the shrinkwrapper

Battersby

2012-02-11T18:00:00.011-05:00

Carroll Garden
255 Smith Street
718-852-8321
battersbybrooklyn.com

We watched Battersby being built in the late summer, and read about it a number of times since, including five Ls from the L Magazine. The chef from Anella, Joe Ogrodnek, along with a partner, Walker Stern from Blue Hill, opened the restaurant in part of the old Patois space in the early fall. It's probably been packed since. There are only 30 seats, with small tables and seating at the bar, and a garden to come in the spring. This is no place to have your bridal shower dinner. And shortly after we arrived, early, and took the last table, people arriving were being told the wait was an hour and a half, or longer. But it's worth it. We began with a Mexican Firing Squad with Tequila, pomegranate, soda and whatever else, a good, dry, Greek white wine, and an amuse bouche of smooth chopped chicken liver on crostini with mustard. The salad of crispy kale, apple, and kohlrabi was terrific, as was the rigatoni with pancetta, tomato, and pecorino, and the Berkshire pork, with cabbage and mustard. We really liked everything. A couple of espressos and an olive oil cake with mascarpone later, we were out the door. Not because we were eager to leave, but because those poor people waiting somewhere for a text probably wanted our table.
OVERALL RATING: Betters be early.

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Walden

2012-02-04T18:00:00.007-05:00

North Williamsburg
502 Lorimer Street at Powers Street
347-227-7133
waldennyc.com

We'd read some good things about Walden, about its food and about its design by Jamie Gray of Matter, a home furnishing store in Park Slope and Soho that we like. So off we went with Ken and Danielle to check it out. The design is simple, minimal and sometimes even less, but where you sit, and what you see, makes for different takes on the aesthetics. Looking towards the street through rows of vertical windows that will be open come the Spring, you see dark woods, globe lights and small tables scattered across from a pretty bar. But the blonde, clunky stools at the bar seem from a different genre, and the views of the back walls of Walden are sparse and devoid of any visual attraction, save for the opening revealing the kitchen. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the Sardinian red quite good, and we liked most of the food. We had dates wrapped in bacon, grain salads with apples, market salad with fresh leaves, short ribs braised in red wine, and a chicken leg with lentils. The chicken leg limped behind the other dishes, but a fruited bread pudding stood out. We sat and chatted in this comfortable setting, unrushed and able to hear every word said. Almost like sitting beside a pond.
OVERALL RATING: Thoreauly pleasing

Roberta's

2012-01-29T18:00:00.007-05:00

Bushwick, Brooklyn
261 Moore Street
718-417-1118
robertaspizza.com

We've become of two minds regarding Roberta's. One of us, the rational mind, continues to think the food is fresh and very well prepared, with excellent salads, including one with roasted carrots and ricotta, another with romaine with walnuts, a third with two squashes and onions, and a fourth with celduce, chips of smoked fish, and yogurt. The rational mind also thinks highly of the pizzas with a variety of tasty, well seasoned ingredients. The other, more paranoid mind, thinks the routine at Roberta's involves facing customers with a long wait and steering them to the heated tent in the back of the restaurant where they can load up on drinks before eating the excellent food. We're working on melding the two into a satiated folie a deux.
OVERALL RATING: A good wait for good food.

Originally reviewed on 9/19/10 and 4/3/11.

The Dove

2012-01-24T18:00:00.005-05:00

British Virgin Islands
67 Main Street, Road Town, Tortola
284-494 0313
The Dove on Facebook

After three days of eating overpriced and okay but not good enough food at Peter Island, we took a ferry to Tortola for dinner at The Dove. Why didn't we think of this sooner? The Dove is in a small, wood framed building just off the main drag in Road Town. It's a little run down and a little distressed -- our kind of place. The staff is young and pretty hip, the crowd was mainly Brits, and the food was rocking. And the presentations were beautiful. We started with a fresh Ahi tuna sashimi, with pickled ginger, scallions and a number of other well chosen ingredients, and a Winter salad, with spinach, shaved cauliflower, toasted walnuts and green lentils in an orange vinaigrette -- delicious. Then a spinach and mint risotto, with roasted cauliflower and fennel and a ginger carrot sauce, and a special, roast flank steak roulade, cooked to perfection with an onion center, braised kale, and a corn and potato phyllo strudel. The level of sophistication in the cooking, paired with a completely relaxed, low key, island vibe, was intoxicating. So were the mojitos.
OVERALL RATING: Coooooooooool

Malaparte

2012-01-07T18:00:00.006-05:00

Malaparte
West Village
353 Washington Street, corner of Bethune Street
212-255-2122
malapartenyc.com

It was a lovely evening in New York (over 60º) so we walked over to Malaparte, a northern Italian newbie in the far West Village. It's small place with a high ceiling and many nicknacks and wall objects creating a space that looks cozy and a bit medieval. The staff was welcoming and hip, in contrast to the early crowd which bordered on medieval as well. But the food was good. We started with arugula salads with sections of grapefruit and orange, fresh and zesty. The vegetarian lasagna was good enough, and the grilled Cornish hen was better, and, by portion, more like a full chicken. We shared a very full carafe of Chianti which, likewise, was good. The prices were moderate. Not a bad part about it.
OVERALL RATING: Good neighborhood cooking

Year End Summary 2011

2012-01-01T18:00:00.008-05:00

We hope you are eating and living well. The list below represents some of our more memorable food experiences from 2011. Tell 'em the Shrinkwrapper sent you. You're guaranteed to get a good "huh?"

BEST RÖSCHTI: Cafe Select
BEST TARTE TATIN: Buvette
BEST WAIT: Roberta's
MOST DELICATE: Soto
BEST OPENING IN CT: Bodega Taco Bar
BEST ROAD TRIP: Agriturismo and Number 9
BEST IN SHOW: The Beagle
BEST IN ROW: The Boathouse
BEST SCENE: The Red Rooster
BEST NEW: Tertulia
BEST IN BALTIMORE: Woodberry Kitchen
LOUDEST: Jeffrey's Grocery
SWEETEST EVENING: Rucola

Red Rooster

2011-12-29T18:00:00.006-05:00

Harlem
310 Malcolm X Boulevard, and 125th Street
212-792-9001
redroosterharlem.com

Freshly reviewed on December 29: We hit Red Rooster early. All the tables were booked with reservations until mid-April, or something like that. But they hold back some seating for walk-ins, and so in we walked. The bar area was hopping. That's what Red Rooster is about -- it's a great scene. We thought the cooking was down a notch from our last visit, but it hardly mattered. Red Rooster is an intersectional restaurant, a place where the neighborhood meets Manhattan, and where tourists from all over the planet flock when visiting New York. It creates a melting pot that brims with energy and sociability. The country ham, which we loved earlier, was a bit dry and constructed less appealingly, and the Yard Bird won't make the top ten chicken lists in the city, but the overall experience was happening and is what makes a stop at Red Rooster worthwhile.
OVERALL RATING: Quite the coop.

Originally reviewed on 8/10/11.

Bodega Taco Bar

2011-12-27T19:00:00.008-05:00

Bodega
Connecticut
1700 Post Road, Fairfield
203-292-9590
bodegatacobar.com

Freshly reviewed on December 27: We took Mam up to Bodega on a rainy night to try Mexican food with Venezuelan influenced preparations offered by a chef who grew up in Brooklyn. You just can't get that nowadays in Switzerland. She loved it. So do the Fairfield residents -- the place is always packed. We ate mostly off the specials blackboard which included a fresh salad of greens and apples, an arepa with crab and avocado, a taco with lamb, another with shrimp, and guacamole with bacon strips. The skinny margarita was slim neither in taste nor impact. We ate well, drank well, and had fun. And Michael has a full head of hair. Who knew?
OVERALL RATING: Mas arriba!

Originally reviewed on 7/23/11

St. Anselm

2011-12-16T18:30:00.005-05:00

Williamsburg
355 Metropolitan Avenue, near Havemeyer Street
718-384-5054

We did some shopping in Williamsburg with the plan of eating somewhere in that 'hood. We'd heard about St. Anselm in L Magazine, which wrote up the Fette Sau sister rather favorably. The temperature was dropping and the idea of meat grilling on a fire appeared comforting. St. Anselm is a uniquely designed space, one part chalet, one small part old New York, and one part trailer trash. It sort of almost works, but whatever, we came there for grilled meat. The grilled avocado stuffed with shrimp in some sort of aioli was good, and the grilled tomato with burrata could have been, or more, had the tomato been exposed to just a wee bit more fire. The sides of grilled cauliflower and pan fried mashed potatoes were very good but the meat, alas, was just not all that we expected. We had a butcher steak, really a hangar steak, and sliced veal flank steak, neither bad, but neither rising to the lofty level that justifies the step out into red meat terroir. The Joe's Pils we drank with it was good, the service was friendly and efficient, the vibe was relaxed, and the prices were moderate, but there just wasn't the carnivore carnival we'd hoped for.
OVERALL RATING: Close, but no cigar

The Beagle

2011-12-10T19:30:00.008-05:00

East Village
162 Avenue A, between 10th and 11th Streets
212-228-6900
thebeaglenyc.com

We took a fast walk after a slow movie, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and wound up at The Beagle. It's a cute, carefully designed space on Avenue A with floor to ceiling windows along the sidewalk, and two small dining rooms within, each dimly lit, one with ornamental funky wallpaper. The bar in one room has pretty back lighting of the bottles. There's an emphasis on the cocktail menu, with some small dishes paired with a suggested wash, but we went with a bottle of Montsant, a herby, aromatic and complex Spanish red. We liked it and liked the food too. We had salads, one with leaves and anchovy dressing, the other with roasted beets dressed in yogurt. Then, some lamb, rare and sliced from a large chop, the bone available for chewing, although laden with fat. The dessert, a Cranachan with roasted apples, Scotch, cream and oats, was unique. We enjoyed petting The Beagle.
OVERALL RATING: Liked it a lot

Tertulia

2011-12-06T19:00:00.006-05:00

West Village
359 6th Avenue, near Washington Place
646-559-9909
tertulianyc.com

Tertulia opened this Spring to quite a buzz. It's the latest venture from Sean Mullen who had a good run at Boqueria. Tertulia is likewise Spanish, tapas, and good. It's a newly designed space with tables in the front, and a slightly larger dining room in the back, with an open kitchen beyond. There's lots of exposed, distressed brick -- just what you'd expect from a Spanish tapas place. So it feels a little predictable. But, overall, we've certainly seen worse. And we've certainly tasted worse. This is some good cooking. We had an autumnal salad with kale and squash, mushroom toasts with ricotta and pine nuts, serrano ham, egg and potato tortilla, and very nicely charred lamb breast with farro. The glasses of Blanco Rioja and Temparanillo were a good accompaniment. We liked everything, including the conversation that sprang up between us and John and Howard, seated at the next table.
OVERALL RATING: Good food, good wine, good talk

Wallsé

2011-11-18T18:30:00.010-05:00

Wallsé
West Village
344 West 11th Street, at Washington Street
212-352-2300
kg-ny.com/wallse

Freshly reviewed on 11/18/11: Sometimes you just need a place for a last minute celebration. Like if you find out you're having twins and didn't even know you were pregnant. And you're a nun. So we called around and went through the typical bullshit with a number of places who didn't have a table then, but could give us a table when, blah, blah, blah. On and on it went. So we took a 6:30 table at Wallsé with the proviso that we would vacate by 8 p.m. OK. Fair enough. After all, this was a last minute thing and they probably really did need the table for a reservation made much earlier than 45 minutes before dinner. We arrived early, on purpose, to have a drink, or as it turned out, two, in the twins spirit, at the bar. And we were graciously told that 8 p.m., the vacate deadline, had by now turned into 8:30. So why the need, at 6:30 sharp, to hustle us to the table? Were we drinking too slowly? Were they worried we were with the Occupy an Austrian restaurant movement? The table was lovely, a corner in the front room which houses the bar and is accessorized with fresh floral arrangements and cool art. We'd sat there before for some excellent meals. The food tonight, however, was a letdown. The mixed green salad looked terrific but was very over salted. The spatzle with braised rabbit was good, as was the lobster with braised fennel and oranges, but the cod in pastry was almost fishy and left on the plate. We were done and ready to go by 7:40, but the carmelized bananas with chocolate cake and sauce got hung up in the kitchen, so to soothe our wait we were presented with a combo of sorbets, one better than the other. We were home by 8:30, so everyone should have been pleased. But we realized one of us did not have a scarf returned from the coat room so we called back. "Maybe you have lost it on the street", we were dismissively told. Well, if we lost it on the street, why the hell would we have called you?
OVERALL RATING: Attitudinally disappointing

Originally reviewed, and loved, on 3/15/08 and 11/28/06.

