasted with a crisp skin; served with sauteed diced size rooted vegetables and lentils. The dish is definitely suited for the Fall but it was pleasantly good.

LJ is in Greenpoint but don't let the location fool you. Though the dishes are a hit and miss, there's a chef in the kitchen and there are good intentions with every dish--it just so happens that the executions are shaky. LJ is American Nouveau, so basically whatever the chef decides to throw in the menu.


Lamb and Jiffy
1073 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222 between Eagle and DuPont Sts. 718-389-3638

Restaurant Week

July 21- July 25

July 28- August 1


http://nycvisit.com/restaurantweek/

Ricardo's

Food with a major attitude—on the plate and service. Spanish cuisine yet serving what an American steak house does—do not compare to Lugers, please. A fairly new joint and favored by locals who make it their business to look stylized and get loud. The ‘food’ is what makes people coming back, but I would not go that far. True—the dishes are as stylized as your outfit but the rave is slightly over exaggerated. Probably one of a few places in the neighborhood to serve up a trendy and posh meal plus bar. But I came out of this place not having the I-will-come-back feeling. Aside from a huge ego trip from the waiter’s part—who slightly altered my perception of Ricardo’s—I question if the food is as consistent as the repeatable crowd.

I have learned that people may go to a place just for the ambiance and thus deem the food as great—even when the truth is… the food was below sub par. This is what I think the crowd is blinded by the new furniture and decor and sadly losing the sight of the food. Not to say the food was bad—on the contrary, I did not like the ambiance and much preferred the food. Different strokes for different folks. I like to have my own personal space rather than cramped in a row of small tables with other hungry strangers—if unless the food is a must-try. In this case, Ricardo’s was not a must, and was not worth the competitive prices similar to Lugers.

That said, thus; the review:

Angus Empanadas 3 delicious angus beef patties baked to perfection and served with our special sauce ($9). It was a puff pastry wrap; light and flaky. The special sauce tasted exactly like marinara sauce; so don’t brace yourself.

Ricardo Mixed Grill: Grilled PGA Skirt steak, chicken breast, pork and chorizo served with roasted potatoes and garlic spinach ($21). You will most likely bring leftovers. This is a practically big portioned dish.

New York Strip: Prime Angus, bone out, grilled to perfection served with mashed potatoes and mushroom with gralic spinach ($26). Nothing impressive. The sides were not on par, even a diner can teach this place how to make a standard mash. The steak was cooked medium rare how I asked. That was the only thing right.

Lamb Chops ($23): festive and colorful presentation. Grilled to medium well when asked to be medium.

Entrees took very—very long. Waiter was barely neither apologetic nor accommodating —in fact these were his exact words: “the food will come soon, ok!” ‘Soon’ was 40 minutes later, keeping in mind this time was after the appetizer was eaten and plate taken away.

Ricardo’s thinks it has proved itself with its trendy façade and steaks—which are extremely over-hyped by locals who hold so much pride to their neighborhood. Prices are expensive considering the lackluster service and neighborhood. Personally I think for this place to have outsiders coming in, it has to keep a standard for the food turn down the reliance on alcohol from the bar which creates drank and social scene ambiance. Ricardo’s attitude developed too soon to assume it can come close to being a dependable establishment nevertheless a fine establishment.

I didn’t get the hype.


Ricardo’s Steak House. 2145 2nd Ave New York, NY 10029 (212) 289-5895

Bozu

Arrived on a Monday night dined in the patio across from the chef's station. Bozu serves Japanese cuisine and western dishes in a contemporary and electric manner. Most portions are small. Be sure to ask if the dish is big enough to fill you up. The menu was made in a mini binder with no breakdown on whether one page was a starter or an entree. A lot of Bozu comes from the friendly service—If you are not knowledgeable on the Japanese cuisine you will ask (a) question(s) about the menu, in most cases you will ask more than once. If you don't you will probably be stuck on ordering the typical standard sushi rolls. Bozu stands for Japanese cuisine—well at least the staff is. The décor is fun and modern like the accommodating service.


The orders:

Starters were on the recommended chef special which were the salmon tartar and the yellow tail ceviche. Both were incredibly small. But the dishes showed detail on every ingredient and they were well presented. Each mini one was about $10 and can be swallowed in one bite.

