abc kitchen

flatiron, nyc

website

just north of union square is one of jean-georges' newest restaurants, abc kitchen. the atmosphere is earthy and casual, completely different from any of his other restaurants. the quality of the food is impeccable, as always. unfortunately the price is high, as always. pictured are two of the most expensive doughnuts i've ever eaten. it's hard to tell from the picture, but they're TINY. and the pair cost $9. delicious? yes. outrageously priced? yes indeed. i now turn this blog post over to ... derek! he had the burger. i refused to take a picture because otherwise my blog would turn into "derek eats! burgers!"

D: I like to taste the meat in my burgers. Eric Ripert says that when preparing a fish dish, the chef should “elevate the fish” not overpower or compromise it. The same philosophy should apply to burgers. When we heard that ABC Kitchen had a burger featuring a Pat LaFrieda blend, naturally, I had to try it. Unfortunately, the LaFrieda patty was not elevated. It was still a goo-ey, zesty, and soul-comforting blend of cheese, herbed mayo and pickled jalapeños, but it was merely a tasty sandwich, not a burger. A real burger, in my mind, is what they do at Little Owl or City Hall. A fat, juicy patty enhanced with light, complementary additions (yes, bacon and cheddar can be “light”). That said, the sandwich-with-LaFrieda patty was still delicious. After all, Mr. Vongerichten knows his stuff.

roberta's pizza @ madison square market

madison square park, nyc
(in october)

website

i blogged about madison square market last year, but i have to highlight roberta's pizza, which was new to the market this year. roberta's is in brooklyn, which basically means that derek and i have never tried it. but they have this amazing mobile pizza oven that they bring to madison square park for the month of october to serve fresh, piping hot, delicious, brooklyn-style pizzas to hungry manhattanites.

this pizza was so good that derek and i headed over there whenever we got a chance. it's a surprisingly quick process, you get your personal-sized pizza served to you about 10-15 minutes after you order it. our favorite pizza was topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. perfect crust - chewy and charred. gooey melty toppings. pizza perfection. now that i'm on the west coast, i definitely miss new york style pizza and roberta's was one of my favorites. at least i'll always have this blog post to remember it by.

abc kitchen - juice bar

broadway (17/18)

website

jean-georges runs some of the top restaurants in new york city. abc kitchen is one of his latest ventures. it is located in the basement of abc kitchen & home, a very very expensive home furnishings store. try to keep your focus as you make your way to the back of the store, lest you spend $300 on a bejeweled pillow. instead, head down to the juice bar and spend $10 on a smoothie.

the concept of abc kitchen is that everything is local and organic and compostable. and expensive. haven't tried the restaurant yet, but cindy c and i stopped at the juice bar for some drinks. cindy c got "the local" - pear, apple, carrot, grapefruit, and lots of ginger. definitely clears the sinuses. i got the "banana boat" - frozen bananas, walnut milk, cinnamon, raw cacao chocolate syrup and chopped walnuts. delicious and creamy - it's a perfect protein-packed shake that actually tastes good. worth the $10 as long as you don't plan on eating a meal. also - grab an extra compostable straw just in case your first one disintegrates.

bocca

19th (park/bway)

website

i think we might have found a new place for sunday night supper. i haven't blogged in a while because we haven't been trying new places. but derek managed to find a fantastic italian restaurant just a few blocks away from our apartment. not a lot of people go out to dinner on sunday nights, but derek and i like to have a nice dinner out because we know that the week will probably be busy with work.

fortunately, on sundays, bocca offers half-off their excellent bottles of wine. to accompany our bottle of wine, derek ordered the veal meatballs and the spaghetti with smoked tomatoes. he absolutely loved it. the meatballs tasted like they were made by someone's grandma. i had the black linguine with lobster and smoked bacon in a corn crema sauce. delicious. the entrees are pricey, so i think we're going to limit our visits to the half-price wine sundays. but derek and i have a hard time finishing a whole bottle, so who's coming with us next time?

pipa

19th (park/bway)

website

located in the basement of ABC carpet & home (there's also an entrance on 19th), pipa uses the store's merchandise as its decor with price tags hanging from the chandeliers. it kind of feels like you're dining in an antiques store, which is a little weird. service is also a little slow. but the food makes up for it.

pipa serves spanish tapas, but XYZ and i were there for brunch. we both ordered the salmon eggs benedict - two poached organic eggs, smoked salmon, potato pancakes, mascarpone cheese and traditional or poblano hollandaise sauce. i recommend the traditional hollandaise sauce, which i asked for on the side. but i suggest dumping that sauce over everything - it's buttery and has a hint of truffle flavor - it's really the highlight of the dish. it was an expensive-tasting brunch for a reasonable price.

