Breakfast at Norma’s
When the waiter arrived immediately with the brightest, freshest orange juice I had ever seen and quickly told me of the unlimited refills, I went for it. Then I went for one for my wife – a few others at the table went for it.. Norma’s OJ was just right… not too tart, no pulp. Not sure how they made it – never looks like that when I buy fresh squeezed from the grocery store.
Would you like some coffee?… Of course… The French Press Pot of Coffee, which came in a stainless steel pot, looked good, smelled excellent… and had notes of …. Actually, I have no ideas to how to describe… but it was a good, rich cup of coffee.
Then we looked at the menu – each “unlimited glass” of OJ was $9. All in all, the entire table went for $36 of fresh squeezed OJ. I drank more OJ at brunch than I had in the last year! The unlimited French Press Pot of Coffee was $7 per person!
As we walked out with our non-alcohol induced OJ buzz, we noticed a table that planned ahead for this famous OJ. They brought out a flask of vodka and quickly spiked the OJ. Next time!
I should have done a little more research before I came, but then again, this was a lazy sunday brunch with friends, so I won’t be too hard on myself.
Norma’s is in Le Parker Meridian Hotel and has a menu with “The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata,” which costs $100 for a regular with 1oz sevruga caviar and $1,000 for a super size with 10oz sevruga caviar. The menu proclaims, “Norma dares you to expense this!”
I had the “Flat-As-A-pancake Crabcake” spiced with habañero pepper served with dill yogurt mustard sauce. The zingy sauce came in a well-executed thick corn bread batter onion ring. The crab was fresh and lightly pan fried. The salad was a little over dressed but what do you expect for $24?!
Others at the table enjoyed the Egg White Frittata Of Shrimp with oven-roasted roma tomato and spinach, and Scrambled Eggs And Bacon Breakfast Quesadilla with monterey jack cheese, guacamole and salsa.
If I were to go again, I would order something from the “Mom Can’t Make This” section like the Super Moist French Toast with an orange infused honey drizzle created in the 15th century by juan del encina or the “Egg Cellent” Breakfast Dumplings stuffed with scrambled egg, shrimp and mushroom. The dumplings came like a Dim Sum order from Chinatown.
When the bill came, breakfast was a whopping $45/person with tip! Though price was mentioned throughout this review, the creative menu of large poritions and extremely high quality ingredients, niceties like fresh French Press Pot of Coffee, & people watching made it a worthy splurge!
Rating:
Food – 8/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – American
Style – Casual/ Trendy
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 118 W. 57th St
Web: http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat1.php
Menu: http://www.parkermeridien.com/PDF/BreakfastNormasNY.pdf
Il Buco
Il Buco is ”First class farm-to-table Italian in a rustic setting.” You can walk one block down the street to Gemma and enjoy Italian in a similar setting. The difference between Il Buco and Gemma is authenticity. Smaller Il Buco started from the ground up and has a history to back up its rustic look and feel. Gemma, much like the connected Bowery Hotel, appears to be constructed to look authentic, much like the Italian restaurants in a newly constructed hotel in Las Vegas. You may get good food at the significantly larger Gemma, but for me, there is something more authentic about Il Buco which is what dining is all about in NYC.
With a little digging on the internet, my appreciation of Il Buco and what the owners achieved increased. Upon entering the dining room, you are immediately transformed from the big city to an intimate dining room with clever lighting fixtures, brass pots, butcher block tables, and fresh flowers. In a city where restaurants come and go, Il Buco has withstood the test of time. Founded in 1994, Il Buco didn’t start as a restaurant…it evolved into a restaurant from an antique shop! This explains the charming rustic decor. Here is an interesting passage on Il Buco’s history from ilbuco.com:
“It was a modern day trading post dedicated to the exchange of crafts and culture between the Old World and the New. Shoppers would often join them for their midday “pranzo” prepared in their tiny back kitchen. Soon they transformed the rustic antique store into a charming enoteca with an eclectic menu – part Italian, part Spanish, part invention, dedicated to local ingredients with a wine list made up of small boutique producers.”
As I write the review the morning after dining, knowing this story makes me appreciate the menu and the dining experience even more. Il Buco was farm to table before the term was coined. Enough history… now to the food!
The menu had four pastas and four main course items. As you may have expected, the menu changes nightly based on what the chef gets from the farm that day. Upon first glance at the menu, I was convinced of my entrée. The Spanish mackerel with golden beets blood oranges segments, green olives, accompanied by a slice of lemon and a dollop of sour cream. The fish, which would be used for sushi more often if it were bigger, was simply prepared with just the right amount of light seasoning, maybe just salt and pepper. I loved how the salty fish and olives combined with the sweet beets and blood oranges to achieve that always appealing and ever popular “salty and sweet” juxtaposition. As someone who’s on a diet these days, I appreciated this healthy option. The rest of the table ordered and enjoyed creative and freshly prepared mushroom risotto, rigatoni with a chicken ragu, gnocci and chicken.