The party bomb is an equivalent to a roll but with a different presentation. Rather than have the fish rolled in with the rice and seaweed. The bomb has the rice shaped in a mold, and then goes the fish and such on top of the rice. This is nothing new but it beats the standard rolls in presentation. Nine of these bombs were $19.

On the contemporary page were the pork belly and burger with mash potatoes. I am not a fan of cross overs. It is very hard—and in most cases, can come off tacky when a restaurant has more than one genre to focus on. Bozu tried and failed. Failed in a sense that the western dishes did not live up to its home dishes. The burgers were essentially imperfect meatballs of three with a side of mesclun greens and not buttery and sandy mash. So the burger was marinated by fermented apple and onions but the execution did not make the cut. The pork belly is for those that love to eat the fat and skins besides the meat. Steamed and served in thinly sliced chucks. I would pass if you're keeping tab on the cholesterol and calories.


What makes Bozu running is the energetic and friendly staff. Don’t expect to get full from one plate. Play around and experiment and learn a thing or two.


Bozu 296 Grand St Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 384-7770

Sofrito

This lounge and restaurant is prefect for the loud chatterboxes and endless talkers. Sofrito, which means sizzle, takes Spanish/ Puerto Rican cuisine to an another level—both in taste and presentation. The decor and lighting makes you feel like you're eating in a club (noisy).

The dishes:
Churrasco, grilled skirt steak (medium rare) with oil garlic sauce. The most flavorful and well seasoned $19 skirt steak I have had. It was beyond good—very impressive. A side of tostones were thinner than usual and crispier and tastier than most places.

Second entrée was the Arroz Con Camarones rice with $16 shrimp and black beans; the shrimp were medium to large butterflied. Very filling and very likely to bag the left overs.

The maduros were superb. The plantains were light and fresh in color which meant that they were not overly cooked. Unlike most maduros I have had, these were an exception and my favorite. There were gazed in butter and sugar.

Though the prices aren't like those that you find in a hole in a wall. It is worth the try if you haven't had trendier and flavorful Spanish food. I would not go on any first dates to this place—if unless you both can read lips or can use sign language. Good for crowds who love to be loud.


Sofrito. 400 E. 57th St. nr. First Ave. 212-754-5999

Montclair, NJ

Montclair NJ. Normally I would only review places in the city and those worth commenting on. But it is good to venture out.

I see potential in Church Street. Though when you walk into the place you feel the décor/ design is outdated and contradicts its New American cuisine persona. To be descriptive on the décor: there were a row of booths that resemble that of a diner. Parallel to the booths were a set of burgundy and green fabric tables and chairs—a complete mismatch—which reminded me of a Chinese banquet. I have to say, the restrooms were much better designed than the dinning room.

Aside from the decor, the menu was comprehensive and refreshing. Most salads were organic. I ordered the crab cakes benedict: three 2x2x1 mini crab cake pocks overly breaded served with home fries, poached eggs and a fresh fruit salad. The portion is just right and not overly filling and nicely assembled. Though, I was expecting more crab on my cakes for a $ 14 brunch.

For $10, the Turkey club was well worth it. Instead of mayo, apricot jam was the creative condiment served American cheese, tomato and lettuce and a side of fresh mesclun greens.

I could only wish this place was in the city and it may actually teach some Americana restaurants here how to prep and make better dishes. Many can take a few pointers from this little Montclair on Church Street joint minus the decor.

Church Street. 12 Church Street Montclair, NJ 07042 973-233-0216

Lunapiena

Situated in midtown east, on Third Avenue and 53rd to be exact. With a patio and indoor seating, Lunapiena is for the business types. The typical place to bring your regular clients out and chat. Decor was standard procedure- safe and cordial for a casual business meal. Although the disposal napkins- paper napkins contradict the 'fine' dining claim; hence, this may provoke one to think suspiciously of the validity and lessen one's desire of the 'fine' decor.

Food.
Safe and nothing surprising. Dining here does not require one to open up his/ her gastronomic and exploratory palate. The dishes are stuck in the '80's. Expect the standard dishes e.g. meat and carbs--the 'Italian American' genre. Not Italian. Ordered the special pasta with cut grilled chicken scattered with sun dried tomatoes with a couple of spinach leaves crushed upon a bed of Casarecce. Kudos that it was al dente but on second thought for over 15 an entree, I expected better.