Saraghina

2011-11-12T18:00:00.006-05:00

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
435 Halsey Street, A or C train to Utica Ave
718-574-0010
saraghinabrooklyn.com

We learned of Saraghina on remodelista.com, a design blog we like very much. The pictures looked very cute, with a distressed, old-world, whitewashed kind of look. Filled with a mix of neighborhood peeps, as it was the entire time we were there, it looked mostly distressed, but, somehow, distress is calming for us. Saraghina occupies a rambling space on a corner in Bed-Stuy, completely unremarkable from the street. The hosts and waitstaff are friendly and engaging, and the food is very good. The base element at Saraghina is pizza, but there's a sizable menu of specials every night, and we had four good ones off that list. The grilled radicchio with a good balsamic and a crispy round of cheese was the highlight. The fava bean puree with salty dandelions was quite good, as was the pasta with ragu Bolognese. The pizza with arugula, cherry tomatoes and burrata was a nice combination of crisp and chewy, and fresh as fresh can be. The house red was well selected. Remodelista may be about design, but at the end of the day, even designers have to eat.
OVERALL RATING: Bed Stylish

Wong

2011-10-25T19:00:00.002-04:00

West Village
7 Cornelia Street, between Bleecker and W 4th
212-989-3399
wongnewyork.com

Simpson Wong used to ply his trade at The Jefferson. It was a favorite of ours until it closed about three years ago. It was elegant and minimal, and the small plates were delicate and delicious. He just opened Wong in an old New York looking space with big windows on Cornelia Street. The rows of tables, and the style of the chairs, give it a bit of a one room schoolhouse look, with woods and metals, and low voltage lighting. The menu is Asian, representing a variety of influences including Indonesia. The tastes are fresh, unique and inventive. We began with a small Naan bread, just baked in Wong's oven, served with a paneer cheese, and mint. The salad with Dinosuar kale, beets, apples and lettuces was very good, and well dressed. The wood grilled chicken with chrysanthemum leaves was requested well done -- it wasn't even close to well done, but the nutty sauce upon it made us care not. The Cha Ca La Wong, hake with fresh tumeric and rice noodles was good as well. And the apple short cake was small and sweet. So all in all, despite slow service from an otherwise friendly staff, we liked the food and the experience, even if, during the meal, we hardly liked each other.
OVERALL RATING: Worth a taste

brucie

2011-10-22T20:00:00.011-04:00

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
234 Court Street Street
347-987-4961
brucienyc.com

We heard about Brucie when it first opened, and again recently when L Magazine gave it a big shout out. Who knew that Jessie and Ben went to college with John, the maitre d'? Well, actually, the three of them did, but not until we got there. Brucie is fairly small, with two bar areas for eating and drinking, and tables spaced nicely throughout so that no one is crowded, even when the place is filled, which is most of the time. You come for the food, which is Italian, and good, and the service, which is friendly and welcoming. We began with Caesar salads that oddly contained no romaine, but arugula, roasted beets and scallions in a zesty dressing, fried mozzarella with tomato sauce, and seared scallops, and we liked each dish. Then tagliatelle with ricotta and brussel sprouts, and spaghetti and meatballs with a healthy dose of flavorful basil, and we liked these as well. We were pretty full, but not yet ready to leave, so we had a couple of ice cream sandwiches and a pot of French pressed coffee to offset the bottles of Valpolicella and Chianti. All good.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Perry St

2011-10-08T18:00:00.009-04:00

West Village
176 Perry Street and the West Side Highway
212-352-1900
jean-georges.com

We love going to Perry St. We just can't decide whether we like it more by ourselves or with others. It's sedate, polished, Europeanly designed, and quiet, making it a good place to engage in conversation and watch the sunset. But if you engage in conversation, you may be distracted from the excellent food which is worthy of full attention. So we'll just say Perry St goes both ways, and you should go try it, either way.
OVERALL RATING: A favorite

Previously reviewed on December 16, 2008

Mas Grillade

2011-10-07T20:00:00.010-04:00

West Village
28 Seventh Ave. South, across from Downing Street
212-255-1795
Mas Grillade on Facebook

We leisurely walked down Seventh Avenue South on this warm fall evening and passed the construction of the new Mas Grillade (a spinoff of Mas Farmhouse on Downing Street). To our surprise we saw people inside. Mas wasn't really open yet -- this was a soft private opening we were told at the maitre d' station. So we negotiated and wiggled ourselves in to an impromptu seat at the bar and soft opened with them. That night, the place was still under construction, the light in the coat room way too strong and the kitchen visible through a curtain in a less than flattering way. The small space is designed as a duplex, with an entry hall containing a few high tables along the wall, a small bar with a large mirror, a good looking dining room with one large leather banquette on the first floor, and an open mezzanine above. We ordered light, with a small portion of heirloom tomatoes stacked with bread, charred artichoke with chanterelles and arugula, coal grilled vegetables, and a sushi grade piece of seared salmon. We liked everything but the presentation was a bit more polished than we anticipated -- and very expensive. The wines by the glass were $17 each, especially a lot for a Fleurie. We ended with grilled figs, chocolate cake and cocoa ice cream -- delicious. It was a good party crash and a good meal, but less grilled than we expected, and much pricier than a Weber kettle.
OVERALL RATING: Expensive

Harvest Supper

2011-10-01T19:00:00.016-04:00

Connecticut
15 Elm Street, New Canaan
203-966-5595

We always like going back to Harvest Supper. It's small, delicate and precise, and feels special when you're there. The menu has changed and now conforms to the appetizer/entree world, without the small plates that you could construct into a meal. We began with seared tuna with crispy chickpeas and fennel, then a roasted Amish chicken with speck and cippolines, and a bucatini pasta. It all was good, although the pasta was heavier than a light palate's anticipation. The Sancerre was a very good accompaniment, and the vanilla pot de creme was a sweet finish. Grace Lamb was a sweet hostess throughout the meal, as always.
OVERALL RATING: Still shines

Previously reviewed on 9/9/09, 6/27/08 and 4/11/08.

Shabu Tatsu

2011-09-24T19:30:00.009-04:00

East Village
216 East 10th Street, between 2nd and 1st Avenues
212-477-2972
tic-nyc.com

Yasmina and Luca were in the mood for shabu shabu. They ate it regularly in Switzerland and we think they were a little homesick. We had a drink at Bar Veloce, then over to Shabu Tatsu. Shabu is a pot of boiling salted water, heating in the center of the table, into which a variety of vegetables and meats are poured and dipped, and, with chopsticks, retrieved. Sort of an Asian fondue. At the end, the soup is shared. We had fun dunking and chatting, and the red bean and green tea ice creams were a cool finish. The place was continuously filled, apparently with homesick Japanese.
OVERALL RATING: not a Swiss fondue

Frankies 570

2011-09-23T18:00:00.002-04:00

West Village
570 Hudson Street, corner of West 11th Street
212-924-0818
frankiesspuntino.com

Originally reviewed on 9/18/11: After Frankies 457 Spuntino, Frankies 17 Spuntino and Prime Meats, the Franks have taken a corner space with windows on Hudson Street and installed about 80 seats with wood floors, dark wood paneling, and a blonde wood ceiling that really should be stained to match the paneling. They've already installed lots of customers because within minutes of our 6 p.m. arrival, the place was brimming and humming. Why? Because the food is very good and reasonably priced. We began with two outstanding salads, the fennel, parsley and red onion, and the Caesar, spicy, tasty and simple. Then an absolutely terrific pasta Fiorini with funghi and bits of pancetta, and an eggplant parmigiana with a good red sauce. The bottle of Valpolicella was at least a year too young for our taste but the ricotta cheesecake was every bit as good as its outer borough sister. The whole meal was. Frankly, these guys are good, and to have them in our 'hood makes us lucky.
OVERALL RATING: Welcome to the West Village!

Already updated on 9/23/11: Jessie and Ben were in the city for some serious apartment hunting so we all went out to dinner and Frankies it was. We waited by the bar for a few minutes and the bottle of Chianti was an upgrade from our earlier bottle, but the Fiorini was prepared differently, this time without pieces of pancetta and mushroom scattered throughout the dish, but rather blended into the sauce. We liked the earlier deconstructed version much better. But we sat by one of those large windows on Hudson and chatted and tasted and just had a plain good old time. The desserts, a poached pear, poached prunes, and that ricotta cheesecake made for a delish finish.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Black Sauce Kitchen

2011-09-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Baltimore MD
410-864-6396
blacksaucekitchen.com

It was an early Saturday a.m. trip to the Waverly farmers' market in Baltimore, just before the line queued up at the Black Sauce Kitchen. And queue up it did, for good reason. Black Sauce is a completely mobile operation, with a food truck, catering and attendance at farmers' markets in and around the murder capital of the country. The food was worth killing for. We had soft, luscious buttermilk biscuits, two filled with twice smoked bacon and a softly turned over egg, and another with roasted chicken. We stood in the midst of a funky neighborhood offering of local vegetables and flowers and ate this comfort food right from it's aluminum foil wrappers. We did all but lick the foil. What a great way to start the day.
OVERALL RATING: Upward mobility

Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore

2011-09-16T21:45:00.005-04:00

2010 Clipper Park Road, Baltimore MD
410-464-8000
woodberrykitchen.com

Freshly reviewed on 9/16/11: The rule we have between us is that, for a restaurant to be reviewed, we both must eat there. Every once in awhile, a meal comes along that cannot be overlooked, even when only one of us is looking. This time we sat in the high mezzanine above the bar area. The food was every bit as lofty as our perch. We began with a flat bread with heirloom tomatoes, roasted garlic, basil and ricotta that was terrific. We let our waitress decide between a garden salad with radish slices and an open ham and cheese sandwich with mustard and a fried egg atop. She chose the ham and then, feeling guilty for influencing our decision, brought the salad as well. We loved both. The sliced tavern steak with crunchy potatoes and a green sauce, the shrimp pepper pot, and the crisp chicken and a biscuit with kale were equally loved. The waitress felt more guilt from mistakenly bringing out a portion of crunchy crab cakes, so she left them. We finished with an excellent tart of peach crumble and vanilla ice cream, and some complimentary watermelon ice cream. We ate every last thing, and the Farmer's Market, a mix of Anejo tequila, basil, pepper and BBQ sauce was a liquid highlight in a meal filled with nothing but highlights. From it's architecture and design to its expert preparation of local ingredients, Woodberry Kitchen is one special place.
OVERALL RATING: Really, get there!

Originally reviewed on 10/1/10: The talk is Baltimore has discovered food, and Woodberry Kitchen is walking the walk. Nicely finished in a converted mill, the space is characterized by soaring ceilings with exposed original brick and beams, a large wood burning oven and open kitchen whose scents permeate the bar area, and people. Many people. The pace was hopping when we arrived at 9 p.m. after an afternoon and early evening of re-bonding with a lot of old friends. The menu is organized around green and local, and the staff wear flannel shirts to reinforce the granola feel. The food feels good. We had snacks of kohlrabi sprinkled with lemon juice and dusted with cumin, and delicious deviled eggs. Then a salad of local heirloom tomatoes and corn, soft-shelled shrimp a tad too buttery, a terrific corn soup, slow roasted pork shoulder crisped in the wood oven with roasted turnips and sweet potatoes, and well crisped chicken served with a biscuit for mopping. We said what the hell and had a chocolate ganache and a very good oatmeal cake for dessert, and were comped with a hot peppered ice cream. Hot-peppered ice cream? You'll just have to try it. Great call Jessie and Ben.
OVERALL RATING: Get there!

Roman's

2011-09-10T19:00:00.007-04:00

Fort Greene, Brooklyn
243 DeKalb Avenue
718-622-5300
romansnyc.com

We were roaming around the city and when in roam, do like Romans, so we did. Roman's is an offshoot of Marlow's in Willliamsburg, a place we like very much. Roman's is Italian, as the name might suggest, and Erica's bud Stephanie has migrated there from cooking at The Spotted Pig. She was off tonight, but we went despite. This way, she wouldn't feel like we were stalking her. The space is small, with subway tiled walls, and colorful mosaic tile inserts. There's a bar and a counter by the front window, some tables on the broad sidewalk, and tables scattered throughout. The menu changes from day to day depending upon what's good in the market. Tonight we had roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic with burrata and toasts, radicchio with walnuts and gorgonzola, both very good, and two pastas, orriechiette with pork sausage and broccoli rabe, and spaghetti with eggplant and mint. Both were loaded with either parmigiana or pecorino. Who cares? It was good. The pound cake with freshly whipped cream and raspberries was terrific. By the time we left, there wasn't a seat to be found.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Rucola

2011-09-09T19:00:00.006-04:00

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
190 Dean Street
718-576-3209
rucolabrooklyn.com

We read a sweet review about Rucola in The L-Train Magazine, so we went to check it out. It's a cute place on a quiet corner in Boerum Hill, about a block from Building on Bond, a good place for a drink if you have to wait for a Rucola table. And you probably will. The space has a long community table down the center, with smaller tables along the walls, a bar on one wall, and a couple of tables outdoors where we sat on this warm September evening. It was a nice spot to celebrate five L's and 11 years, and the bottle of Muller Thurgau didn't hurt. We started with two good salads, one of heirloom cherry tomatoes and another of arugula and parmigiana. Then a roasted chicken breast with charred cipollini onions and creamy polenta, and a Strozzapreti pasta with green garlic pesto, zucchini, and grana padano. We remember enjoying dessert but cannot remember what it was. Does this happen to the Zagats? We sat and talked and watched the neighborhood walk by. Hope we're all here in 2022.
OVERALL RATING: Sweetola

Bistro 25 at Maple Moor

2011-09-02T19:00:00.008-04:00

New York State
1128 North Street, at the Maple Moor Golf Course, White Plains
914-437-8100

Usually when we drive down county to meet Michael, it's to play golf. This time, it was with Jerilynn, and it was to eat -- at a golf course. Bistro 25 is the restaurant at Maple Moor, a Westchester County golf operation. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch to golfers in a somewhat nondescript bar area and dining room, with a large deck outside overlooking the course. Dinner is for anyone who wants it, and we did, eager to try David Fierstein's cooking, after having tried it before at a couple of South Florida restaurants. He started us with an amuse bouche of marinated eggplant with cherry tomatoes that was smooth and spicy, a fennel and citrus salad that was light, fresh and very well dressed, chicken scarpariello with hot cherry peppers, branzino with fennel that was braised, filet of sole, and seared salmon with squash pappardelle. We liked every single thing. The setting is more golf than chic, but the food is aces.
OVERALL RATING: Teerific

Number 9

2011-08-31T19:00:00.003-04:00

New York State
at Simmon's Way Inn, 53 Main Street, Millerton
518-592-1299
number9millerton.com

We took a late summer ride up Rt. 22 to Millerton, a town with a few shops worth exploring, to try No. 9. It's located in the rear of the Simmon's Way Inn, across from an old white barn. We ate outside, on a slate patio, under a very large and very old Shag Bark Hickory tree. Everything about the experience was delightful. We started with a plum mojito that was almost blended, and almost heaven, and a very good white Bourdeaux. The fluke crudo was fresh and covered with very small, chopped squash, peppers and Tuscan olive oil, and the duo of chilled soups, a gazpacho and a corn chowder was excellent twice. So was the grilled halibut with sauteed mustard greens. The hanger steak was merely good, but merely good is pretty damn good when you're flying at this level. The espresso, necessary for the long ride home, and the local apple strudel with vanilla ice cream, necessary because we wanted to try everything on the menu, were both, yes, excellent. It's a long way to Millerton, but we can't wait to come back.
OVERALL RATING: Almost 10

Zaza

2011-08-29T19:00:00.002-04:00

Connecticut
122 Broad Street, Stamford
203-348-2300
zazagastrobar.com

We drove down to Stamford after Irene, having read an outstanding review about Zaza in the New York Times. They said 'don't miss it' -- the curse of high expectations. It was a Monday evening and the place was hopping. It has a nice tiled floor, and some walls have white subway tiles, and the square room is filled with red leather banquets and booths and a bar for eating and another for drinking. There's a black and white Italian movie projected onto one wall in a continuous loop, and the front of the space opens to a few tables on the sidewalk. The menu is predominantly small plates, but not exclusively. We began with a small plate of spicy garlic chicken, pieces of paillard with chopped peppers atop, and a garden salad. Both were good, but either could have easily been missed. Glasses of a Gaja and a Primitivo were quite good. Then veal parmigiana with burrata and a side of penne in tomato sauce, better, and an orichiette with sausage, garlic and broccolini, good. There was a lot of buzz buzzing about for a suburban Monday night -- a lot of people must have read the Times.
OVERALL RATING: SoSo

Buvette

2011-08-25T14:00:00.011-04:00

West Village
42 Grove Street, Near Bleecker Street
212-255-3590
ilovebuvette.com

Freshly reviewed 5 days later: It was a rainy day in the city and we were soaked when we walked into Buvette. We froze our asses off in no time -- the AC was fully powered up. But the food was so good the shivering was worth it. A Croque Monsieur partnered with a Croque Madame with a fried egg on top made a lovely couple. And the capuchinni were very good as well. This is a finely tuned operation.
OVERALL RATING: Cool!

