Proprietors/Executive Chef: James Gersten & Derek Sanders/Akhtar Nawab

Soho– 114 Kenmare Street, New York, NY

the best of the east coast. let’s face it… Mexican food reigns supreme in the west coast.  No comparison.  For the closest version on the East Coast without all the frills, La Esquina does come close… it’s not a fancy, upscale place or anything…so don’t go expecting such.  It’s a little run down, which gives it an authenticated charm that you may be getting the real deal.  Sometimes simplicity is key.  There is almost always a long wait here…so either get here early or be prepared for it.  I think we waited a little over an hour…. hungry and impatience does not suit anybody well.  And for the brasserie downstairs that requires reservation only (3 weeks in advance).  HELL no, I don’t have the patience for that, let alone for a Mexican restaurant.  Sorry, I’ll take my chances for a walk in for their Cafe Menu.  One of these days…. last time I was there, there was some serious partying going downstairs…so I am almost positive they turn it into some speakeasy club after hours…. the music is super loud and people stumble up and down to the bathroom in their drunken stupor.  MAJOR PICK UP SCENE!

SO, there is apparently three kinds of menu…taqueria, cafe & brasserie… Brasserie takes reservations 21 days in advance, and has a more extensive menu than the other two. Taqueria is the most casual menu, where you can order take out or pick up (please note NO ALCOHOL is served).  The cafe sits pretty in the middle…it doesn’t require reservation, and you can walk in and have a nice meal just about any day of the week for brunch or dinner, (WITH alcohol served).  Apparently, that’s what we did.

CHILE PIQUIN GRILLED CALAMARI Smoked chickpeas, roasted cherry tomatoes, lime citronette.

Light, citrus flavors, nice little char on the calamari..not too memorable in the near distance.  What’s up with the chick peas?  Love em’ but they felt out of place.  Maybe pureeing them would have offset the textures a bit better.

TOSTADA DE CANGREJO lump crab meat, mango, tomato, chipotle mayo

Really good.  Probably the one thing I savor when I come back.  Not too heavy on the chipotle mayo…interestingly the mango and tomato round out the acidic and sweetness.  There was plenty of the crab meat.  I was really surprised I liked this…but I did.  The perfect little juicy bite.

QUESADILLA DE HUITLACOCHE mexican truffle, roasted corn, epazote, mushrooms, queso oaxaca

Never mind what the mushrooms tasted like, with truffle and cheese mixed in there….you can mask anything!  No seriously, pretty tasty.  Roasted corn gives it a nice, varying sweet texture..so it’s just not truffle and cheese…. which is about every other f*ing restaurant in NYC.  I’m a hater… I still love it…but truffles ARE highly overrated in my opinion.

ELOTES CALLEJEROS grilled local corn

Can you f*ck up on corn?  Sure if it was soggy & way too much mayo.  For simplicity sake, I prefer without mayo, and tons of parmesan cheese.  Even I’ll admit, this was good.  But seriously, my version is better.  If you’re thinkin’ where’s my invite?  Yeah, reserving for special people only.

PESCADO grilled skewered market fish, shredded cabbage, red onions, salsa verde

My least favorite item on the menu.  Good, but not great and by any means memorable.  To strongly reiterate the point to dear friends and family, I can make better fish tacos at home using fresh ingredients.  The key is all in the ingredients and making sure it’s finely chopped up.  I really don’t understand the concept of putting cabbage and mixing it with fish. I want cilantro, parsley, FRESH HERBS and jumping jalepenos! Maybe it’ll burn your mouth!  Add some pico de gallo! Avocado!  Liven that taco up! With all exceptions, and I do have one…is Rockaway Tacos…So moral of the story is… STICK to the carne tacos folks (aka pulled pork and other fine meats).

Food For Thought…Shoulda, coulda, would’ve…. gotten the ceviche…but was silly stuffed.  And while I may be a “hater” of Mexican food, I do crave a good fish taco, grilled corn, Et cetera more recently than ever… so I suppose I have warmed up to the concept of it… It only took me 4 years since I moved from DC to NYC.  And even then, I bet you, it could only be love if I ever moved South/West.  I have spoken…yes, giving myself hints, that I will come back to La Esquina… or another eatery like Empellon and order weird sh*t like veal tongue tacos.  Facial expression?  *YUM!