Another order from the special was the fillet mignon. Though I did not sample the dish, I thought it was worth a critique from the presentation. The fillet was swimming in a bath of thick gravy sauce. Disappointing to see a highly expensive cut soaked. Served with a side of roasted potatoes and string beans.

If you are not expecting to be in for a culinary enlightenment skip this midtown white collar trap.


Lunapiena Ristorante 243 East 53rd Street New York, NY 10022 (212) 308-8882

Relish

The outside of the place looks like a retro 70’s diner, but the type of food that is served is New American/ eclectic style with a bold Manhattan price. All the dishes were well thought out and well presented. There is a chef in the kitchen, not just random cooks.

Steamed Mussels White wine, tomato, saffron, ginger and garlic 13.00 served in French Bristol style. The white wine sauce was creamy with micro chunks of slightly undercooked potatoes yet not overpowering the savory taste of the mussels. Served with two crispy slices of baguette.

Grilled Sirloin Burger with fries, onion rings or mixed greens cheddar, swiss, american, blue cheese or bacon add $1, poblano relish add $1. 13.00. My choice was the medium rare cheddar relish burger (lettuce and tomato) with rings on the side—one of the better burgers I’ve had in NYC. The more than half inch thick Burger retained a juicy tenderness of the sirloin. Onion rings came in big sizes and crunchiness—right out of the fryer. Satisfying.

Scallops with lobster sauce over risotto was the Saturday night special. Scallops were cooked just right, surrounded in a bed of creamy risotto with white wine. The sauce joins the delicate seafood with the hearty grain into one savory plate.

The Chocolate Pepsi cake similar to a 3 layered devil chocolate cake. Not too thick, generic yet good.

Overall don’t be fooled by the exterior, Relish has talent and the food are created and integrated with modern skills and technique.

Insider Tip: You can choose from the traditional retro dinning or a contemporary blue lounge setting.

Relish 225 Wythe Street, Brooklyn 11211 At N 3rd St

good enough to eat

The name is deceiving—after dining at this ‘comfy’ and ‘homestyle’ upper west side joint, your common sense and unsatisfied stomach will tell you it was ‘not good enough to pay’--for those inflated prices. I am not ‘hating’ on the 15 dollar per entrée dishes, in fact I’ve been to casual pubs such as the Spotted pig, and dished out 17 dollars for a burger and let me tell you, that was worth 17 dollars compared to the burger at ‘not good enough to eat.’ It would not be fair to compare these two. For one, ‘good enough to eat’ does not understand how to work with the food they put in e.g. unifying different ingredients in one plate.

The lowdown on the dishes:

My order, Pizza with olives and anchovies on focaccia was soggy focaccia—in no way crispy on the edges or on the base, topped with tasteless canned tomato sauce with scattered mozzarella cheese dropped off by whole anchovies and olives. Can I begin how disappointed I was on this 16 dollar pizza. This dish was amateur. The size was not nearly close to a regular slice of pizza from any hole in the wall joint.

Scallops with shiitake mushrooms and breaded zucchini: this was the special for the evening, but the scallops were not special or fresh instead they were rubbery. The whole dish did not come together; the scallops, welted and shrilled mushrooms and soggy deep fried zucchini were out of place and overcooked as if they were three separate bad dishes. Perhaps they all came together for their over-cooked-ness.

To play it safe at any restaurant order a burger. The Burger 8 oz. on a homemade oat roll with french fries, side of lettuce, tomato and pickle with sharp cheddar cheese $14 was the cheapest and merely decent.

Good enough to eat…or is it?

483 Amsterdam Ave (at 83rd Street) New York, NY 10024 (212) 496-0163

Rub BBQ

Originally we were set on Dallas BBQ’s over at Times Square but my sense of adventure for new BBQ sparked me to ignore my mate’s desire and headed to Rub.

It’s a Friday night, the place was packed, and we were seated promptly to a table in the hall by the restrooms— with a side view of peoples’ rear ends at the bar. The seating was UN-dine-ABLE for any night—no less for a full house Friday night. (FYI, the hall to the restrooms were also a waiting area so we were surrounded by vouchers and drunks— many that were in between.