Jody Williams took her walnuts and moved four blocks, from Greenwich Avenue to Grove Street, and one country, from Italy to France. Buvette looks strikingly similar to Gottino, where she last presided, and the menu structure is as was as well. The space is narrow and deep, with a tin ceiling, a bar with shelves housing wine bottles and glasses along one wall, and small tables along the other, with more tables in the back. It's small plates and one was better than the next. We had baby artichokes, steamed in white wine with sun dried tomatoes, farro with cherry tomatoes and celery, cold sliced lamb with white beans, large shrimp with an aioli, and coq a vin, perfect for dipping the excellent bread into. The Muscadet and Primitivo were both excellent, but the piece de resistance was the tarte tatin at the end. No doubt the tarte will make someone's best of the year list -- ours!
OVERALL RATING: You bet!

Palma

2011-08-23T19:00:00.011-04:00

West Village
28 Cornelia Street, between Bleecker Street and W 4th Street
212-691-2223
palmanyc.com

We've eaten at Palma a few times. It's got a rustic look, with an open front in good weather overlooking Cornelia Street, and a lovely garden in the rear. It was a beautiful late summer evening, so the flower and vine laden garden was what we were seeking. We had glasses of Primitivo and Gavi that were both acceptable, a plate of fried carciofi with parmigiana, a salad of arugula and crisp pancetta, and two pastas, a fettucini with funghi, and a pappardelle with veal and tomatoes. Everything was good enough, nothing was outstanding. Except for that cute garden.
OVERALL RATING: A fair weather friend

Jeffrey's Grocery

2011-08-21T19:00:00.008-04:00

West Village
172 Waverly Place, Corner of Christopher Street
646-398-7630
jeffreysgrocery.com

OK. This is going to really get confusing because we've already reviewed a restaurant named Jeffrey's, and because Jeffrey's is across the street from Joseph Leonard, also owned by Jeffrey's owner. And, of course, because this review is being written by a Jeffrey. Jeffrey's is in a space once housing an animal hospital. It's been redesigned with an old New York look, with a tin ceiling, wood floors, two bars for eating, a large communal table and some small tables scattered about. If loud were a currency, Jeffrey's would be every bit as current as it is. It plays to a hip, young, downtown crowd, with good looking staff and a good playlist. We fit right in. We went, this time, for brunch and sat at one of those two bars. Since we were already at a bar, we had an El Verde bloody mary, with tomatillos and green sauce. It was easy being green. Then a smoked salmon plate with herbed cream cheese and toasts, and a crock filled with pulled pork, diced potatoes, coddled eggs, corn bread and guacamole. Both were good.
OVERALL RATING: Good, and loud -- Gloud?

Agriturismo

2011-08-13T18:00:00.005-04:00

New York State
2938 Church Street, Pine Plains
518-398-1000
agriturismorestaurant.com

We read about Agriturismo in the early Spring and knew right away that we wanted to try it. It's a locavore venture way up in Dutchess County, owned and run by Mark Strausman, much earlier of Campagna in Flatiron, a restaurant we really liked. Agriturismo sits on one of the two streets comprising Pine Plains and, except for its bright, two tone paint job, looks rather nondescript from the road. We sat outside in a small area, covered with umbrellas, on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. The space inside is well finished, with a checkerboard floor and an open kitchen. The food was very local and very good. We began with a glass of a good white French Bordeaux and a house specialty cocktail, a Bloody Mary, that was sort of blah. It was spicy, but watery, and in the middle of all that farmland, contained no green garnish at all. The abbandanza, however, made up for it, with many varieties of tomatoes, basil, and chunks of watermelon and muskmelon, on a splash of homemade pesto. A taste of late summer. The orecchiette with broccoli rabe was really good and the bricked chicken was moist and well herbed, accompanied by sliced potatoes and green beans. We had some of those same melon chunks for dessert, along with a berry trifle -- blueberries, strawberries, jammy sauce, shortbread, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. A trifle that was absolutely not trifling. It was stupendous. We hope Agriturismo fills enough seats to stay afloat. We'd like the opportunity to visit again.
OVERALL RATING: A country pleasure

Red Rooster

2011-08-10T18:00:00.010-04:00

Harlem
310 Malcolm X Boulevard, and 125th Street
212-792-9001
redroosterharlem.com

Red Rooster celebrates the gentrification of Harlem, and it does so in a way that makes you feel you're attending a happening or a party. You pass through a large sidewalk dining area into a U-shaped bar with communal high tables off to one side, and a dining room behind. We liked the art and the bookshelf filled with nicknacks. The staff is friendly and engaging, the music is good, and the multiracial crowd is in tune with the pulse. Marcus Samuelsson, the chef who, in a prior incantation showed his wares at Aquavit, does it again here in a style highlighting cooking from down home, home being this 'hood. We started with a good plate of curried shrimp with dirty rice, and an excellent, and large portion of country ham, thinly sliced, with melted gouda cheese over crusty bread toasts, with an onion marmalade and a currant mustard beside. This dish was a knockout. The chickpea dumplings were OK, and the suckling pig, rolled, with shaved summer vegetables beside was good. We had a shortcake with peaches and raspberries and vanilla ice cream to finish it all off. Perhaps it was the Gin and Juices we had at the bar before dinner that got us into a Red Rooster fan club sort of mind, but that's just where we find ourselves.
OVERALL RATING: Cocka Doodle Do It!

Toscana

2011-08-06T19:00:00.008-04:00

Connecticut
43 Danbury Road, Ridgefield
203-894-8995
toscanaridgefield.com

The crowd could have been less edgy at Toscana tonight, but how? Limiting attendance to people aged over 75 or under 11? Enforcing a Bermuda shorts and knee high black socks rule? The food was OK, from veal meat balls to risotto to bricked chicken breast, but we thought we were eating in the food area at Disney World judging by the crowd. Was that Goofy in the knee highs?
OVERALL RATING: Dullicious

Kefi

2011-07-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

Upper West Side
505 Columbus Avenue,
212-873-0200
kefirestaurant.com

We'd eaten at Kefi once before, a few years ago, when it was located in a different space. This space has a bar and tables by the windows as you walk in, then a dining room up some stairs, and another dining downstairs. It's larger than it appears. The decor works, made to look like a Greek farmhouse perhaps, with blue doors mounted on the walls and large blue cabinets for storage. We're partial to the shade of blue they used. The food is Greek, and good. We had a Kefi salad to begin, with chunks of bread, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, cucumbers, lettuce and herbs, all fresh and very good. Then meatballs in an excellent marinara sauce, dotted with chopped scallions, green and black olives, and chopped parsley, and lemon chicken, crisped the way we like it, in a lemony sauce, a bit creamy, but good nonetheless. The accompanying potatoes were more than we could swallow. We did, however, swallow a small plate of rice pudding with sliced almonds and some berries. We didn't drink -- we had some driving to do.
OVERALL RATING: Mos Defi

Bodega Taco Bar

2011-07-23T19:00:00.012-04:00

Connecticut
1700 Post Road, Fairfield
203-292-9590
bodegatacobar.com

It's been about two months now for Bodega, a sister to Valencia Luncheria, that grand-opened in a small shopping center on the Post Road. From the outside, Bodega looks just like the dry cleaner, deli, and other shops in the center. Inside, it's relatively small but well done, with lots of two, three and four tops bunched in the front and along one wall, a bar occupying the other wall, and an open kitchen in the rear. The windows in the front are lined with tall snake plants, encapsulating the space and removing it from the parking outside. The food is tacos and margaritas, and the word is out -- the place is packed. We had a variety of soft tacos filled with fish, hanger steak, and pork, a delicious Fresca salad with watercress, mangos, papaya, and a yogurt dressing, guacamole and chips, a Cubano sandwich, grilled corn, and a ceviche of shrimp and scallops marinated in a cocktail like sauce. We liked everything. Bodega is a place to drink and graze and chat and buzz, but we'd go anywhere to eat Michael Young's cooking.
OVERALL RATING: ¡Andale!

Wicked Oyster

2011-07-05T19:00:00.006-04:00

Wellfleet, Cape Cod
50 Main Street
508-349-3455
thewickedo.com

After a lot of interesting conversation at a cocktail party in Wellfleet, despite at least five shrinks in attendance, we headed over to the Wicked Oyster. It’s a roadside restaurant that’s housed in a house like building near Rt. 6. The space is sort of nondescript, but the food is very good. We had fresh garden salads, Wellfleet oysters on the half shell, roasted duck, grilled halibut with root vegetables, and a spicy fettucine with peas, artichokes, feta cheese and hot pepper flakes. It was all good, the fettucine being a standout. We didn’t drink, having accomplished that at the pre-dinner party, and we had no room for dessert, but the meal stood tall nonetheless.
OVERALL RATING: Wicked good

Adrian's

2011-07-03T19:00:00.006-04:00

North Truro, Cape Cod
535 Route 6
508-487-4360
adriansrestaurant.com

Adrian's is located in a motel on Rt.6 on the road between Truro and Provincetown. It's been a good spot to eat, especially for breakfast, for years. This summer, it houses a pop up venture by a young group of restauranteurs from Boston. We sat in their covered outdoor patio with views of the bay in two directions. We were a large group so there were many plates including a beet salad with a creamy burrata, a fresh garden salad with seawater dressing, a terrific charcuterie with smoked fish and seafood mousse, hanger steak atop a crepe of grain, roasted cod with vegetables, and seared tuna, also with vegetables. We really liked everything, except for vongole with squid ink pasta -- a bit under seasoned. The drinks and the Priorat were very good, as were the two desserts we shared.
OVERALL RATING: Check in

Ten Tables

2011-07-02T19:00:00.005-04:00

Provincetown, Cape Cod
133 Bradford Street
508-487-0106
tentables.net

We couldn't begin to describe what Ten Tables looks like, or even how many tables they have. We sat on the patio outside and never entered the restaurant. But the patio, true to name, had ten tables. Except for a mosquito here and there -- it is the Cape after all -- it was a clear, warm, pleasant evening. Ten Tables is an outpost of a sister restaurant in Boston of the same name. Maybe this one should be called Another Ten Tables, or Eleven Through Twenty? The menu emphasizes local and natural and we enjoyed our meander through it. We began with a Ten Tables salad, fresh and nicely dressed with red oak lettuces, oranges, hazelnuts and herbs, and a delicious and beautifully presented cucumber gazpacho. Then a bricked chicken breast with sugar snap peas, grapes, and asparagus, lobster sliders with avocado on small buns, and the TT burger, with cheddar cheese, fries, and a fried egg. The bottle of Priorat was a good accompaniment. We finished with an absolutely delicious cup of compoted fruits with thyme shortbread and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Superb, as well as the fatherly conversation with Stewart and Sam.
OVERALL RATING: A solid 9

PB Boulangerie Bistro

2011-06-30T17:00:00.005-04:00

South Wellfleet, Cape Cod
15 Lecount Hollow Road
508-349-1600
pbboulangeriebistro.com

There's a bit of a scene at PB Boulangerie in the morning. We got there in the midst of it all on our ride to Truro. Getting a seat isn't so much the issue. Getting a parking space is the challenge, but the line is mostly for takeout. The boulangeie's breads and pastries are the draw. They are sometimes a bit buttery, but good. We also had a berry and yoghurt parfait that was well conceived and well delivered, save for some jam at the bottom of the bowl that was a bit sweet. By the time you read this they'll be serving dinner as well. Better car pool.
OVERALL RATING: Bon Cape carbs

Blue Hill

2011-06-23T18:00:00.007-04:00

West Village
75 Washington Place, between 6th Ave and Washington Square Park
212-539-1776
bluehillfarm.com

We're partial to things blue, organic, local, and it was a double birthday celebration so we walked and walked and walked to Blue Hill. About a block. We didn't see the Obamas, but we saw a boringly styled dining room and a lack of precise attention to detail that we would have expected to come as part of the package. Our Andromeda bloomed in April. So, apparently, did Blue Hill's. But ours isn't still in our dining room. The food was good, or better, as was the wine, an Albinaro from Spain, but when expectations are high, so should the food be. The asparagus with watercress and a morning egg was quite good, as was a green gazpacho. The pig three ways was good, but a touch short on savory, and a touch rich. Yet touching. Inge enjoyed the chicken with morels in a pea and spinach sauce, and the tile fish was good. The blueberry and the raspberry desserts, small, custardy tarts, were excellent, even if a touch sweet. At least it was a short walk home.
OVERALL RATING: Get new flowers

Soto

2011-06-20T19:00:00.007-04:00

West Village
357 6th Avenue, between W4th and Washington Place
212-414-3088
sotonyc.com

Where do you go when you are five Swiss speaking Swiss people and one who doesn't understand what the hell they're talking about? Soto, for Japanese. No fondue for you. Soto is understated enough to not have a sign marking it's entrance. Walking by you might think it was a gallery, with it's modern, white abstract face. The food is a special event, each time, as the waitstaff and chefs present small bites of complex taste after taste. Many pieces of sashimi are served with chives and cilantro or watercress chopped a top, but just about everything is noteworthy -- unique, charming and well combined. The conversation was multi, multi cultural, and a nice meeting.
OVERALL RATING: Bonsai pleasures

The Mermaid Inn

2011-06-16T18:00:00.010-04:00

Upper West Side
568 Amsterdam Ave, between 87th and 88th Streets
212-799-7400
themermaidnyc.com

We sat out on the sidewalk at The Mermaid Inn. We have no idea how we got to the Upper West Side, but give us the chance to sit al fresco and we'll take it every time. At least when the weather allows. The Mermaid Inn is now a school of three restaurants, with earlier incantations in the East and then the West Village. It's got all the standard fare of a city seafood eatery. We had a ceviche of fluke, fish tacos and a few other small plates we can no longer remember. Doesn't eating fish boost memory?
OVERALL RATING: Good, but apparently forgettable

