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
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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
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
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
Monday, July 28, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, July 21, 2008
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
> 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.
Lamb and Jiffy
1073 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222 between Eagle and DuPont Sts. 718-389-3638
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)