casa mono

new york, ny

website

this is not a place to take vegetarians. or people on a diet. this is a place for meaty fatty gluttony. and wine. derek and i are big fans of batali and i love wine bars and tapas, so we've been trying to get into this restaurant for a long time. but there's always a long wait, so we usually pass. memorial day weekend at 10 pm, however, turned out to be a perfect time to snag a table. derek ordered a lovely glass of red wine and then we tried to figure out the menu. we ordered fried pork croquetas, pork belly, fried sardines, and bone marrow. the waiter actually laughed out loud and said "wow" when we finished our order.

that should have been a hint that we needed to order something lighter. oops. it was a very very heavy meal. the fried sardines were good (and reminds me of the free fried fish that bcd tofu house gives as banchan). the meaty fatty gluttony highlight, however, was the bone marrow. amazing. its served with crusty crispy bread covered in garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. this is the best version of "meat jelly" (as a from y&a fame refers to marrow) that we've ever had. next time, to lighten things up, i think we'll stick to wine and marrow.

yama

new york, ny

link to yelp

i think i might i have found my new local sushi place (replacing haru). neal was in town and craving sushi, so i did some yelp searching. found this lovely little spot hidden away in the basement of what was once washington irving's home near irving place.

there was a bit of a wait, but i can understand why - this place has monster sushi. giant rolls. huge slabs of fish over tiny pieces of rice. neal and i shared 6 sushi pieces and 3 rolls - it was more than enough. really fresh fish, friendly service - i'm really glad that i found this place!

craftbar

new york, ny

website

we were craving pasta and couldn't get a reservation at basta pasta so we decided to try craftbar instead. it was an excellent substitution. pictured are a risotto ball and some arugula salad - both very tasty. for my pasta, i ordered the cavatelli bolognese. a very large portion of pasta served in a small pan topped with breadcrumbs. it was a little weird (trying to be mac and cheese without the cheese?) but yummy. derek had pappardelle which was also good.

in addition to our pastas, we ordered a very expensive side of ramps. food blogs freak out about ramps and we decided to give them a try. well, they taste like grassy onions. i don't understand what the appeal is - i must be missing something. definitely not worth the $15 for a bowl of charred ramps. another word of warning: they keep the glass entranceway extremely clean. pristine, even. while we were eating, we heard a scream and a slam. some woman had walked right into the door! she was okay and walked away giggling. within 5 seconds, a craftbar employee was wiping the faceprint off the door. so efficient.

mesa grill

new york, ny

website

another one of bobby flay's restaurants. as usual, the appetizers and side dishes outshine the main courses. my favorite appetizer was the queso fundido (jinny's pick). made with goat cheese, but i couldn't tell - it was creamy cheesy buttery goodness. the tuna nachos (my pick) were pretty good. i enjoyed the deconstruction of the nacho - there was a small bowl with really well-made crispy tortilla chips. then separately, there was another bowl with a puddle of cheese sauce and avocado sauce, topped with a tuna tartare.

the bread basket is fantastic - blue corn/yellow corn cornbread, perfect with a bit of butter on top. the basket also includes small rolls that taste like mini-baguettes - delicious and perfect to dip into the queso fundido. the entrees, were less spectacular. my chile relleno (pictured) had a great cornmeal crust, but the rest of it fell flat. next time - i think i'll stick with apps only.

almond

new york, ny

website

despite the fact that it is just a stone's throw away from our apt building, derek and i had only eaten at almond once before i started this blog. it was over-priced and just okay. given that this particular restaurant location was notorious for failed restaurants (See rocco dispirito's union pacific), we didn't bother trying it again. but a bar is a bar, so when michelle asked us to meet up with her for drinks at almond, we happily joined her. the house cocktails are a little too sweet for my tastes, but the bartenders are friendly and attentive. michelle agreed that almond's dinner menu is sub-par, but she suggested that we try their brunch.

i'm glad we gave this place another chance. derek absolutely loved the "almond hash" - duck confit, roasted onions, potatoes, duck cracklins, and poached egg. delicious, with juicy and crispy duck and served with crusty grilled bread that's been brushed with butter. still, almond has its misses - the coffee is terrible and my ricotta pancakes were just okay. but if you stick with the hash and iced tea, then this is an excellent brunch spot. great for kids too - the restaurant even has baby food on the menu! it's $3 so you probably want to bring your own anyway, but it's a nice touch.

houston's

new york, ny

website

this restaurant is a nationwide chain with two branches in new york. very solid food and a pretty good wine list. one branch is in the same building as my office and another branch is just a few blocks from my apartment. both spaces are very spacious and have comfortable booth seating. and if you're in a hurry, there's usually a few seats at the bar and you can order from the regular menu.