The Dutch

2011-06-04T19:00:00.013-04:00

SoHo
131 Sullivan Street, corner of Prince Street
212-677-6200
thedutchnyc.com

We looked forward to eating at The Dutch. After all, it's a production brought to you by Andrew Carmellini of A Voce and Locanda Verde fame. A big production -- there were five hostesses to greet us when we walked in. With a Soho address and a nicely designed space, with beautiful wood paneling and subway tile brick, and an interesting lighting design, we anticipated hip, cool and good food. Well, it was a summer Saturday night, so perhaps that was part of the problem, but the crowd was decidedly bridge and tunnel, or out of towners from uptown hotels. The scene was just too polished, too many nails and coifs done just so for an evening out in the city. And it was loud. Louder than loud. Combined with the scene, all the design polish made the experience seem a lot more commercial than hip -- sort of like Andrew Carmellini does Keith McNally. The food was mixed. We liked an 'Okonomiyaki' asparagus preparation, with a poached egg, and a 'Hiramasa' tartare that tasted earthy and good. But the Asian rib was pedestrian, and the cod with tomato salsa and beans did not rise to better than OK. This large space will likely pack 'em in, like McNally's Minetta Tavern, a couple of blocks away, but we won't be part of the pack.
OVERALL RATING: Commercial

The Boathouse at Saugatuck

2011-05-26T19:30:00.017-04:00

Connecticut
521 Riverside Avenue, Westport
203-221-7475
saugatuckrowing.com

We sat on the Boathouse balcony tonight on a warm, clear evening, overlooking the Saugatuck River. In case you haven't yet gotten the point, this is not a bad thing to do. The crowd is a little old and a little pressed and a little suburban, but it got younger as we drank a Spanish Albarino and the night went on. And the food was really good. We began with a Montauk lobster salad, with avocado, radishes, and leaves from Millstone Farm, then Montauk fluke with kumquats, baby beets, and other Spring tastes -- both just busting with flavor and a ethereal lightness. We ended with a rhurbarb and strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream that was amazing, although not from Montauk, and some truffled chocolates to provide just a bit of ballast. We think Alex liked it.
OVERALL RATING: Wunderbar

Originally reviewed on 2/26/11:
OVERALL RATING: Life is but a dream

Barbuto

2011-05-09T19:00:00.011-04:00

West Village
775 Washington Street, corner of West 12th Street
212-924-9700
www.barbutonyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 05/09/11: Ben became a lawyer and Jessie was becoming a doctor, and we wanted a place to celebrate. It was a nice, warm evening, perfect for eating al fresco, so we went to Barbuto, a cool, lively space in the very West Village. Barbuto occupies the first floor of an industrial building, with garage door walls, open tonight, affording the experience of being outside even when you're in. The crowd is sometimes hip, sometimes not, usually plentiful and the cooking is good, even if a notch below heart healthy. We toasted with prosecco, then began with plates of vegetable crudi in a lemony vinagrette dressing and carciofi with burrata and arugula. Doesn't anyone speak English? We had cod and chicken and gnocchi for mains, the chicken crisp and well herbed, the gnocchi a bit heavy with oil. Some chocolate pudding and a delicious layered torte completed the meal. It's nice to share the successes of people you are close with, and Barbuto was a good place to do it.
OVERALL RATING: Professional

Originally reviewed on 6/5/07

Lalibela

2011-05-08T19:30:00.010-04:00

Westchester
37 South Moger Avenue, Mount Kisco
914-864-1343
lalibelamountkisco.com

We think Paul and Carol are from the British section of Ethiopia but, anyway, they're the ones that took us to Lalibela, a non-British Ethiopian restaurant in Mt. Kisco. The setting and ambience are all thoroughly suburban, but the food is authentic, inexpensive and, more importantly, good. They save a fortune on tableware, enabling them to keep the cost down, by serving all of their dishes upon large plates covered with a thin, spongy bread, upon which your course, or courses, sit. You tear a piece of bread, then use it to pinch a portion of whatever you're interested in. The avocado salad we began with was terrific, sort of a non-British Ethiopian guacamole. Then a huge sampler tray of small portions of seven or eight dishes. We really liked it all. We liked the mango sorbet and the baklava too, dishes for which tableware was allowed. Obviously it pays to go with people with clean hands.
OVERALL RATING: Handy

Thelewala

2011-04-28T20:00:00.007-04:00

West Village
112 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and W 3rd Streets
212-614-9100
thelewalany.com

We went to a Swiss concert at Le Poisson Rouge -- Sophie Hunger -- and wanted something to eat on the walk home. The set, by the way, was terrific, as was the setting, but we'll save that review for when we when we develop our new blog, Earwrapper. Thelewala is a small walkup on MacDougal Street, with virtually no space for eating in, serving Indian cart food. We have no idea what this means, but believe us, there is no way anyone is getting a cart in there. This tiny place has been getting a lot of publicity since opening recently. We had a Thelewala chicken roll, an Achari Aloo Tikki potato roll and a quite spicy bhel pori, a cold, crunchy dish. The rolls are on a chewy bread that is like a flat, round naan. The food was was good, but everything tasted a bit like it came from a cart. We're not sure why, but we think Wala would feel quite at home here.
OVERALL RATING: Not destined to become a destination

Liana's Trattoria

2011-04-23T19:30:00.013-04:00

Connecticut
591 Tunxis Hill Road, Fairfield
203-368-1235

Freshly reviwed on 4/23/11: It had been far too long between visits to Liana's Trattoria, and it was a good halfway point at which to meet Judi and Gabriel. It's a place that's good for catching up, a place where a conversation can be heard, and a place where you are always well fed. We had a some catching up to do with Liana as well, but the room was filled with other customers requiring her attention. The room itself is somewhat nondescript, with a small bar area you pass through to enter the dining room. We began with a special, organic chicken livers that were thoroughly enjoyed, a fresh green insalata mista, and a Napolean of eggplant, with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce. Then a spicy pacceri with cheese and red pepper flakes, veal medallions with spaghetti, spaghetti Putanesca, and breaded fluke, crunchy and lightly fried, with linguini in marinara sauce. We liked everything, the pacceri playing to especially good reviews. If it's Liana's, it's dessert -- she began baking for a variety of restaurants years ago. We had the coconut cake with chocolate sauce and a dab of coffee ice cream. Excellent, and the only thing sweeter was Liana.
OVERALL RATING: Still very good

Originally reviewed on 7/29/06:
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Basso Cafe Restaurant

2011-04-23T18:00:00.006-04:00

Connecticut
124 New Canaan Avenue, Norwalk
203-354-6566
bassobistrocafe.com

Freshly reviewed on 4/23/11: Here's a shout out to all of you who live near New Canaan and read us. Basso Bistro Cafe doesn't realize it need not have both the words Bistro and Cafe in its name, but redundancy is no reason to not eat there. The owners are sweet and thankful for your patronage, the prices are moderate, and the food is pretty good, crossing over between South American and Mediterranean in less time than it takes to fly from Rome to Rio. So why was it empty on Thursday night? Is everybody flying? OVERALL RATING: Cute

Originally reviewed on 4/4/09: They were sweet at Basso Cafe. The hostess genuinely seemed interested in making sure our stay and our meal were satisfactory. They were. Unpretentious from the outside, Basso is nicely done inside, simple but small and pretty. The food is Mediterranean and Venezuelan and ranged from good to considerably better. Ian really liked the beef empanadas, and the rest of us had tuna sashimi with mango, striped bass, and eggplant parmigiana. The rigatoni with lamb was alright and the bricked chicken was good, but they apparently misplaced the brick, seeming more grilled or otherwise fired than crisply seared. But the desserts were good, and it's BYOB presently so if we didn't like the wine we'd only have ourselves to blame.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Tarry Lodge

2011-04-17T19:00:00.008-04:00

New York State, Westchester
18 Mill Street, Port Chester
914-939-3111
tarrylodge.com

We met Sam and Jenni in Port Chester for a Sunday evening meal. Mario Batali et. al. have established an outpost there, Tarry Lodge. There's a market by the same name next door, but it was closed when we arrived. This is sort of an Eataly north operation. The building is older than the restaurant, and the renovation has produced a space with multiple rooms and floors for dining, along with a large bar area. The menu is a bit like Otto's, with an array of salads, pastas and pizzas, as well as nightly specials. The crowd is suburban, divided between couples and foursomes and families, but few city slickers -- you just can't get urbanites to commute. We had a variety of salads, pastas and pizzas, liked everything, but without anything being quite remarkable, except for the conversation with Sammy and Jen.
OVERALL RATING: The formula travels North

Plate

2011-04-15T18:00:00.010-04:00

Connecticut
103 Danbury Road, Ridgefield
203-894-8141
plateridgefield.com

Freshly reviewed on 4/15/11: After a long commute out, and a wet and cold round of golf, neither of us was in a mood to cook. We drove over to Plate for a plate of pasta. Good thing it's not named Fist. We began with a good mixed green salad, and the Winter Caprese, a plate of mozzarella, some fried with an arugula/pesto sauce, some plain with tomato sauce, all good. Then the fettuccini with cauliflower, not quite as good as we remembered it from our first Plate foray. But neither were our moods -- we grumbled at each other throughout the meal. Good thing we didn't throw any plates. Or fists.
OVERALL RATING: Down one notch

Originally reviewed on 2/20/11: What a pleasant surprise for Sunday dinner! We drove over for an early dinner at Plate. We'd heard good word of mouth, and the word we heard was right. Plate is small and cute, tonight with red checkered table clothes and mostly unfilled tables. On Sundays it's a fixed menu, a salad and bread course followed by three pastas. The fettucini with roasted cauliflower, tomato and garlic was excellent, followed by a good linguini carbonara, then a terrific papardelle Bolognese. We had some meatballs and hot sausages as sides. Everything was served family style in the sauce pan it was cooked in, and there was plenty to go around. The service was attentive and very friendly, and the chianti hit the spot. We hardly could have asked for more. Plate certainly could have -- the meal was just plain moderately priced.
OVERALL RATING: Great

Empellon

2011-04-07T19:00:00.009-04:00

West Village
230 West 4th St, at West 10th Street
212-367-0999
empellon.com

We thought Empellon was Spanish. It's Mexican. One of us walked by it a few days ago and thought it looked nicely designed. That's questionable. We apparently don't know much about what we do. That's certain. If you live in NJ and like Mexican food, this may be right up your alley, not that we have anything against Mexico. The scene is graze, drink and lounge. The crowd is young, and crowded, with communal tables and a bar in the front room, and a more sedate dining room in the back. The look is Hibernian, with dark floors and framed, elaborate drawings and mirrors on the walls, and the food and drink were pretty good. We had a smokey, spicy cocktail with mezcal, hot peppers and orange juice, along with guacamole and chips to get going. The chips were a bit greasy, but the accompanying sauces, salsas actually, were fiery. The white tuna ceviche was flavorful and pretty and the green bean and cucumber salad was fresh, even if the dressing was a bit creamy and sweet. The tacos with mushrooms were also pretty in presentation, and except for rubbery mushrooms, quite good. Oh, if we only liked New Jersey.
OVERALL RATING: Bridge, Tunnel and Tacos.

Roberta's

2011-04-03T18:00:00.006-04:00

Bushwick, Brooklyn
261 Moore Street
718-417-1118
robertaspizza.com

Freshly reviewed on 4/3/11: We love Roberta's. And we're not alone. It's always packed. The food is very good. They are well known for their pizzas. But the scene is every bit as good. The neighborhood is industrial and a tad sketchy. The entrance is non-recognizable as a restaurant. The tables are often communal, and the scene is undefinable. But we love that definition. We sat at one of the communal tables and spent the meal talking with a young Canadian couple in NYC for the last LCD Soundsystem concert. We ordered some of what they ordered, and they ordered some of what we did. It's that kind of place.
OVERALL RATING: Definitely communal

Originally reviewed on 9/19/10: You wouldn't know it by looking at Roberta's. It's in an industrial area of Bushwick and looks pretty rough and edgy. There was a rocking outdoor party with live music next door and, sitting in Roberta's garden, it added a background vibe. Roberta's garden is bordered by a few shipping containers with raised bed gardens on their tops. Local greens. The crowd was a broad slice of life but the dress code was decidedly uncoded. Or is the lack of a code a code in itself? Anyway, the food is the draw and the pizzas are very good. We shared three, took a fourth to go, and liked the Ommegang beer. As we undoubtedly would at any respectable pizzeria in Bushwick, we ended the meal with an iced Vietnamese coffee.
OVERALL RATING: Anything goes.

The Local

2011-04-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

Upstate New York
38 West Market Street, Rhinebeck
845-876-2214
thelocalrestaurantandbar.com

We took the Mini and motored our way up to Kingston. We liked two antique mirrors hanging on the wall at Northern Spy Food Co. when we ate there recently, so we asked where they got them. In Kingston they told us, at a warehouse called Zaborski's. We really like looking at ourselves, so off we went. Zaborski's couldn't have been more cluttered, four huge floors filled with everything that didn't sell at tag sales all over Ulster County. Kingston is worse, depressed and distressed. We bought nothing. But Rhinebeck, across the Hudson and home to The Local, is polished and cute, with old homes and small shops throughout. The Local, too, is polished and cute, occupying what was once a small house, now a two story dining room with openings in the floor above the bar and kitchen. It's pretty, and the food is very good, as local as the season allows. We started with yellowfin tuna tataki beside Asian noodles, then phyllo wrapped goat cheese with lettuce leaves, spice rubbed salmon with a beautifully presented bean puree and whipped potatoes, and fried brussel sprout leaves in a vinegary sauce. We needed an espresso for the long ride home, so we had a banana and chocolate bread pudding chaser. We really liked everything.
OVERALL RATING: If you lived there, you'd be home by now.

Flatbush Farm

2011-03-18T19:00:00.003-04:00

Park Slope, Brooklyn
76 Saint Marks Avenue
718-622-3276
flatbushfarm.com

We walked into the Farm on Flatbush one evening last summer when we were early for something or other and had a drink at the bar. It looked pretty cool so we kept it on our radar screen for a return trip. Tonight we tripped and glad we did. The Farm is nicely designed in that old New York way, with hanging bulb clusters and chandeliers dimly lighting black wainscoted walls. The fact that one chandelier was hung at an angle only bothered one of us. There are tables and booths and a bar for drinking or eating, and the usual Brooklyn crowd -- eclectic eclecticity. The waitstaff looked like they came from Brooklyn, of all places, with that farmy, uber cool style. We began with a plate of grilled naan bread with green goat cheese, olive tapenade and spicy bean puree that was very good, and a chiptole corn cake with a well poached egg and mushrooms that was even better. Then a sliced strip steak with grilled vegetables and a monk fish with sauteed kale and creamy risotto. It was all so good that we had an apple pie with cinnamon cream for dessert. We needed that like a zebra needs stripes, but we couldn't resist. And what's one more stripe anyway?
OVERALL RATING: Agrigreeable

Betel

2011-03-15T18:00:00.005-04:00

West Village
51 Grove Street, between 7th Ave and Bleecker Street
212-352-0460
betelnyc.com

There's sort of a hip vibe to Betel. The Aussie who served us seemed like a pretty cool guy. And the place, which was empty when we walked in, filled as we sat. There's a row of two tops along the windowed wall on Grove Street, then some other rows perpendicular to Grove, and a high table that runs the restaurant's length where we sat facing each other, but kissing close. The space feels open and modern, maybe a bit out of place with the West Village. The menu is South Asian, particularly with Vietnamese influences. The asparagus and cashew salad we shared was flavorful and good, with grapefruit sections as well, but we had trouble finding the asparagus. Maybe it gets easier next month when asparagus starts shooting. We had a curried chicken with rice noodles that was OK, and a pork hock that was more like a two pork hock -- it was chopped into cubes and could have filled the back seat of a Mini Cooper station wagon. A Mini with a deep fryer installed -- this was one woked hock. The strawberry and mint mojito was excellent.
OVERALL RATING: Stuffed

Northern Spy Food Co.