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Nicole Ponseca, Enzo Lim and Noel Cruz/Miguel Trinidad

East Village – 111 First Ave, New York, NY

Quite Homey & Cozy..yeah sure, I think I’ll take my shoes off.  Nothing fancy here…but that’s all part of the charm.  There’s something so comfortable that brings immediate nostalgic memories of your dad sitting in the living room, with those old school TVs before the plasma days…and the remote control still wrapped in plastic.  YES, plastic.  I’m talking about THOSE days.  Those days are not forgotten.  the space is a bit on the tighter side…and for that, my preference would be bar seating.  Absolutely bar seating.  The bartender was so nice and off the rocker, I thought he would almost jump off a cliff for us.  Generous and big-hearted.  You can tell the type.  He was excited to describe all the goodies that came out…and you can tell there is some serious passion there.

if you haven’t guessed…it’s Filipino food. pure and authentic.  I have tried a few in the city, and this is the BEST yet.  I haven’t tried kuma inn yet… but I don’t know.  maharlika is sitting pretty top notch for me.  i need to explore more to prove to me otherwise.  The menu is pretty meat intensive, from appetizers to main entrees…so . As a side, we got what seems to be an eggplant dip.  So for all you vegetarians,  there is a plentiful list of vegetable side dishes that can compliment the fried rice.  Filipino food in particular is very heavy & rich… with native dishes like the sizzling sisig dish, combining 3 pig part of ears, snout & belly, grilled and sauteed.  Unfortunately, they ran out that day?????  So we settled for another pork dish, Tapsilog.

Puqui Puqui.  Roasted, puréed eggplant, tomato, sibuyas

It’s that simple.  I heart eggplant. It felt naked without any pita bread though.  And eating it with rice, is just plain strange.

Tapsilog. 7-up cured pork tenderloin w/ garlic fried rice & egg on top

Good…but the pork was quite salty, so wish the rice to meat ratio would be 3:1

Kare Kare. Oxtails braised in peanut butter with long beans, bok choy, eggplant

Simply divine. More so if you like peanut butter, because the sauce itself is killer over rice.  The oxtail was braised long enough to be super tender.  Very thick & rich.  Highly encouraged to eat it with white rice.

Bravery sometimes comes at a cost…That day, I was not brave enough to try their balut (fertilized duck egg).  Which is fine by me…. at $4 a pop, I think they should be paying customers to task them the challenge to finish it in its entirety.  Growing up, my mom LOVES eating fertilized duck eggs with Vietnamese Coriander (rau ram), which we call hot vit lon.  My mother, being the sweetheart that she is (half sarcastically smiling) would always give me the yolk … the actual half of the egg that has been incubated….The other half, (embryo) can vary anywhere between 16-20 days.  So if you’re lucky to get an older egg, you will see a beak, some feathers and bones really developed….OH, my line of vision can’t handle it…much less my stomach…   I think the only reason why I eat this is for the Vietnamese Coriander dipped in salt and pepper.  Such were the simple days…  Maybe one day, courage will strike and find me again.

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Phil Suarez, Jean-Georges Vongerichten/ Dan Kluger, if you didn’t know, you can leave my blog.

Flatiron – 35 East 18th Street, New York, NY

Farm to table concept…this is not new by any means…and it’s become quite the trend in the city. do you know what’s on YOUR plate lately?  I’ve become a huge supporter of all things organic, as long as the end product taste fresh. ABC Kitchen does just that.  Since I have been here for lunch, brunch AND dinner, I think it’s about my time to do my due diligence… and give this place a proper review.  Two thumbs up Mr. Vongerichten.  Well done.  One of Jean-Georges better restaurants in the city…. for SURE.  Well, aside from Jean-Georges…obviously.  ABC Kitchen is extraordinary in space and overall, designed with simplistic beauty in mind.  I love it.  And also the restaurant’s commitment to providing organic and locally sourced ingredients is also very admirable.

first things first… for lunch there is a reasonable prix-fixe for $32, which is what we precisely did one lovely afternoon. Otherwise, it’s a la carte for everything else.  The menu is split up into various sections: market table, appetizers, pastas & whole wheat pizzas & entrees.  (For brunch, you will get options for salad & sandwiches and dinner will have a more extensive listing for pasta & pizza options).   There is a ton of variety, so you are not just limited to full entrees.  I like the idea of being able to share the appetizers and market table (small plates).