my favorites include the french dip (pictured) - buttery roll with roast beef, excellent au jus and delicious french fries, the california burger (though not as good as BLT burger), and the ribs - fall-off-the bone tender with good bbq sauce. yum. houston's (or hillstone or whatever it's called now) is a very dependable restaurant if you want some good american food and don't feel like squeezing into a tiny east village hole-in-the-wall.

eleven madison park

new york, ny

website

dinner at eleven madison park is not a meal, it's an experience. i'm not sure my humble writing skills can do this place justice, so i invite you to read frank bruni's take on this place. the restaurant is housed in a beautiful old bank building overlooking madison square park. the service is stellar - this is a place that takes the "customer is always right" motto to another level. and the food - between the hors d'oeuvres, amuse bouche, appetizer, entree, dessert, and all the extras in between - it is sensory overload. it is foodie heaven. i'm going to try to explain the experience, but i'll have to go over my two paragraph limit.

we start by requesting a bottle of champagne from the champagne cart (yes, there's a whole cart) - vouvray petillant brut 2002. after ordering from our menus, the waiter brings the first plate of extras - hors d'oeuvres. these include a beet-flavored marshmallow, celery gelee with truffle, a savory macaroon, something with goat cheese, and my favorite - sweetbreads stuffed in a crispy shell shaped like a carrot. after a while, the waiters bring another extra - mushroom soup with parmesan foam, served with a mini brioche. it's unreal - rich and creamy but light and frothy at the same time. just when you think they're done with the pre-appetizer appetizers, they bring a curious glass container, filled 2/3 with dry rice and topped with a small, black ball-shaped item. what could it be? why, it's a black truffle beignet! of course. upon opening the container, the scent of truffles pretty much smacks you in the head. the beignet itself is doughy and earthy. quite surprising.

now we get to the food that we actually ordered. my appetizer was unbelievable - a farm egg, slow-cooked so that the white and yolk are both the same soft foamy consistency, served with a wine sauce, winter mushrooms, and extremely tender frog legs. again, the flavors and textures are incredibly rich, yet delicate. derek ordered the shrimp wrapped in avocado. for our entree, we shared the bluefoot chicken. the entire chicken was sliced in front of us - the breast meat was served with a truffle sauce with tiny potatoes and leeks. the dark meat was taken back to the kitchen where it was turned into a creamy dish with chanterelles. i didn't like the breast meat (but i rarely do), but the dark meat was delicious. at this point, i was full beyond full and i might have looked at the waiter skeptically when he brought our desserts - a vanilla souffle with passionfruit sauce and the chocolate peanut butter palette. both were quite good. and we're not done yet - next, the waiter presented a large plate full of adorable mini macaroons for us to choose from. i took one out of politeness and simply stared at it. derek really enjoyed his peanut butter and jelly macaroon.

finally, as a parting gift, we each received a lovely little box of housemade jelly candies in grapefruit, lemon, lime, and tangerine. the next day, or maybe a week later, taking a bite of one of the candies and tasting the fresh fruit and delicate texture, is the perfect way to reminisce about the eleven madison park experience.

haru

new york, ny

website

everyone needs a local sushi place. in new york, it should be within walking distance, preferably just a few blocks. there should always be a seat available. and the sushi should be reasonably priced (for sushi). although you can't expect the sushi to be flown in daily from the tsukiji market in tokyo, the sushi should always be fresh and tasty.

despite the fact that derek and i have lived in the gramercy/flatiron area for over a year, i have yet to find the perfect local sushi place. instead, i've settled for haru. it tends to be a bit too trendy for me with loud music, an unnecessary waterfall, and expensive rolls. but it does have very good cocktails and unique rolls. my new favorite roll is the double toro roll - yellowtail toro, salmon toro, asparagus, carrot and cucumber. sounds strange to be sure, but it turned out to be a perfect combination of fresh fish and crunchy veggies.

6/19/2010: reposted with photo of giant platter of sushi

barbounia

new york, ny

website

my favorite thing about barbounia is that it's only a short walk away from my apartment. my least favorite thing about barbounia is the fact that derek doesn't like eating there. fortunately jenny was willing to try it - especially when i told her that their mushroom gnocchi is amazing. unfortunately i forgot to take a picture until i was almost done eating, but see the picture for the last few bites of my gnocchi.

the restaurant serves mediterranean cuisine with a pretty good wine list and a very extensive bar menu. every table also gets warm seasoned flatbread with olive oil that is delicious. both jenny and i ordered off the prix fixe menu. i started with the red snapper ceviche (very good) and jenny had the crispy calamari (also very good, although quite filling). the gnocchi is perfectly light and fluffy with a creamy mushroom sauce. yum.