2011-03-12T21:00:00.008-05:00

East Village
511 East 12th Street, between Avenues A and B
212-228-5100
northernspyfoodco.com

We went to see Lucinda Williams at Webster Hall. We think she was thrown off by the transition to daylight savings time and may have taken her Ambien an hour too early. Her set was somnolent. Since no one in Webster Hall was cookin', we walked over to Northern Spy Food Co., which is a small, nicely designed space in the East Village. There are blue benches built along the perimeter of the space, with small tables, and a few counter areas for bar seating. It's a space that looks like it was designed with thought and care. We weren't very hungry after having been musically unchallenged, so we had kale salads with cheddar cheese and squash, a bit bland just like Lucinda, but then an excellent crispy potato gnocchi, and pork meatballs in a marinara sauce that were very good. We finished with a sweet potato pie with marshmellows that was well crusted. We walked home, undercover, observing everyone.
OVERALL RATING: Better than Lucinda

Cafe Gitane

2011-03-12T14:00:00.005-05:00

West Village
113 Jane Street, near the West Side Highway
212-255-4113
cafegitanenyc.com

Cafe Gitane is young, hip and busy. It's off the lobby of the Jane Hotel, just east of New Jersey. It was humming both times we've been there, and the look and menu have a Morrocan feel. We didn't order the hummus even though we could have in this bright, noisy space. Instead we opted for avocado toasts and a plate of spicy dark olives and orange sections in red pepper flaked oil. The people watching is excellent -- this is a pretty crowd. The wait staff are dressed in lime green so we celebrated their attire with a house cocktail of vodka, cucumber and mint. Like St. Paddy's Day in Marrakech. The food was good enough, but the buzz was what was happening. Thanks for sharing, Tom!
OVERALL RATING: Here's looking at you kid

Red Cat

2011-03-05T20:00:00.007-05:00

Chelsea
227 10th Avenue, just above 23rd Street
212-242-1122
theredcat.com

We went to the Pulse Art Show with Bob and Gail, saw an awesome, prize winning exhibit by the Joshua Liner Gallery of a David Ellis installation, then had dinner at the Red Cat. The Red Cat has been a fixture in the Chelsea gallery district for years. It's a polished and well tuned operation, attracting an eclectic crowd including many suburbanites and out of towners. The space is a large railroad car in shape with recognizable art on the walls. We felt compelled to start with a basket of tempura string beans after noticing them on a table beside us, then an arugula and parmesan salad and a chopped salad that were both very good and a shrimp scampi that was also good, followed by some fall apart as the fork approached short ribs, a nicely sauteed piece of cod and pan roasted salmon. We liked all of it so we shared a pistacchio semifreddo with chocolate sauce and apple beignets with vanilla ice cream. A couple of bottles of Gigondas and we were purring.
OVERALL RATING: Good kitty

Porsena

2011-03-04T18:00:00.007-05:00

East Village
21 East 7th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
212-228-4923

We've been following Sara Jenkins around since we fell in love with her cooking years ago at the regrettably since closed Patio Dining. Porsena is a pasta restaurant by design, although there are other choices on the menu. The design of the space lags the food preparation, looking considerably more like Dayton, Ohio than the rough and tumble, edgey, young East Village. But we still like her cooking. We began with two salads, one with crisp green stringbeans, fennel, garlic, and onion, the other with arugula, watermelon radish, onion and pecorino. We liked both although the arugula was a bit watery. Our pastas were a pennetta with cauliflower, garlic and onions -- good but a bit sweet -- and an excellent anelloni with spicy lamb sausage and mustard greens that tastily brought beads of perspiration to our foreheads. We had no room for dessert but enjoyed the cup of espresso. Not bad for Ohio.
OVERALL RATING: Good

The Boathouse at Saugatuck

2011-02-26T19:30:00.010-05:00

The Boathouse at Saugatuck
Connecticut
521 Riverside Avenue, Westport
203-221-7475
saugatuckrowing.com

The Boathouse actually is a boathouse. It sits on the second floor of the Saugatuck Rowing Club, directly on the Saugatuck River, and is operated on a high level by its chef and proprietor, John Holzwarth. We were interested to try it, having frequented Rose Water in Park Slope and Dressing Room where he cooked in earlier gigs. As in those endeavors, The Boathouse takes pride in its ingredients and their provenance, and you can see the owner's involvement in every phase of the operation. We began with a plate of oysters, some raw, some roasted, a huge garden salad, and a winter citrus salad with oranges, feta cheese and artichokes. Each ingredient stood on its own merit, each flavor loaded. The kitchen sent out a large portion of green gnudi with mushrooms that was luscious. The pear and pecorino ravioli, the buckwheat pasta ravioli with chicken, and the papardelle with Bolognese sauce were each al dente, inventive and filling. A bottle of Gigondas was a worthy accompaniment. Marc and Helen forced us to share a dessert, so we stayed on the pear trail and had slices on top of delicious shortbread, with a dab of vanilla ice cream rowing alongside. The price of dinner was more occasion than casual, but it felt right in line with what was delivered.
OVERALL RATING: Life is but a dream

Plate

2011-02-20T18:00:00.001-05:00

Connecticut
103 Danbury Road, Ridgefield
203-894-8141
plateridgefield.com

What a pleasant surprise for Sunday dinner! We drove over for an early dinner at Plate. We'd heard good word of mouth, and the word we heard was right. Plate is small and cute, tonight with red checkered table clothes and mostly unfilled tables. On Sundays it's a fixed menu, a salad and bread course followed by three pastas. The fettucini with roasted cauliflower, tomato and garlic was excellent, followed by a good linguini carbonara, then a terrific papardelle Bolognese. We had some meatballs and hot sausages as sides. Everything was served family style in the sauce pan it was cooked in, and there was plenty to go around. The service was attentive and very friendly, and the chianti hit the spot. We hardly could have asked for more. Plate certainly could have -- the meal was just plain moderately priced.
OVERALL RATING: Great

Nicholas Roberts

2011-02-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Connecticut
75 Main Street, East Norwalk
203-229-0035
nicholasrobertsbistro.com

First reviewed on 2/12/11: CTbites.com's write up of Nicholas Roberts incentivized us to try it. It didn't hurt that Eddie and Linda also wanted to try it, so we drove over for breakfast. It's a glass surrounded space, the end store at the corner of a strip mall in a nondescript section of East Norwalk. A large open kitchen and display cases fill the entry to the space, with most of the dining tables along one wall and in the back. The juice was fresh, the pancakes were very good, the omelettes were too, and the French fries were relentless. We don't know why you'd stop after one bite, but if you wanted to, you couldn't. It was breakfast, so we wouldn't have drank in any case, but it's BYO when you want to, and having tried breakfast, we'll have the need to tote a bottle next time through.
OVERALL RATING: Bitable

Freshly updated on 2/20/11: We went back to Nicholas Roberts this morning on our way to Ikea, a big box one of us likes to frequent, the other not. The Ikea liker didn't like breakfast all that much, the spinach and Gruyere omelette replete with onions too sweet and the accompanying salad soggily dressed. The one for which Ikea is a long chore even on a short visit liked the fried egg tortilla with braised short rib and black beans. The restaurant was mostly empty, but the remnants of last night's diners was evident on the floor, on partly unwiped tables, and on smudged windows. No disagreement that it could have used a bit more broom. Maybe we'll find one on sale packed in a flat box.
OVERALL RATING: A split decision.

ABC Kitchen with Jean-Georges

2011-02-05T19:30:00.006-05:00

Union Square
35 East 18th Street, between Broadway & Park Avenue
212-475-5829
abchome.com

We don't usually jump through the hoops of calling a month in advance to get a reservation, but it was a belated birthday dinner and the birthdayee gets to choose. So, finally, the evening of our meal arrived at ABC Kitchen, one of the tougher tickets in the city. It's a Jean-Georges production, and he does Perry St so well, we were all anticipation. And hungry. The space is attached to ABC Carpet and Home and is nicely designed, with exposed beam ceilings, a variety of old styled hanging lamps, and sleek chairs and tables on a blond polished wood floor. It's a nice look, sort of what you'd expect from ABC. The food, alas, though good, was less than anticipated. And despite all the reservation attitude this place puts out, we noticed more than a few empty tables. We started with roasted portobello mushrooms with celery leaves that tasted a bit of the pan in which they were roasted, but besides that, of little else. The roasted carrot, sprouts and avocado salad was also just a bit bland, although the carrots were very nicely flavored. A sashimi of mackeral was crunchy from sea salt and pepper, but no better than similar dishes we've had at Momoya recently. The crunchy cod with mushrooms and jalapenos in broth was very good, but the crunch came from a frying that contributed to a loss of delicateness and charm. The subtle flavors of the wild striped bass with wilted spinach and baby potatoes grew on us, but we left without trying dessert. We just weren't inspired.
OVERALL RATING: B

Bell Book & Candle

2011-02-03T19:00:00.006-05:00

West Village
141 West 10th Street, between Greenwich Ave and Waverly Place
212-414-2355
bbandcnyc.com

Bell Book & Candle opened in a West Village basement a few months ago. It operates the roof of the building as well where they grow a lot of the produce they serve, although right now shaved ice is the only bumper crop. It's local, just an elevator away, and green in orientation. And they have the most generous water policy in the city -- it's all bottled, flat or sparkling, and it's all you can drink for $1 per person. Fair trade. The space has that old New York feel with a bar room as you enter, then two dining rooms through a small passage to the right, the front room with tables for small parties, and the back room with booths for larger groups. We began with a Rosa Margarita, with tequila, agave, Campari, and grapefruit juice. It was delicious. We had a non roof salad and a taco filled with lobster to begin, both good, neither a standout. Then a plate of grilled vegetables that was very good, and the Thursday night special -- a plate of well crisped suckling pig with mashed potatoes and root vegetables. The service was friendly and engaging -- we were repeatedly asked how we liked the food, and our water glasses were never more than 1/4 empty. Seriously. There was a complete flock of water servers and they lined up just for the chance to fill us up. And up. And up.
OVERALL RATING: A glass 3/4 full.

Café Select

2011-01-31T07:20:00.009-05:00

SoHo
212 Lafayette, between Spring and Broome Streets
212-925-9322
cafeselectnyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/30/11: It wasn't as if we really needed to eat, but we were walking around Soho and had gotten a little bit cold, so what the hell. Cafe Select remains a good spot for a leisurely meal. It mos def has a European feel, a place to chat and perhaps linger, and the crowd and staff are decidedly hip. We opted for eggs and roesti and it was an excellent choice. The roesti was crisp on the outside and potatoey inside, as it should be. The warm apple strudel with a caramel flavored ice cream was completely unnecessary. We were just in the mood to linger.
OVERALL RATING: Feels like home

Originally reviewed on 10/18/08

Goat Town

2011-01-29T20:00:00.007-05:00

East Village
511 East 5th Street, between Ave. A and B
212-687-3641
goattownnyc.com

We watched The King's Speech, had a drink at Vandaag and dinner at Goat Town where Erica's friend Catherine works. But not tonight. It's a refurbished space in the East Village with subway tiled booths across from a bar before an open kitchen. We sat in a table by the window, looking out at snow and ice encased bicycles and cars. The roots of Goat Town go back to Marlow's in Williamsburg, and Cookshop in Chelsea. These are good pedigrees. We started with a salad of kale, apples, and walnuts, then each had a burger with Gruyere. The salad was excellent, the burgers were good, the accompanying fries were a little bit soggy. But after the drinks at Vandaag, so were we. We had some salty caramel and burnt honey ice cream to finish, then walked home briskly in the snow. And slush. And mush.
OVERALL RATING: Not baaaaaad.

Marlow & Sons

2011-01-23T17:00:00.010-05:00

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
81 Broadway, near Berry Street
718-384-1441
marlowandsons.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/23/11: We drove out to Williamsburg on a cold afternoon to do a little shopping before an early meal. We hit Moon River Chattel and Good Farm General Store for housewares before buying some groceries at Marlow and Daughters. Keeping it in the family, dinner was at Marlow and Sons. The feel is homey, hip and cozy. If there were a pot belly stove to warm your feet, it wouldn't be out of place. We began with a crostini with cauliflower, parsley, carmelized onion, parmigiana cheese, and cherries, and a fresh kale salad with feta cheese, hen of the woods mushrooms and walnuts, both terrific. Then an excellent papardelle with Bolognese sauce and pepper, and the bricked chicken with spinach. As it sometimes is at Marlow's, the brick was salty. We were filled by the time the place was as well.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Reviewed again on 01/23/09
Originally reviewed on 11/3/07

Edi and the Wolf

2011-01-15T19:00:00.006-05:00

East Village
102 Avenue C, near 7th Street
212-598-1040
ediandthewolf.com

Tonight we went to Edi and the Wolf, a new Austrian place. Edi seems like a nice man -- when we emailed for a reservation he wrote back, letting us down gently since we were less than a party of five. We sat at a communal table in the middle of the small, dark room, surrounded by booths and what looked like lots of decorative vegetation. It was dark enough for doubt. The motif was old, and seemed a little busy for our minimal predilection. We began with a shared plate of spatzle, prepared reminiscently like one of or grandmothers used to make. The spatzle were moist, and served with fried onion rings, and brussel sprouts. We enjoyed them. Then, cheese ravioli, and a sliced steak with more of the spatzle, sprouts and rings. Both were good. We finished with a crepe of chocolate hazelnut and creme fraiche, then wobbled out into the cold evening and walked home.
OVERALL RATING: good

Anella

2011-01-08T20:00:00.004-05:00

Greenpoint Brooklyn
222 Franklin Street
718-389-8100
www.anellabrooklyn.com

We took the F, L and G lines out to the far reaches of Greenpoint to visit Anella after it received a sweet review from Sam Sifton in the NY Times. We emerged disoriented from the subway -- we knew we needed to walk west but we couldn't figure out which direction that was. We approached a young couple and asked. They were disoriented too. So we jokingly asked if they had a compass. And they did! Who carries a compass? But, without a fixed point of reference, the compass could not direct us. A sweet deliveryman rode by on a bike and yelled, "What are you looking for?" And that's how we got to Anella. It was worth the trip. It's a charming space, with a long bar on the right that you pass through to the open kitchen and railroad car dining room back behind it. The quiet dining area is dimly lit by Edison lamps, with old, distressed plaster on one wall, lovely wood panels on the other, and a white painted tin ceiling. We had roasted broccoli with lemon and parmigiana and a terrific shaved sun choke salad with oranges and roasted pistachios to start. Then a sliced pork chop with pureed potatoes and sweet red cabbage, and a rigatoni with smoked bacon, brussel sprouts and a sprinkling of lemon. We liked both a lot. Of the two wines we tasted, the Montepulciano was better than the Malbec. The olive oil cake with vanilla ice cream was sweet and moist. By the time we left, the bar area was filled with people waiting for a table. Does everyone have a MetroCard?
OVERALL RATING: BYO compass

Momoya

2011-01-02T19:00:00.005-05:00

Chelsea / Gramercy Flatiron
162 W 21st Street and 7th Avenue
212-989-4466
themomoya.com

Reviewed again on 01/02/11: We said we'd put Momoya back into the rotation, and we did. There are few places we'd rather go for Japanese food. Tonight, at 7:30, it was jammed and we waited for about 1/2 hour. Drinking an Ichiban eased the pain. We had the warm mushroom salad again, and not because we didn't like it, a yellowtail ceviche that was incredible, a fluke with ponzu sauce that was very good, tuna and avocado salad that was terrific, and a sashimi of char that was no less incredible and terrific than anything aforementioned. The edamame to start was as good as edamame gets. We could have eaten until breakfast, but stopped after a small bowl of fresh berries with some creme Anglaise. Momoya was our second review, in 2005, and it's withstood the taste of time.
OVERALL RATING: More Moya!