• Beets w/ homemade yogurt.  Fan-flipping-tastic.  I love beets…and the yogurt had a refreshing acidic smoothness.  I opted for the
• grilled portobello sandwich with arugula, Parmesan & lemon mayo
• Tomato, mozzarella & basil wheat pizza
• Chicken Liver Toast
• Crab Toast
• Arctic Char
• Akaushi Cheeseburger

Their pizza is good, but too healthy…so nothing special.  Brunch and lunch were my favorite.  Highly recommend the toasts… you can’t go wrong.   Dinner was also good…but I should have ordered something else aside from the arctic char.  The more I order arctic char, the more I begin to realize how much I just don’t like this type of fish.  I hate cooked salmon and not a fan of trout, and arctic char resembles each fish.  I was in the mood for fish, and unfortunately I think this was the only viable option.  On the flip side, the akaushi burger was good though, mounds of cheese on top!  My only criticism?  You got it… some of the items (smoked salmon) were indeed a bit salty.  Better watch that hand sous chefs….Overall, impressed with the variety of fresh ingredients used… simple, clean flavors that beautifully meld together.  This place is worth coming to and if only

smoked salmon w/ potato roesti, creme fraiche & grated horseradish

chicken liver toast

crab toast w/ lemon aioli

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Josh Pickard, Luke Ostrom & Andrew Carmellini/Jason Hua

South Village – 131 Sullivan Street, New York, NY

it’s not really in the name… it’s not a Dutch restaurant…on the contrary, it’s quite Modern American and so is Andrew Carmellini.  Though, based on his website, he claims to be into French & Italian (hence the birth of Locanda Verde).  I don’t know if you can do justice by cooking all three different types of food equally, but I guess it takes a man like Carmellini to at least want to try.  Am I hating?  Absolutely NOT!  Just an observation, and I know for a fact I’m probably not the only person thinkin’ it.  The man has been genius so far in all of his endeavors.

can you get back on topic please? oh right, the Dutch.  it’s one of the buzzing, trendy “it” restaurants in the city at the moment and a good friend of mine (Jason) is the executive Chef there.  Without being completely bias, I have been here on two occasions, once for dinner and once for brunch.  I can tell you that I enjoyed BRUNCH ten times as much as I did dinner…and here’s why.  For dinner … I should have gotten the little oyster sandwiches as everybody and their mothers have been raving about them.  More reasons to come back… but I wanted to keep it simple and chose the branzino.  the jalapeno corn bread is a nice touch/choice for a bread basket.  Genius.  The fish was perfectly cooked, but it was overly salty.  Salt has apparently been my nightmare.   Rule of thumb…you can salvage an under seasoned dish…but once you’ve over salted the food, it’s completely destroyed.  I didn’t want to hate it…but it was just so salty.  Otherwise, all the flavors were beautifully melded together.  Too bad Chef Jason wasn’t there for me to bitch at him… because I would have respectfully and courteously done right by him.

Brunch on the flip side was a much more memorable experience.  3 Keys to my heart?  Sweetbreads, beef tongue & tripe.  These are the same three things I don’t eat nearly enough in my every day life.   Good mix of brunch options from sweet to savory.  Or, go the seafood route.  They use Stumptown coffee which is a plus… hearty & bold.  And to top the icing on the cake… we also ended it with two amazing desserts.  (Yes, I said two… don’t judge, I JUST came from YOGA OK?!).  Not just a solid meal, but over the top.  The Dutch exceeded my expectations and so much more.  I am really glad I was able to give it another chance… now I can’t wait to come back!

Two eggs with hominy grits & chorizo.