All the food came at once, the appetizer: BBQ Bacon Chunks house cured and triple smoked berkshire black pork belly bacon (nitrate free) 7.95 can not be any fatter and damaging to the arteries. The presentation was god awful, 6-7 chunks of lard, no way crispy nor tasty but flabby served with 3 stingy yellow cut slices of pickle—at first I thought it was a side but it was indeed the 8 dollar app. that was highly unexpected. Very very poor choice.

Under the specialty menu was the Szechwan Smoked Duck the baron goes eastern. It has a little heat and a little sweet (1/2) 14.75. Not bad. Half of duck roasted with the bones cut in the bias. Though, Duck is naturally sweeter than chicken, the skin was marinated with sweet sauce which enforced a shine to the layer. The duck was tender.

The meat platter: Told that the Pulled Pork, and BBQ Beef Brisket was the most popular, I ordered the two meat with two sides of Super Fries and Cornbread for 18.75. The Pulled pork was very straight forward, shredded pork moist in BBQ sauce. The BBQ Beef Brisket was dry and very disappointing and quick bland. I had to pour in more BBQ to the Brisket to pretend that I was not eating Brisket jerky—even jerky retains more flavor. The super fries were surely superbly over fried, there is a fine line between crispy fries from burnt thus hard fries. Cornbread: similar to the ones you make from the box.

After the entrees, who would have thought about dessert????? Deep fried Oreo: Four deep fried dough stuffed with an ‘Oreo’ powdered with sugar. We couldn’t eat the dessert because it was steaming hot. Given our poor seating, and a human barricade by the bar and hungry impatient patricians, I had to push my way through to the counter and pay my bill.

Everything with an ice tea summed to $55 including my most poorly tipped tip. Oh was I 'rub'-bed the wrong way...

Insider tip: Try for a seat in the very back of the restaurant to avoid the incoming traffic and drunks.

Ordered Dishes:

BBQ Bacon Chunks house cured and triple smoked berkshire black pork belly bacon (nitrate free) 7.95

Szechwan Smoked Duck the baron goes eastern. it has a little heat and a little sweet (1/2) 14.75

Meat Platter: Pulled Pork, and BBQ Beef Brisket, two sides 18.75

RUB -Barbecue, Bar Food 208 W 23rd St, New York 10011 Btwn 7th & 8th Ave Phone: 212-524-4300

Deborah

A row of tables aligned in a space proportional to the perimeters of a hallway. The small dining space does not mean small prices. The décor can be compared to any boutique trendy restaurant. The kitchen is situated in the middle of the restaurant where you can pass by as you head to the restroom, and there are seating in the back with tight spacing. The prices are definitely above average, the portions are below average. The dishes are tasty but not satisfying to the pocket. I personally expected more from the dishes for the prices we were paying for. Aside from the excuse that the portions were not large enough (which many may argue to be very weak), the dishes did not show any innovative, avant-garde emphasis nor organic ingredients.

That said, lets dish it out:

Deborah's bbq Glazed Half Duck slow cooked and basted till crisp, served over sweet smashed potatoes $23: With the bone intact, surprisingly sweet plus extra boost of sweetness from the potatoes served in a soup bowl--(very awkward for a serving bowl).

Grilled New Zealand Lamb Kebobs skewered, served on salad of watercress, haricot vert, marinated tomatoes, parsley, red onion and hot house cucumbers tossed in a feta-yogurt dressing topped with crumbled feta $22: I asked for median rare but I got median well instead… part of the reason may be because the lamb were sliced thinner than average kebob sizes. It was practically close to being sliced lamb but in squares.

With these two petite entrees, a glass of red zinfandel that goes well with the duck and 15 percent tip, the bill came out to approx. $80. Oxymoron.

Deborah 43 Carmine St., New York, NY 10014 nr. Bleecker St. 212-242-2606

The Brooklyn Restaurant Week

Come out to Brooklyn for The Brooklyn Restaurant Week starting from March 24 to the 31st. Get dibs on pre fixe dinners for as less as $23 per person.

http://nymag.com/restaurants/articles/restaurantweek/brooklyn/

Supercore Café

Supercore Café

Housing both a contemporary approach to Japanese home cooking dishes and western influenced café menu—sandwiches—by young hip Japanese; the décor was deceiving; no indication of any celebratory Japanese collectables or samurai pictorials; the restaurant could have passed for a French Bristo at first glance. In fact one would not have guessed it was a Japanese restaurant without looking at the menu posted outside.