Freshly reviewed on 10/02/10: We hadn't been to Momoya in quite awhile. We moved from the neighborhood a few years ago and it's just fallen out of the rotation. Maybe it shouldn't have. We walked in after loving The Social Network and had edamame, warm mushroom salad, gyoza with pork, halibut ceviche, and two special rolls and really liked every single thing. The Japanese space has sort of a European feel and a Swiss eye on the quality control.
OVERALL RATING: We're back!

First reviewed on 09/17/05: The lines of this new space are clean and sleek. We sat by a wall of windowed garage doors that can open on nice evenings. The service was very good and the food was terrific. Edamame was fresh, crisp and nicely flavored with salt and hints of butter. Black Miso Cod was clear tasting and nicely plum flavored. Two special rolls, Spicey Tuna Momoya and Spring Vegetable, were composed of fresh, flavorful ingredients, with complimenting sauces, precluding the need for soy or wasabi. The flavors sang a harmony. We washed it all down with small, individual bottles of prosecco. A chestnut cake for dessert was the only off note -- it was overly dressed with a rich, sugary frosting. We'll be back anyway.
OVERALL RATING: Very, very good

Year End Summary 2010

2011-01-01T19:00:00.010-05:00

We notice more and more restaurants paying attention to and pointing attention to ingredients and sources. It's a satisfying trend. We found many spaces this year that were designed to look like old New York. They tend to be filled with young New Yorkers. We like both. All in all, we're happy to explore and taste, and only one of us gained five pounds in the past twelve months. Here are some of the places that made a mark on us this year.

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BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE
THAT WE WOULD TRAVEL TO: Joseph Leonard
BEST REASON TO GO TO BROOKLYN: Five Leaves
BEST MEATLOAF (OTHER THAN OUR OWN): Rye
BEST SALAD and BEST STEAK: Prime Meats
BEST SIBLING OPERATION: Frankie's 457 Spuntino,
Frankie's 17 Spuntino, and Prime Meats
BEST PIZZA BY A SHIPPING CONTAINER: Roberta's
BEST OF CT: Valencia Luncheria
MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: Dressing Room
BEST LLAMA SPITTING: The Schoolhouse at Millstone Farm
BEST JAPANESE: Momoya
BEST IN BALTIMORE: Woodberry Kitchen
BEST OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Vinegar Hill
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Minetta Tavern
MOST MISSED: Bellavitae

Dressing Room

2010-12-30T19:00:00.003-05:00

Connecticut
25 Powers Ct, Westport
203-226-1114
dressingroomhomegrown.com

Reviewed again on 12/30/10: We felt like going out after many nights of cooking in so we drove over to Westport to the Dressing Room. The look is casual Adirondack but the hosting, service and food are professional through and through. And man, the food is good. The menu features local farms and suppliers, including Millstone Farm and Wave Hill Breads from Wilton. We began with a plate of lean prosciutto with cow cheese, leeks, radishes and frisee, and a chopped salad of root vegetables, goat cheese, local leaves and pecans. Both were excellent. Then a plate of roasted vegetables that was so pretty and so delicious, an excellent burger with carmelized onions and bacon, and a plate of Missouri style spare ribs. The Clipping Pils beer and the Oregon Pinot Noir were good accompaniments. The meal required tasting a dessert -- that's been happening to us a lot lately -- so we shared a rosemary apple pie with ice cream. The whole meal was terrific. Then we went home and saw the world from a completely different perspective -- we watched the DVD, Food, Inc.
OVERALL RATING: Sustaining

Freshly updated on 12/27/08: We were in the country and wanted to take Inge someplace she hadn't been, someplace where we could experience a casual setting, comfortable surroundings, and good food. Someplace where we wouldn't have to get dressed to go to dinner. So we went to the Dressing Room. The setting is sort of farmhouse chic, the menu slants to local and seasonal, and you can dress up or down. The food was pretty dressed up. We had 'Millstone' salads to begin, with pear and parmigiana slices, from Millstone Farms in Wilton. Then four entrees that were very liked -- a chicken pot pie, a burger, baby back ribs, and meatloaf -- and one that just wasn't -- a striped bass in a sweet glaze. No room left for dessert, but the Malbec was a nice accompaniment to the food. With some other drinks, the tab amounted to about $60 per person. We liked the food and seeing WALA.
OVERALL RATING: Quite good

Originally reviewed on 01/26/07: The Dressing Room is co-owned by Paul Newman and is sequestered behind the Westport Playhouse. If you didn't know where it was, you wouldn't know where it is. It is a stylish place, nicely redone in a Ralph Lauren lodge kind of way, open and barn like with rustic high beams supporting a dimly lit A-frame ceiling. A stone fireplace contributes to the warm ambiance, and a flat screen TV at the bar plays loops of Paul Newman movies. The menu tilts towards organic, green market and local, all things we like. The food is good (like the pot roast), sometimes better (the raw, pickled and roasted salad), but winds up just a tad below expectations (the overly buttery trout), and a tad bit expensive. The wait staff was very friendly and their rendition of the daily specials was almost movie worthy. The restaurant is a popular place, with many people waiting to be seated while we gabbed away about the world's, and our own problems.
OVERALL RATING: Fine

Carmine Club Cafe (now closed)

2010-12-22T19:00:00.004-05:00

West Village
41 Carmine Street, between Bedford and Bleecker Street
212-933-0527
carmineclubcafe.com

Carmine Cafe Club just opened in the past few weeks. It's laid out as more of a bar than a restaurant, with the space divided into two by a brick wall which opens to a circular bar and open kitchen. The tables are surprisingly uncrowded, suggesting the floor space was left with drinkers in mind. There are high tables with backed stools along one wall, and some small tables for more traditional seating. The look is sometimes minimal and old, and sometimes a bit suburbany -- it depends on which way you're looking, and which light fixture you're looking at. The food was pretty good. We began with a plate of salumni, then two very well herbed and spiced salads -- we couldn't have done better from our own garden -- followed by cavatelli in an oxtail ragu, flavored mildly with chocolate, and a well herbed, butterflied small chicken. The glass of Gigondas was recommended, but what was left out of the recommendation was the price -- $16 a glass is a bit special. We went in for an easy, early dinner, got it, but it was pricey, like the Gigondas.
OVERALL RATING: Pretty good, but 'spensive.

The Spotted Pig

2010-12-21T20:00:00.004-05:00

West Village
314 W 11th Street, at Greenwich Street
212-620-0393
thespottedpig.com

Erica wanted to go to The Spotted Pig, in part because her friend Stephanie is working in the kitchen. Good thing she is -- it turned a nine hour wait into merely an hour. We had a drink at Wallse while we waited for the call. The Pig is crowded and filled with pigs -- not necessarily the patrons, although we can't vouch for anyone -- but ceramic ones, iron ones, painted ones and, mos def, edible ones. The tables turn multiple times each night, a combination of good food and a happening vibe. We had deviled eggs as an amuse bouche, then a delicious plate of fluke crudo with pomegranates from the lovely Stephanie, a plate of luscious gnudi with sage, greens, fennel and brown butter, and salads of speck and puntarelle, and lardons and a fried duck egg over frisee. Each was quite good. Then a burger with string fries, a prosciutto and ricotta tart, and a plate of deep fried brussel sprouts. We can't claim it was a heart healthy meal, but you can't eat Vegan every night.
OVERALL RATING: Squealable

Rye

2010-12-19T19:00:00.011-05:00

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
247 S. 1st Street, east of Roebling Street
718-218-8047
ryerestaurant.com

Freshly reviewed on 12/19/2010: We'd eaten at Rye once before, but it was awhile ago, shortly after it opened as a Dressler offspring, and we were the only people in the place besides their employees, so it made little impression. But we were looking for something across a body of water that would fill a need for savory comfort on a cold Sunday night, so back we went. And glad we did. It's a good sized space, darkly lit with old style lamps and dim bulbs, dark woods and tin covered tables. A bar runs along one wall, and a more private area for seating is past it. We had a mixed green salad to start that was mostly red with radicchio and red leafed lettuce, and a salad of frisee, sprouts, and bacon lardons over smoked sturgeon. Both excellent. Then the Rye meatloaf sandwich, with fried onion rings and pickles on a crunchy bread, along with a side of brussel sprouts, nicely cooked and flavored. Also excellent, and maybe even better than the one we handmade a week ago. Everything up to then was so good, including the Ommegang beer and the glass of Cotes du Rhone, that we would not stop, so we had donuts with ice cream. Also excellent. Rickie missed a helluva meal.
OVERALL RATING: A total yum

Originally reviewed on 09/19/09: We spent the afternoon walking around Williamsburg, marveling at all the unfinished construction, wondering who is going to rent, or buy, the thousands of apartments that are just coming onto the market. Sam had told us about Rye, not Sam the cat, the other Sam, so we decided to try it. It's a spin off of sorts from Dressler where Rye's chef had manned the kitchen. The space is somewhat reminiscent, with dark woods and dim lighting and a long bar where we began the meal with a drink. We sat by the only window and started with an excellent plate of smoked sturgeon and frisee, and an artichoke that was unfortunately a bit too fried. Then, a roasted chicken with button squash and a mushroom lasagna, both good but neither transcendent. We finished with a somewhat bland lemon cake and berries. We were stuffed enough to walk home over the Williamsburg Bridge, and we did.
OVERALL RATING: Good, but less than expected

Joseph Leonard

2010-12-16T19:30:00.005-05:00

West Village
170 Waverly Place, and Grove Street
646-429-8383
josephleonard.com

Newly reviewed on 12/11/10: After months of fire repair, Joseph Leonard reopened this week. It looks exactly as it did, a cute, bustling space filled with regulars who eat there regularly because of good food and a young, downtown vibe. The menu has changed a bit, but its mainstays remain. Tonight we had a fresh apple salad, with greens, pecans and bleu cheese that was an excellent counterpart to the tabasco laced brussel sprouts. The vegetable dumpling soup was a tad bland, but the cod with mushrooms and potatoes was very good, as were the glasses of Gruner Veltliner and Valpolicella. The service was just plain friendly as usual. For us, Joseph Leonard is a winning combination of close and good. But we would travel to come here.
OVERALL RATING: Welcome back!

Freshly reviewed on 02/26/10: It was a slush festival on the streets of New York so we went local to Joseph Leonard. We've been back many times since it opened this summer and like it for it's food, drink and vibe. It's a small, dimly lit space, always crowded with downtown peeps. Tonight we had crab cakes with spicy mustard, a terrific salad with baby leaves, shaved fennel and radishes, hash brown potatoes that resembled a roesti, although not quite as good, cauliflower smothered in anchovies, and an excellent pan roasted chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and root vegetables. The service and hosting was a lot friendlier than the weather.
OVERALL RATING: Hip

Originally reviewed on 08/07/09: Joseph and Leonard are the grandfathers of Gabriel Stulman who just proudly opened a restaurant in their names in the old Flor's Kitchen space. It's a small space, redone with a central bar where we comfortably waited, and surrounding tables on two levels. There are windows out to Waverly and Grove Streets, and antique mirrors throughout. It's a well conceived and well done design. The crowd is young with a downtown vibe -- the kind of crowd that makes you think Brooklyn may be influencing Manhattan, not a bad thing. The food is right on par with Little Owl and Market Table, two older sibling ventures. We began at the bar with an amuse bouche of cod with a red pepper relish, then had it again at the table, and not because we had to. Another starter, crab meat with a mustard horseradish sauce was able to take your breath away. Then an omelette with mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes, and a crisp pork hock that was salty and delicious. What the hock? The prices are moderate and there's little doubt this will be a hard place to get a seat in just a short bit of time.
OVERALL RATING: A grand opening

Valencia Luncheria

2010-11-24T19:00:00.004-05:00

Connecticut
172 Main Avenue, Norwalk
203-846-8009
valencialuncheria.com

Reviewed again on 11/24/10: It was the night before Thanksgiving and we wanted to take Francois someplace that was a favorite, to have him experience what we like. We went to Valencia. It remains a favorite. The crab meat perched on an arepa, the salmon tacos, the pork loin wrapped in bacon, the Florida salad, and the seared tuna with grilled sweet potato were all excellent. Jennifer's cheesecake with grilled bananas was likewise excellent. Nothing was a notch below. No wonder the place was packed.
OVERALL RATING: Thanks!