My gf ordered her two eggs with grits & chorizo… sorry, not nearly as wonderful, full of flavor and overall tasty as mine.  The grits were good though.

Barrio Tripe w/ fried egg & pico de gallo

You can imagine my excitement when I saw Barrio Tripe w/ fried egg & pico de gallo on the menu.  Best f*ing thing on the menu…. EVER…and after having found out that they braised the tripe for over 6 hours…. AH, my delight cannot be contained!  You thought YOU had problems…

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie w/ pistachios

Peanut Butter Ice Box.  Serious deliciousness.

Proprietors/Executive Chef: AvroKO Group/Brad Farmerie

Nolita – 210 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY

The Brad Farmerie kick…while Saxon + Parole is the latest and greatest… let’s not forget about the beloved Public.  On the flip side, I dined here during brunch time, and it was an overall pleasant experience.  Big open space, wooden decor, it’s quite breathtaking actually.  Big enough to host (small) private events in either location.  The restaurant is still able to retain that cozy feel, though it was loud & bustling that wonderful Saturday afternoon when we attended. Public has got an eclectic charm to it, that I can’t quite put my finger on it… whatever it is… I’m hooked.  It’s a fun environment, great for small and big groups.

Gamey menu…while the menu at saxon is more focused on meats & seafood…. the menu here is quite eclectic and primarily focused on gamey meats as their specialty.  For brunch, we started off with a bloody mary that has got a good kick to it.  Refreshing & not too thick (which I prefer), but still good and full of citrus.  The two dishes that caught our eyes are the tea smoked salmon & venison burger.  Venison, being the healthier, leaner choice than red meat… as if this was enough reason you should feel the need to eat healthier…Uh, no.  It actually tasted pretty good, though you can definitely tell it’s a lean meat.  I am even more excited to come back and try dinner.  Every Sundays they are running a special supper $50 prix-fixe for 5 courses…which is a pretty sweet deal.  So why haven’t I taken advantage yet?  Any takers?!?!

Tea-smoked salmon, spinach and poached eggs on toasted sourdough with yuzu hollandaise

Everything was perfectly portioned, but there was just a bit too much bread.  Loved that it was toasted.  Yuzu hollandaise sauce was light, smooth and delicious!

Grilled venison burger on a miso bun with tomato chili jam and cassava chips

Proprietors/Executive Chef: AvroKO Group/Brad Farmerie

NoHo – 316 Bowery Street, New York, NY

Formerly Known As…the beloved Double Crown.  Oh yeah, Double Crown! Everybody knows (and may have loved) Double Crown…adjacent to the speakeasy, Madame Geneva.  A gin bar nonetheless… Under the same ownership, the newly Saxon + Parole is a much coveted New American restaurant, (with a tinge of Mediterranean and North African flavors) and plenty of equestrian decoration.  Named after the two great New York racehorses.  If you are familiar with Double Crown, their food had a  much higher Asian accent.  The restaurant itself is quite gigantic, with an upstairs AND downstairs dining area.  I prefer the top level, as it has more lighting and a bit more livelier.  This is the type of establishment that if I didn’t have my own table, the bar is the next best thing.

what do you get when you mix grilled meats & aquatic delights? saxon + parole.  BUT WHAT THE HELL does aquatic delights mean? Seafood…right.  I.knew.that. My mind was elsewhere…it’s their specialty.  In fact, their bar is pretty damn fantastic too.  Their selection of cocktails are totally worth whatever price it ranges.  Saxon is the kind of place where I would like to lounge my drinking days….I am in love with their cocktails as I am with their appetizers.  I think I could actually live without their entrees…they are good, don’t get me wrong..but I prefer small bites of variety BETTER… esp. when it involves the likes of mousse, bone marrow and a few oysters here and there… The entrees didn’t get me that excited here…but this is a key environment to mingle with friends in low key conversations…. and come to think of it, not a bad environment for first dates either…

Bone Marrow w/ a delightful orange, berry marmalade.

Bone marrow is undoubtedly rich, a little too rich for me, but spread it gently and thinly over the brioche toast and you should be fine and pair it with the marmalade for some textures.