wildwood barbeque

new york, ny

website

this is a huge restaurant on park avenue south. the interior is so big and over-the-top that it seems to come straight out of frontierland from disneyworld. but the ribs are so good that i don't mind. derek and i have tried a lot of bbq places and wildwood's kansas city baby back ribs are our favorite ribs. i'm honestly not sure how authentic the ribs are, having never been to kansas city, but i know what i like. the ribs are covered in "spicy chipotle bbq" sauce which is just spicy enough to be tasty.

we usually order a whole rack and a few sides. i like their tater tots (again, i'm skeptical about authenticity here) and derek likes their fries. but it's really all about the ribs. the picture is a few ribs short of a full rack as i had to first hoard some on my plate. derek is a rib-eating machine and many times he has finished the entire order while i'm still gnawing on my second rib.

boqueria

new york, ny

website

lovely tapas place recommended by opal. it's a bit crowded and loud on a thursday evening, but it definitely quieted down by 10 pm. again, i love small plates and my favorites here were the meat & cheese platter that we started with and the churros dipped in chocolate that we ended with. sorry for the fuzzy photo - my berry was running out of juice...

in addition, the service was awesome. our waitress regaled us with unique food and wine recommendations and funny stories about devious grapes. boqueria is spanish tapas, as opposed to the italian small plates of alta. but again, two bottles of wine, a dozen plates of good food, and excellent company make for a great night out.

basta pasta

new york, ny

website

the highlight here is the "spaghetti con prosciutto e parmigiano." they have a giant hollowed-out half-block of cheese that they wheel to your table on a cart. inside the cheese is your spaghetti. on a plate are paper-thin slices of prosciutto and shredded basil. the waiter than swirls your pasta around inside the cheese, collecting small gooey gobs of cheese in the process. then out onto a plate, with one more scoop from the cheese wheel collecting the cheesy liquid and gooey gobs. it's then topped with the prosciutto and basil and served to you. despite all the cheese, it's actually a rather subtly flavored dish - more infused with cheese flavor than covered in actual cheese.

derek managed to catch a nice action shot of the noodle-swirling. his homemade fettucine with bolognese sauce was just as tasty. if it wasn't so darn hard to get a reservation, derek and i would eat here all the time. this is definitely a call-at-least-the-day-before-if-not-a-week-in-advance kind of place. an interesting tidbit - it's an italian restaurant run by japanese people so there's some interesting japanese-italian fusion pastas on the menu which i have not yet tried...

shake shack

new york, ny

website

my favorite thing about rainstorms in new york city is that after the rain subsides, derek will run out to the shake shack and bring back burgers for us to eat in our apartment. i get the shack burger (no cheese) and fries - and if i'm feeling decadent - a concrete as well. a concrete is like a blizzard, but with frozen custard. yes, custard.

in nyc you can find every possible iteration of burger (i love this city), but this is hands-down no-contest by-a-long-shot my favorite burger. it's the combination of a soft chewy potato bun, flavorful juicy beef, juicy fresh tomato, crisp fresh lettuce, and light "Shack sauce." all for $5. sure, some people like thinner or thicker patties, brioche buns, charred meat, different toppings, different cheeses, etc. but for me, the shack burger is burger perfection.

and because it's the shake shack, i'm even writing more than two paragraphs. a short note about the line. from the first lamppost, it takes about 16 mins to get to the order window and about another 12 mins to get your food. yes, i've timed it. if the line is longer than that - and it usually is - it can take up to an hour or two to get your food. after a rainstorm? no line and 5 min wait for your food. sweet.

'wichcraft

new york, ny

website

'wichcraft is a great sandwich shop - not a lot of variety, but quality ingredients. my go-to sandwich is the mozzarella & fontina melt with olive tapenade (pictured with potato salad). best grilled cheese ever. derek likes the turkey club sandwich and their soups. we also tried the apple turnover - which honestly tasted like a fanchy version of mickey d's apple pie ...

they have locations throughout the city, usually near parks. we took our sandwiches to madison square park and ate them on a bench next to the playground. perfect nyc meal.

primehouse

new york, ny

website

after reading about primehouse's burger from this article, derek and i decided to try this steakhouse just up the street last night. nice outdoor seating although it's right on park, so there's a lot of foot and car traffic. good for people-watching. i ordered the steakhouse burger (off their bar menu) - which as you can see, was quite the burger - topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions, and steak sauce. good, messy, but i liked derek's rib-eye better!

one of derek's restaurant pet peeves is when they put "fries" on the menu and end up serving potato wedges instead. as you can see, these "fries" were definitely on the wedge-end of the spectrum...