Freshly reviewed on 03/27/10: We originally learned of Valencia Luncheria from Kor. He must still be recommending it, because we ran into him there last night. We're still recommending it too. We had lunch there a few days ago, and the arèpas are excellent. Last night, it was blackened salmon, in soft tacos with guacamole, then shrimp Venezuelan style, in a spicy peanut sauce, and spice rubbed ahi tuna, charred and almost raw, with more of that outstanding guacamole, along with a side of rice and chopped vegetables, and some other vegetables beside. There's a low key atmosphere and we love the lack of design. What there is is very good food, fresh, well prepared, nicely sized portions, and moderate prices. It's BYO.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent

Reviewed again on 08/16/09: We eat at Valencia Luncheria a lot. We really like it. So it's time to update this post. Valencia is so unsuburban in an unsuburban way. It's small, easy, inventive, moderately priced, and very good. It's owner, Michael Young, is into the work and is a sweet host. We're kind of addicted to the Aphrodite arepa, a combo of fresh mango and avocado on crunchy fried cornmeal bread. It goes perfectly with the green sauce offered on the table, a mix of olive oil and cilantro and who knows what else. The fruit batidos are delicious, a blend of fruit and ice, and who knows what else. Next time we drive over we'll remember our camera to post a better picture -- we forget it all the time.
OVERALL RATING: Urb in burb

Newly reviewed on 07/03/08: We've eaten at Valencia Luncheria again for breakfast and lunch a few times recently and will gladly return for dinner. The food is terrific. We've had a regular egg sandwich and a few different arepas, an Aphrodite with mango and avocado, a crispy mushroom with ricotta, and a gorgonzola with Turkish apricots. The flavor mixes are well chosen -- we really liked each one. The space is quite East Village -- this is not a high production value restaurant, but if you want inventive, very well made food at very reasonable prices, this could become a repeat offender for you too.
OVERALL RATING: We love it

Originally reviewed on 10/20/05: We owe this one to our friend Kor. He makes frequent recommendations to this Blog, and is one of the best golfers we know. Valencia Luncheria is a neighborhood storefront with no more than six or seven tables. Its chef and owner has a resume built at two jazzier restaurants in South Norwalk. It's BYO, very inexpensive and minimal, and the arepas and other Venezuelan dishes are authentic and delicious. It's mostly open for breakfast and lunch, but early dinners are also served.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Kin Shop

2010-11-18T19:00:00.004-05:00

West Village
469 6th Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets
212-675-4295
kinshopnyc.com

We looked forward to trying Kin Shop, a Thai styled spinoff of Perilla. It's a good sized space with an open kitchen and bar seating towards the back, and tables and booths throughout. The decor, however, winds up looking a bit like dormitory cafeteria, rather than hip. The food had its problems as well. We had a salad of watercress and mustard greens that might have been good crisp and fresh -- instead it was steamed and wound up as a spicy mush. The vegetable salad was likewise steamed and a bit collapsed. The grilled prawns were good sized, but the peppery peanut sauce was sweet, and the massaman, braised goat, though quite tender, was sweet as well in a coconut milk broth. The roti, a potentially crisp flat bread, was greasy. But did we say we liked the Kin and tonic, a mix of Hendrick's gin with lime, mint, cucumber and parsley?
OVERALL RATING: Disappointing

Vandaag

2010-11-06T19:00:00.004-04:00

East Village
103 2nd Avenue and 6th Street
212-253-0470
vandaagnyc.com

Vandaag is a new, sleek space in the East Village. It has a good deal of glass facing out to 2nd Avenue, and a lot of openness throughout the tables and booths. The food is Northern European, the wines mostly Austrian, and there's a healthy sprinkling of Dutch, in gins, spices and preparations. We had gravlax, the salmon fresh and accompanied by celery in various forms, and a cheese toast to begin, then fluke, a burger and pork chops as mains. The pork tasted delicious, but one half of each chop was fat, plain and simple. Not marbleized, not fatty, just plain old unadulterated fat. The waffle cookie and the apple tart were more than one-half edible, and the wine and drinks were good but the tab was one-half higher than it should have been.
OVERALL RATING: Half good

Morandi

2010-11-05T19:00:00.006-04:00

West Village
211 Waverly Place by 7th Avenue
212-627-7575
morandiny.com

Freshly reviewed on 11/05/10: Sometimes, like the night we walked over with Olaf who made a surprise visit, Morandi is more. That night, the bread was fresh and crunchy, the wines well chosen, and the pastas superb. Or at least more. But tonight, Morandi was lacking that something more. The wines were a bit flat, the bread was from a different bakery, and the pastas nothing special. The shaved raw brussel sprouts with pecorino were good, but filling. We ordered a dessert because we were morons.
OVERALL RATING: Sometimes less

Revisited on July 17, 2008: It was a nice, warm evening and we were in the city. We wanted to eat al fresco so we walked over to Morandi and sat on the sidewalk. The service was excellent. The wait staff was friendly and observant of our every move. Every sip of sparkling water resulted in a fresh pour in an unintrusive way. Oh, were the food up to the same level. We began with the fried artichokes we'd liked so much on our first visit. They were tasty and tart with a lemon squeezed over them, but just a bit fried and oily. The fava bean salad was soggy and salty, and the grilled chicken, also liked in our first visit, was overly oily, almost soggy as well. The asparagus? Same. Where's the crisp?
OVERALL RATING: Lesandi

Originally reviewed on 03/20/07: Morandi is a look around kind of place. The noise and the buzz make your head turn. Who where? What there? The space looks a bit like a Hollywood set built into the lobby of a post-war building. Which is exactly what it is. The decor is sort of Pottery Barn does Tuscany. But the food is good, and the service was as well. We started with a grilled fennel salad with bitter honey, and fried artichokes with lemon, both excellent. Then grilled chicken with lemon and parsley that tasted of Italy infused in every bite, and ravioli with gorgonzola and red leaves. We finished with cannoletti that were filled with ricotta and pistachios. But not as filled as Morandi.
OVERALL RATING: Buzzin'

Aria Wine Bar

2010-10-30T19:00:00.005-04:00

West Village
117 Perry Street, between Hudson Street and Greenwich Street
212-242-4233

We'd seen some new lights and a lot of activity under work scaffolding on Perry Street (where Hable Construction used to be), so we walked by to see what all the fuss was. Aria is new to the area. It's a small, open space with tiled bars for serving and seating on one side, communal tables in it's middle, and small tables beside. The decor is that new old New York look with an exposed wood ceiling, hanging barn lights and subway tiled walls, a Freemans sort of look. It's part bar, part restaurant and megaphonically loud. The plates are small and the prices, of the food and drink, refreshingly reflect that. Some of the dishes are quite good. We had a mound of burrata drizzled with balsamic, seated atop heirloom tomato surrounded by prosciutto, a plate of parmigiana with olives, peppers and a good salami, and sauteed and spicy artichoke slices mixed with olives and cheese. Only the lamb, past gamey heading towards game over, was a disappointment. The ricotta cheesecake with berries made up for it, and you might find the accompanying cappuccino still there if you visit -- cooling down.
OVERALL RATING: Humming along

James

2010-10-23T19:00:00.007-04:00

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
605 Carlton Avenue
Corner of Carlton Avenue and St. Marks Avenue
718-942-4255
jamesrestaurantny.com

James looks good on the approach. It's on a corner in Prospect Heights and you can see the old world glow from within as you walk up. It's squarish and small with a bar that's apparently more for eating than carousing. The burgers were flying out of the kitchen faster than a fry fries. We had excellent starters of pork belly and chutney and beets with a goat cheese mousse. The mains, a pressed chicken that must have wrinkled on the walk out from the kitchen, and an unadorable dorade. Too bad -- it was a great start.
OVERALL RATING: Next time a burger

Red Lulu

2010-10-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

Connecticut
128 Washington Street, South Norwalk
redlulumexican.com

Red Lulu opened in South Norwalk recently and Joe lured us there. Little did we all know but Red Lulu looks a whorehouse in a Quentin Tarantino movie (and that's a compliment). There are coves with booths upstairs and down, red velvet Goth patterned wallpaper, mirrored tables with kitschy chandeliers, and a smoking ice amuse bouche. Red Lulu is a lounge with food, but, by appearance, a bordello. The food is Mexican and the bar is Tequila dominated. The drinks were ho house ho-hum but the food was surprising. The chips with multiple dips, the pork tacos, and the steak parilla were all better than we expected. The servers were overly enthusiastic and cotton candy is no way to end a meal. But the look? What could they possibly have been thinking?
OVERALL RATING: Slutty

Bread Bar at Tabla (now closed)

2010-09-21T20:00:00.009-04:00

Flatiron/Gramercy
11 Madison Avenue, Corner of 25th Street and Madison Ave.
212-889-0667
tablany.com

Freshly reviewed on 9/21/10: Tabla has been a favorite of ours for quite some time. We've liked the way East meets West in this Danny Meyer/Floyd Cardoz version of Indian. So tonight, when one of us was in what is uptown for us at a business gathering, and the other was welcoming Chloe Joye onto the planet, we met afterward in Tabla's downstairs area. Alas the food was down a notch. The guacamole was good, but the Taro chips were very fried. The Halibut ceviche was quite pickled, and then sugared to offset the pickling. The pakoras with kale were almost as fried as the Taro, and the flat bread was a bit over oiled and served well before any other dish it might have accompanied. And the peppered and grilled prawns, while having a nice bite, were bite protected by still wearing their shells. Don't get us wrong -- nothing was bad, but we'd come to expect more.
OVERALL RATING: Blah

Originally reviewed on 1/03/06: Tabla Bread Bar is at the intersection of sub-Asian and green market American cooking. They've written the map. Floyd Cardoz, the chef, takes seasonal ingredients and marries them with Indian preparations and seasonings. The result is an interesting, inventive and delicious grazing menu featuring breads, chutneys, small plates, and plates for sharing. Even the mixed drinks are inventive. We absolutely love the avocado salad, the corn on the cob with cumin and the chicken tikka. To top it all off, there is al fresco dining under a MetLife roof right on Madison Avenue in the warm months. Great food and people watching too.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Hundred Acres

2010-09-21T19:00:00.005-04:00

SoHo
38 MacDougal Street
212-475-7500
hundredacresnyc.com

We moseyed down into Soho and stopped at Hundred Acres. The name is an exaggeration of its size, despite it being a bit large by downtown standards, and highly produced. We sat in the front, by the framed glass wall facing the sidewalk. It's dark woods and a stone floor, large floral arrangements and dim lights, all pretty. The food was good. We had a squash blossom filled with ricotta, perched on lentils and fava beans, a broccoli soup, and a half chicken, a fifty acre portion, spit roasted and delicious. A sister to Cookshop in Chelsea and Five Points in Noho, Hundred Acres is well heeled, well crafted, and geographically correct.
OVERALL RATING: 88/100

Roberta's

2010-09-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

Bushwick, Brooklyn
261 Moore Street
718-417-1118
robertaspizza.com

You wouldn't know it by looking at Roberta's. It's in an industrial area of Bushwick and looks pretty rough and edgy. There was a rocking outdoor party with live music next door and, sitting in Roberta's garden, it added a background vibe. Roberta's garden is bordered by a few shipping containers with raised bed gardens on their tops. Local greens. The crowd was a broad slice of life but the dress code was decidedly uncoded. Or is the lack of a code a code in itself? Anyway, the food is the draw and the pizzas are very good. We shared three, took a fourth to go, and liked the Ommegang beer. As we undoubtedly would at any respectable pizzeria in Bushwick, we ended the meal with an iced Vietnamese coffee.
OVERALL RATING: Anything goes.

Local

2010-09-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

SoHo
144 Sullivan Street, near Prince Street
212-253-2601

Freshly reviewed on 09/18/10: After a lot of walking around Soho we stopped in Local for a light bite. They make some very good sandwiches. We had well salted and dilled egg salad on a multi-grain bread, and avocado toast, dusted with hot red pepper flakes. Both were delicious and put just enough gas in our tank to continue our walk home. Good thing we live on the East coast.
OVERALL RATING: Yum

Originally reviewed on 02/27/08: We knew we were going to like Local as soon as we walked by. It's small, nicely designed, open for only nine months, and possessing an edge. This is a breakfast and lunch nook, with sandwiches and soups, a friendly vibe, and rock and roll music. We had a ham and fig sandwich with mozzarella, and a flank steak sandwich, made spicy with cilantro and lime, on a ciabatta. Both were just the right size. Local is not a destination restaurant, but if you're walking through north Soho, check it out. And remember, Local spelled backwards is Lacol.
OVERALL RATING: Cute

Five Leaves

2010-09-17T19:30:00.001-04:00

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
18 Bedford Avenue, Nassau Ave subway stop
718-383-5345
fiveleavesny.com

Freshly reviewed on 9/17/10: We wanted Inge to try Five Leaves and, a couple of subway lines later, she did. Despite it being a Friday night and 7:30 we got seated immediately and went to work chomping our way through the menu. The roasted beet salad with citrus sections and yogurt was terrific as usual. The pork ribs were topped with a spicy mix of julienned celery root and apple. The roasted chicken was well prepared and rich, and the hamachi, raw except for a light stir frying was excellent. Every time we leave we want to come back.
OVERALL RATING: Remains a favorite

Freshly reviewed on 02/07/10: It's become a Super Bowl tradition. While America watches, we go to Five Leaves. It was early but Five Leaves was almost full. We started drinking, accompanied by a plate of thinly sliced meats with fennel, then a plate of excellent cheeses. We continued drinking with a plate of grilled sardines and another of pork ribs. The crowd was decidedly young, Brooklyn and unsportsmanlike. We like it that way. A panna cotta finished us off, right about the same time the drinks did. We managed to find our way home, even if it wasn't ours. Who cared?
OVERALL RATING: Super

Reviewed again on 02/16/09: We've been to Five Leaves twice already so we've got three leaves left. We're going to savor each one of them. We went out to Greenpoint by car with Jessie, got a little lost, but arrived in time to squeeze into a small table. We shared celery root mash, the roasted beet and blood orange salad again, Brussel sprouts, crisped, well seasoned pork ribs again, and ravioli with ricotta and blood oranges. We left nothing on the plates. We found room for two desserts and liked them. The joint was hopping on a President's Day Monday night.
OVERALL RATING: Terrific

Originally reviewed on 02/01/09: The Super Bowl just didn't capture our interest so we drove out to Red Hook to Ikea, and then to Five Leaves in Greenpoint, a scruffy suburb of Williamsburg. Five Leaves is Australian in descent, and Heath Ledger was a partner in the venture. The small triangular space was designed by the same people who did Moto in Williamsburg -- it looks old and industrial rough. The food looks surprisingly stylish -- each dish is pretty on the plate -- and better on the tongue. We had Devils on Horseback, dates wrapped in bacon and a sharp Dijon mustard for dipping, a fresh salad of arugula, roasted beets, blood orange sections, macadamia nuts and a yogurt drizzle, prosciutto with fennel and pomegranate, crisp pork ribs with apple slaw, and crisp roasted chicken with hen of the woods mushrooms, Swiss chard, and potato gratin. We loved each and every dish. They were inventive, well conceived and well prepared. Glasses of a Rhone and a Loire kept pace with the food, and we finished with a Pavlova, a crunchy meringue with whipped cream, passion fruit and kiwi. The service was friendly and attentive. Man, was this good.
OVERALL RATING: Hated to Leave