Brussels Sprouts w/ bacon, poached egg & hazelnuts

This is my favorite dish of the night.  The delicate leaves of the brussels, crispy, salty bacon, creaminess of the egg, subtle sweet and nutty  hazelnuts, made for the perfect bite in taste and texture.  I love textures especially when you can hit up all the various tastes in ONE bite. You had me at first bite.

Portobello mousse with whiskey jam & truffles

Second favorite dish of the night.  The mushroom mousse was incredibly light and airy…not too creamy. Decadent in truffles, but not too rich in taste… perfect with the toasted brioche.  So simple yet refined.

Saxon Burger topped with fried egg & bacon.  Toasted sesame bun.

Pretty messy but good.  Accompanied by crispy fries.  Overall, solid.

Saxon’s Burger ~ Up Close & Personal

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Philippe & Maud Bonsignour

West Village – 113 Horatio Street, New York, NY

From the creators of 11th st cafe & Bonsignour..comes a new bakery, bar &  bistro in town.  AND it sits pretty (far) by the west side highway.   no small matter… this place is pretty bad ass and I’d hike lengths to come back to this wonderful new addition to the neighborhood with an amazing view of the Hudson River.  The restaurant itself is very generous, with big open windows, wooden decor (makes you feel all cozy, like in a cabin-type of feel)…and the bar (both coffee and liquor) is massive.  There is something very comforting about this restaurant that makes you feel like home.  this bistro is so versatile, whether you are brunching, having dinner or grabbing a few drinks, you can do it all here at bakehouse, day or night.

All Things French…exquisite, simple, wholesome.  from the coffee to their cocktails to their food…and pastries.  if their goal is to be well-rounded, well, they have pretty much accomplished that.  a gf and i wanted to check out this new spot for brunch…. on the menu, the blood orange Bellini immediately caught my eye.  hard to mess up a Bellini in my opinion, and this one was not too sweet with lots of bubbles… it was just right.  for our entrees, we both couldn’t resist the while mushrooms, asiago & truffle omelette.  Apparently, it was the waitress’s favorite item on the menu.  it was indeed very good… one thing i wished was that it was coupled with spinach, asparagus… ANYTHING vegetables… and also wish there was more asiago… otherwise, it was a whole lot of fluffy egg.  It was at least paired with potatoes and salad.  The highlight was their pastries….. having ran out of the almond croissant… we decided to go with another suggested recommendation– apricot brioche.  The perfect combination of salty & sweet… fresh apricot nestled on top of the smooth, creamy, clean-tasting custard… the brioche is soft and buttery, it literally melted my heart.  The best part?  It wasn’t too sweet, which equals perfection.

now… must visit their p.m. scene and see if it’s worth checking out….

mushroom, asiago & truffle omelette

apricot brioche

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Altamarea Group/Michael White

East Village – 160 2nd Ave, New York, NY

This is Altamarea’s fourth restaurant opening in the city… (marea, osteria morini & ai fiori)… safe to say, I’ve had the pleasure of trying about half of Michael White’s restaurants in the city… so far so good… and you bet your ass that I will finish the list by end of year!!  Marea is up next… Moving along.

All Things Italian… pizza is no exception.  as I am even writing this, I salivate just thinking about it.  Michael White hits the nail on the head with Nicoletta’s concept.  It’s definitely gourmet pizza…so don’t go expecting your traditional NY Style pizza.  The crust itself has a nice crisp texture… it’s not as thick as Chicago style pizza, and maybe a little thicker than your NY style…. seems like we have a bit of a hybrid going on.  you can even customize your pizza here…so no matter what option, PLEASE remember to top it off with garlic oil or Chili oil.  I’m greedy when it comes to spicy food, so I preferred to just have the bottle of chili oil sitting by my side.  The waiter couldn’t help but laugh at my request.  If you are lazy and prefer no reign whatsoever, let them top it off for you…or if you are control freak like me…. ask for it on the side. the restaurant is quaint, and rather charming and yet doesn’t quite feel like your typical pizza joint, except it is… clearly from the wood fired pizza oven.  This place just about one up any regular pizza parlor in the city, but perhaps feels like it would sit well in Brooklyn.