Expect no California roll—no sushi or sushi chef behind the counter making you any sashimi. I got a sense that the owner(s) are very westernized but still carry their fond memories of slow home cooking when their moms are somewhere in suburban Tokyo.

Food: In the platter section was the curry beef stew; I can not say the presentation was appealing. The stew was not consistant; I had a very finely shredded beef and discovered big chunks. The texture of the sauce was married in water and clump. The taste was rather different than typical stew; it hinted a touch of bitterness. A strong and distinctive flavor; a dish you either love or can do without. It’s a dish that screams out; I am Japanese! and oh how this reminds me of my childhood. In my case, I exchanged it with my dining companion.

I traded my stew for the chicken-niche ~ (something-to be corrected) listed under the classic Japanese section (I’m thinking why isn’t the stew under here?). There were some very Asian vegetables in this soup dish. But the broth was so sweet that it hardly gave any credibility to the vegetables’ natural sweetness.

Along with the entrees, was also a separate order of the kimchee tofu; it was nothing fancy—a 3x3x3 tofu cube sitting in a soy sauce base topped with kimchee with finely julienned seaweed wrap. One side called hijiha; another version of seaweed, this type was not the green kind but thinner, shorter and black. It takes getting use to.

There goes the dessert, I rarely go for a dessert, but the sesame cheesecake made its way to the table. It was hard—overly crusted on all sides, it was like a sandwich cheesecake but made in a pie form. Clearly it was in the fridge too long; thus, hard to eat.

The tab was not bad; in fact very do-able; similar to the cost of going to china-town and going all out (splurging in C-town). Anyhow for a table for two with a beer came out to $37 not counting the tip. The prices are modest, but Supercore sticks to the traditional Japanese portion control. You come out not overly stuffed but a good feeling that it was “just right.”

305 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211 between South First and South Second. 718.302.1629

The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig

So the idea and the movement of the gastro-pub started with this west village joint. Very well settled place where servers are hip and yet attentive, decor preserves that cute comfort theme and the food…was well- presented but— a bit salty. However, kudos to the chef; she captured an interesting balance of texture.

Food Analysis:

We started out with an appetizer, aka ‘the plate.’ Sheep's Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter & Sage. Gnudi are basically gnocchi stuffed with ricotta in a ball, semi- soaking in a pool of creamy butter and brown-doses-of-contrast and garnished with crispy baked sage to add great texture to the dish. The sage did wonders for the dish, in terms of waking the gnudi’s flavor up!

The entrees arrived. We ordered the house favorites; the two that are almost always in the menu. I ordered the Char-grilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings. Presentation was great; the shoestring potatoes were piled up high. Though the bun was bigger than the burger itself, the patty was cooked just as asked; medium rare. Toped with the patty was a strong dose of Roquefort Cheese. Personally I would have the cheese on the side; the Roquefort was overwhelming the goodness of the meat. Back to the shoestrings, very good, the combination of toasted garlic and rosemary infused into the deep fry of thin laces of potato was smart and very flavorful—yet the salt was given too generously.

Next up was the Grilled Calf’s Liver with Onions and Crispy Pancetta—props to the chef. Who would ever think calf’s liver would make it to an American restaurant—oh it’s a seller. This dish is unique in two ways; one: the calf liver was cooked medium rare which brought out the tenderness and buttery sumptuous flavor, I would say the texture of the liver was playing tricks on my taste buds—highly sensational. Secondly, the crispy pancetta neutralized the buttery liver with a salty crunch to balance that saturated fixation as well as pairing the lovely artery clogging agents with a refreshing, lightly bedded balsamic vinaigrette dandelions. The texture on the liver dish gets high marks, the salt content of this dish gets low marks for its high level of salt content.

For two people, the three dishes and a glass of homemade draft beer (Spotted Pig - Bitter) came out to $80 (with tip). Not cheap, not even close to cheap. It is more like paying for the experience and appreciation of the unimagined edible parts of a pig and ‘good’ and ‘high quality’ ingredients that are placed on your dish (there is detail involved) then perhaps you will find it worth the money.

Sheep's Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter & Sage $ 15

Char-grilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings $ 17

Grilled Calf’s Liver with Onions and Crispy Pancetta $16

The Spotted Pig. 314 W. 11th Street @ Greenwich St. New York, NY 10014 Tel: (212) 620-0393