Vinegar Hill House

2010-09-16T21:00:00.005-04:00

Dumbo, Brooklyn
72 Hudson Avenue
718-522-1018
vinegarhillhouse.com

Freshly reviewed on 9/16/10: We went out to Brooklyn, after the tornado gave it a restructuring, to see Francois's latest works at a show in Williamsburg. We were within walking distance of Vinegar Hill so we decided to walk the distance and see if we could get in. We did. The room was almost filled and the crowd was young. The food was quite good. We had a roasted tomato tart with a buttery crust on a wooden plank from the oven, a bruschetta with anchovies, and a fresh corn salad. Then a linguini with tomato sauce, and pappardelle with a spicy lamb ragu and smooth ricotta cheese--delicious. No room whatsoever for dessert but it was probably our loss -- everything else was so good.
OVERALL RATING: So good

Originally reviewed on 1/31/10: No one knows where Vinegar Hill is. Even if you live in Brooklyn it's a mystery. It's actually in a so-named suburb of Dumbo, on a cobble stoned street, in a townhouse amidst factories and boarded up buildings, near a Navy yard. The decor is a combo of old with touches of kitsch thrown in for good measure. It was an early Sunday evening, about 47 degrees below zero when we drove out. We were seated at a table right away, but by the time we left, you'd have waited for an hour. The crowd was a combo of granola and Manhattanites who, like us, drove across the river. The staff was friendly and the food was good. We had a shaved fennel salad with shaved pecorino, green olives and capers, brussel sprouts roasted in the wood burning oven which services much of the menu, a pasta with Bolognese sauce, and cast iron chicken, not crisp as you'd imagine but succulent and in a gravy that made it taste almost stewed. The Prescription cocktail with gin, orange and lemon was just what the doctor ordered, but the glass of Gamay wine was of HMO quality. The almond and spiced black currant tart with creme fraiche was terrific. The problem was a subtle odor in the air, subtle giving way to unavoidability, of an oil turned rancid, or an oily fish skin. Who needs that?
OVERALL RATING: Good despite

The Schoolhouse at Millstone Farm

2010-09-15T18:30:00.005-04:00

Connecticut
34 Cannon Road, Wilton
203-834-9816
theschoolhouseatcannondale.com
millstonefarm.org

Newly reviewed on 9/15/10: We wanted to give Inge a true Connecticut farm experience, so we booked a dinner cooked by the Schoolhouse Restaurant at Millstone Farm. The farm is an organic venture, doing all the right things and supplying produce and some meats to local restaurants. This dinner was a joint venture between purveyor and chef, held at communal tables in the farm's meeting area, preceded by a farm tour led by its resurrecter, Annie Farrell. We saw leaves and vegetables in raised beds, a variety of chickens and pigs, and even spitting Llamas, used to butt potentially poaching coyotes into oblivion. The dinner was constructed from foods gathered earlier that day, served family style. It was a good meal, uniquely approached, and the roasted chicken was clucking good. We took the BYO option and happily drank what our sommelier selected.
OVERALL RATING: Did you ever see a spitting Llama?

Freshly reviewed on 12/05/08: It was a special occasion so we went to The Schoolhouse again. The setting, the food, the service, and, yes, the prices all make it special. We began with salads that were fresh and crunchy. Then braised short ribs in a bowl with accoutrements that blended seamlessly -- excellent in taste and texture, although a plate would have made for easier eating. The Tempranillo and Oregon cabernet were both very good, but we were left with little room for dessert, so we decided to keep that small space to ourselves.
OVERALL RATING: Charming

Originally reviewed on 05/27/07: The Schoolhouse occupies a special place for us. When the space came onto the market last winter, we fantasized about acquiring it and turning it into our kind of place. It opened in March in, yes, an old schoolhouse in Cannondale village along a meandering creek. The interior has been carefully redesigned, the old country charm enhanced by tastefully added elegance. The service is excellent - a young, informed staff that is eager to greet and serve. The menu strives to be seasonal and local. We began by sharing kerchiefs of pasta with grilled ramps, spring onions, fava beans and a soft boiled egg. The flavors all merged together into tastes you just wanted to savor. Entrees were leg of lamb with rosemary scented mashed potatoes, and a pork loin with braised cippolini onions, parmesan polenta and smoked bacon. There was no doubt about whether or not our plates were ready for clearing - they were all that was left. The Schoolhouse is expensive for a weeknight, but if you are romantically inclined and looking for an excellent meal, we feel it's worth every penny. And cheaper than an education. The owner and chef is young and gracious, and you can see that this is a matter of love for him. We loved it too.
OVERALL RATING: Honor Roll

Cafe Manolo

2010-09-14T19:00:00.005-04:00

Connecticut
8 Church Lane
Westport
203-227-0703
cafemanolo.com

Freshly reviewed on 9/14/10: It was Inge's call so we drove down to Valencia Luncheria for dinner. We forgot they close after lunch on Tuesdays, so, in a lurch, drove over to Cafe Manolo for a second taste. It tasted very good. The space is a bit modern unimaginative, but who cares? We had mussels in an excellent spicy tomato broth, large bodied grilled sardines, and a mustardy tuna tartar to start. Then very good grilled lamb chops with an olive and red pepper tapinade, and a terrific chicken breast with some root vegetables. A bottle of Tempranillo was a nice accompaniment. So was a friendly waiter.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Originally reviewed on: 8/21/10: We try not to waste time when Michael gives us a recommendation, so when we were hungry and running errands in Westport, we stopped in for a late lunch at Manolo. We can barely describe what it looked like, since it's nondescript from the street and we were inside only long enough to ask for a small table on the sidewalk, but it appeared nicely designed. The sidewalk was concrete. The food was good. We wanted light and fresh and got it with small plates of spicy tuna tartar, perhaps infused with Tabasco but good whatever it was that gave it a bite, grilled shrimp with a cilantro sauce, a salad of orange, goat cheese and arugula, and another of figs, arugula and almonds. We enjoyed each, our spot having been hit.
OVERALL RATING: Like ya but barely know ya

Terrasole Ristorante

2010-09-10T19:00:00.007-04:00

Connecticut
3 Big Shop Lane, Ridgefield
203-438-5352

We've eaten at Terra Sole multiple times since first going there in July. We wouldn't keep going back if we didn't like it. The food is authentic Italian, from the Puglia region. It's fresh, well prepared and well-portioned. We've had a variety of al dente pastas, including a chewy cavatelli with sausages in a red sauce, and a mushroom lasagna in a bechamel sauce, as well as salads to start and grilled calamari with thyme. We've liked everything, including a house Primitivo wine. The price point tends towards expensive, but the food manages to deliver despite. And we like the minimal decor inside, as well as the garden in the front, covered with umbrellas.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Xiaoye

2010-09-09T19:00:00.005-04:00

Lower East Side
198B Orchard Street (just below Houston Street)
212-777-7733
xiaoyenyc.com

We'd heard good things about the food and drink at Xiaoye, a recently opened Chinese joint, so we went to taste for ourselves. The space is nothing to write home about, with small or communal tables and wooden blocks for seats, creating an atmosphere leaning more towards turnover than a good linger. The service was friendly and the menu was humorous with dishes like Poontang Potstickers and Buddha Sex Cabbage -- we liked both. Although we drank lightly, faced with some driving to do, the dry sake was dry as dry could be, and the drink menu looked inviting. The crowd was largely Asian -- we may have been the only Swiss in the place.
OVERALL RATING: LES chow

Cafe Manolo

2010-08-21T14:00:00.002-04:00

Connecticut
8 Church Lane
Westport
203-227-0703
cafemanolo.com

We try not to waste time when Michael gives us a recommendation, so when we were hungry and running errands in Westport, we stopped in for a late lunch at Manolo. We can barely describe what it looked like, since it's nondescript from the street and we were inside only long enough to ask for a small table on the sidewalk, but it appeared nicely designed. The sidewalk was concrete. The food was good. We wanted light and fresh and got it with small plates of spicy tuna tartar, perhaps infused with Tabasco but good whatever it was that gave it a bite, grilled shrimp with a cilantro sauce, a salad of orange, goat cheese and arugula, and another of figs, arugula and almonds. We enjoyed each, our spot having been hit.
OVERALL RATING: Like ya but barely know ya

Max

2010-08-17T19:00:00.010-04:00

East Village
51 Ave. B, near 4th Street
212-539-0111
max-ny.com

We wanted to eat al fresco on a warm summer evening in the city, but even so, it's not clear how we wound up at Max. It's a small East Village fixture, usually catering to a cool, young crowd. The garden in the back is very urban, surrounded by apartment building walls, with a mock clothes line hanging above it. The food is Italian, tonight pedestrian Italian. We had a bland fennel salad that was light on the parmigiana, a bruschetta pomodoro that was ok, and the special pasta of the evening, an orriechette with sausage, tomatoes and broccoli rabe, expect the broccoli rabe wasn't broccoli rabe -- it was mushrooms. And without an explanation. The Trebbiano white was quite good, and the Peroni was a Peroni.
OVERALL RATING: Min

Better Being Underground

2010-07-15T14:00:00.009-04:00

West Village
55 Leroy Street, near 7th Avenue
goundergroundforlunch.com

We were in the city together, very briefly, just for the afternoon, and it was terribly hot. So we went underground where the temperature turned out to be just as stifling. They haven't installed the A/C at Better Being Underground yet. But man, the food was good. The Underground is exactly that -- subterranean. One floor beneath street level. It only serves lunch from noon to 4pm and there's not a table in the place. There's barely room for the food. But what else do you need? They make fresh sandwiches and wraps and soups each day, and usually run out of most of it by about 3pm. We guess many people have determined that going down is a real pleasure. This is one of the best kept secrets in lower Manhattan.
OVERALL RATING: Tops

Pinto

2010-05-31T19:00:00.005-04:00

West Village
118 Christopher Street, near Hudson Street
212-366-5455
pintonyc.com

We drove into the city around dinner time Memorial Day so we decided to have dinner. We go by the clock. We wanted to stay local so we walked over to Pinto, a small railroad car space on Christopher Street. There are a couple of tables up front by the window, good for people watching, and a bar along one wall leading to more tables in the back. We began with a good Sauvignon Blanc and an excellent strawberry mojito that tasted cleanly of muddled strawberries and mint. Then, a Laab, tofu cubes that were packing heat and lots of mint, braised pork butt over frisee and small leafed lettuces, dumplings filled with shrimp and herbs, and organic chicken in a green curry sauce. The food all seemed fresh and the tastes were fragrant. We ended with sticky rice and mango, in a somewhat salty, milky dipping sauce that we both enjoyed. Pinto is less a destination that a local place for eating and delivery, but we're glad it's in our 'hood.
OVERALL RATING: Thai me up!

Minetta Tavern

2010-05-18T18:00:00.002-04:00

113 MacDougal Street, corner of Minetta Lane
212-475-3850
minettatavernny.com

All we heard about the redo of Minetta Tavern by Keith McNally was that every celebrity in New York ate there six nights a week, and that it was the best steak in the city. New York Magazine had unretouched photos of Jerry Seinfeld sitting with George Stephanopoulos, Mick Jagger, LeBron James and Amelia Earhart. We tried and tried to get a reservation, and when we finally did, one of us went on a shoot so we had to reschedule. But tonight, we finally went. We saw no one. And the food was so less than expectation, it's no wonder we saw no one. The special salad with romaine, parmigiana, anchovies, and anchovy paste was good, as was the white Cotes du Rhone. But the mixed green salad was nothing more than pedestrian. The Black Label burger, at $26, was entirely forgettable, and by now we have. The NY strip steak, bone attached, was the size of a platter. It was nicely salted and crusted, but it was chip on the shoulder tough despite being undercooked, and fat encased. This is not the best steak in New York. A fruit galette from McNally's sister enterprise, Balthazar, was very good, as were the capucchinos. So was the service.
OVERALL RATING: Forgetta

Valencia Luncheria

2010-03-27T19:00:00.002-04:00

Connecticut
172 Main Avenue, Norwalk
203-846-8009
valencialuncheria.com

Freshly reviewed on 03/27/10: We originally learned of Valencia Luncheria from Kor. He must still be recommending it, because we ran into him there last night. We're still recommending it too. We had lunch there a few days ago, and the arèpas are excellent. Last night, it was blackened salmon, in soft tacos with guacamole, then shrimp Venezuelan style, in a spicy peanut sauce, and spice rubbed ahi tuna, charred and almost raw, with more of that outstanding guacamole, along with a side of rice and chopped vegetables, and some other vegetables beside. There's a low key atmosphere and we love the lack of design. What there is is very good food, fresh, well prepared, nicely sized portions, and moderate prices. It's BYO.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent

Reviewed again on 08/16/09: We eat at Valencia Luncheria a lot. We really like it. So it's time to update this post. Valencia is so unsuburban in an unsuburban way. It's small, easy, inventive, moderately priced, and very good. It's owner, Michael Young, is into the work and is a sweet host. We're kind of addicted to the Aphrodite arepa, a combo of fresh mango and avocado on crunchy fried cornmeal bread. It goes perfectly with the green sauce offered on the table, a mix of olive oil and cilantro and who knows what else. The fruit batidos are delicious, a blend of fruit and ice, and who knows what else. Next time we drive over we'll remember our camera to post a better picture -- we forget it all the time.
OVERALL RATING: Urb in burb

Newly reviewed on 07/03/08: We've eaten at Valencia Luncheria again for breakfast and lunch a few times recently and will gladly return for dinner. The food is terrific. We've had a regular egg sandwich and a few different arepas, an Aphrodite with mango and avocado, a crispy mushroom with ricotta, and a gorgonzola with Turkish apricots. The flavor mixes are well chosen -- we really liked each one. The space is quite East Village -- this is not a high production value restaurant, but if you want inventive, very well made food at very reasonable prices, this could become a repeat offender for you too.
OVERALL RATING: We love it

Originally reviewed on 10/20/05: We owe this one to our friend Kor. He makes frequent recommendations to this Blog, and is one of the best golfers we know. Valencia Luncheria is a neighborhood storefront with no more than six or seven tables. Its chef and owner has a resume built at two jazzier restaurants in South Norwalk. It's BYO, very inexpensive and minimal, and the arepas and other Venezuelan dishes are authentic and delicious. It's mostly open for breakfast and lunch, but early dinners are also served.
OVERALL RATING: Very good