if you are craving pizza…go to Nicoletta.right.now.  it really is that good… nicoletta warms a special place in my heart that i didn’t know existed.  For starters, we couldn’t resist the suppli, (deep fried risotta ball) stuffed with mozzarella sitting on top of a ragu antico (meat sauce).  Super crispy, gooey and all around delicious.  For pizza, we decided to go with the tartufata, toppings consisted of wild mushrooms, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto and chives.  A good portion to share between two people.  Everything tasted so fresh and so hearty, it is worth savoring every bite and every slice.  Pair it with a nice glass of wine and you’ve got yourself a complete and memorable meal!  Fantastico.

Suppli

Tartufata

this can easily be the neighborhood spot… only wished I lived in the village….!

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Joe Bastianich, Lydia Bastianich/Mario Batali

85 10th Ave, New York, NY

another Mario Batali adventure… chef, writer, mr. TV personality & restauranteur.  it’s hard to dislike this guy, who’s been around the world and then some.  and who doesn’t like an adventure?  del posto offers your choice of 3 or 4 course prix-fixe for lunch…. The 4th course is an additional $10 pasta supplement.. and the entire table can only pick 1 pasta dish.  i have mixed feelings on this.. on the one hand, it’s an amazing deal, on the flipside, it just makes me a fat ass, splurging on gluttony after gluttony… and it’s ONLY lunch time.  Well, more reasons to skip breakfast and dinner maybe…. wishful, but doubtful.

does the Batali empire rise to the occasion? well, it sits pretty in Chelsea all the way over 10th ave, right smack outside Chelsea Market.  It’s beautiful and decadent on the main floor as it is on the top floor.  I love the alcove booths atop… seems very private and personal… which I love.  It may feel borderline stuffy, but not pretentious. The waitstaff is amazing, knowledgeable and kind. Courtesy goes without saying….the presentation is undoubtedly stunning.  the food is quite good…but my only criticism is that it’s on the saltier side..  WHY oh WHY must salt ruin food again?!  Still… the food here is pretty good, if they can keep control the salt level.  if I had to rank my dishes I enjoyed the most it would be the following: orecchiette, cotechino, dessert followed by the bass.  In sum, you will have a pleasant meal here, no matter what the occasion is.   can’t wait to come back and try dinner!

Handmade ORECCHIETTE w/ Lamb Neck Ragù, Orange Carrots, Rye Crumbs & Toasted Sage

This MUST be everybody’s favorite.  a.k.a. If you can’t do pasta/Italian right…well then I don’t really understand why EATALY or Batali empire exists.

Warm COTECHINO w/ Lentil Vinaigrette & Dried Fruit Mostarda

this Italian sausage was too good.  there was an abundance of meat, too much is better than not enough, but it was nice sized portion…  the lentils were delicious and the mostarda gave it a nice, rich sweetness to balance the saltiness.

Chocolate Ricotta TORTINO
Toasted Sicilian Pistachios & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato

Thanks to the ricotta… this was one of those “not too sweet and I can definitely enjoy myself”, dessert….. not too rich… lighter than a brownie but heavier than a mousse.  I am not fond of the texture of mousse, so I found this to be delightful.  Plus the pistachios paired iwth the olive oil gelato was absolute perfect.

Black BASS w/ Soft Sunchokes, Wilted Romaine & Warm Occelli Butter

My favorite part about the bass was that it was pan seared on top to give it a thick, nice crisp.. which I loved.  It was drizzled with occelli butter.. And perhaps this dish is last on my list because of the way it was executed.  He poured on too much sauce, and I’m pretty sure it was the sauce that was too salty for my taste buds, not the fish.  And because the romaine was wilted, the lettuce was just drenched in sauce…which made it hard to eat.  The sunchokes were a saving grace, as it was the only thing on the dish that was NOT salty.

Insalata PRIMAVERA w/ della Terra Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Dressing

Bitter HERBS & LETTUCES w/ Truffle Dressing

Torta Carotina

Tartufo