Top the food off with with an attentive servers who provide thoughtful recommendations and an excellent wine list, featuring small batches from unique purveyors and we have a winner. I highly recommend Il Buco.
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 10/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – Italian
Style – Cozy
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone –47 Bond Street (between Lafayette & Bowery)
Web – http://ilbuco.com
AquaGrill Oyster Bar
It started well and ended well, but I could leave the middle behind.
Upon walking in, you could tell that AquaGrill takes their oysters seriously. Take a look at this display!
We knew we had to order oysters, but I will admit we don’t know the first things about oysters. So, we had the waitress pick out 6 varieties. The oyster variety, the freshness, the temperature, the sweet cocktail sauce with fresh horseradish. All excellent.
Here’s the list of what we had.
After the oysters, the wairess brought over this amuse bouche of salmon on fresh potato chips. Because one of the people in our party couldn’t eat fish, she brought a plate of the chips, which was a nice touch. Despite the nice gesture, we would have been better off without this part of the meal. The salmon was a little runny and was overpowered by the chips.
Service was attentive for the most part and had all the niceties of a fancy restaurant… like constantly filed water glass and the folding of napkins of guests who leave the table. The only problem was long period we waited for our meal. Two at our table ordered stakes (one of two non-seafood items on the menu). The sirloin came out overcooked. Upon looking at the steaks, the manager immediately removed both steaks off our bill, gave us the option got get something else and and gave us a free dessert. I was impressed, how well the manager handled the situation.
I must say, The Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Dungeness Crabmeat Risotto and Sugar Snap Peas in a Tomato Shellfish, was a well prepared, excellent dish. The scallops were cooked medium rare as recommended by the chef. The very rich sauce and risotto, which was a clear departure from my diet, was worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed.
Though I enjoyed the entree, if I were to go back to Aqua Grill, I wouldn’t come back to order an entrée. I would have my oysters then order dessert (another slight diet departure). The Aquagrill “Saturday Night Soufflé” was executed perfectly, piping hot, rich and airy. The warm apple tart was just right, crispy and tart and also piping hot. The Coconut Panna Cotta with Mango, Pineapple and Papaya and Passion Fruit Sauce was really refreshing. The coffee was strong and piping hot, just how I like it. They also gave us a plate of assorted cookies and chocolates, which was a nice touch.
Rating:
Food – 8/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 8/10
Category:
Food Type – Seafood
Style – Casual (a comfortable nice meal out)
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 210 Spring Street (corner of 6th Avenue), 212-274-0505
web – aquagrill.com
Mr. Chow
Dear Mr. Chow,
Your restaurant is trendy. I was impressed with the modern decor with lots of expensive flowers all over the restaurant. We were immediately escorted to our table and greeted by our team of tuxedo-clad waiters right away. It was a nice touch to have such professionally dressed servers even though most of the patrons were in shorts and t-shirts the Sunday evening I was in your restaurant.
I thought your restaurant week menu included a lot of variety and enjoyed sharing several dishes family style. While everything was piping hot and presented elegantly, unfortunately the food was not memorable to me. I tried the Squab with Lettuce, which lacked flavor and was slightly dry. We actually left much of the dish over (I never leave the chicken lettuce wraps over at CPK or PF Changs).
The MR CHOW Noodles were overcooked udon type noodles with what appeared to be topped with the same mixture as the squab. Even if it wasn’t the same, the taste and consistency were very similar. I would have ordered differently had I known.
The best dish we had was the Ma Mignon, which was very soft fillet encrusted with peppercorn. Very tasty – cooked perfectly.
The Velvet Chicken wasn’t memorable and lacked taste.
I enjoyed the string beans (but then again I also enjoy very similar string beans at the local Chinese takeout).
The dessert for two was “intermezzo” sized scoops of ice cream and sorbet. The small scoop was not enough to warrant calling it a “third course.”
While I enjoyed the experience and the company I was with, the food just wasn’t good enough for me to recommend your restaurant to friends and family or for me to return in the near future (especially for the premium price).
Best regards,
Jay
Rating:
Food – 6/10
Ambiance – 9/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – Chinese
Style – Trendy
Price – Expensive
Address/ phone: 121 Hudson Street (Hudson/North Moore), 212-965-9500
Web – mrchow.com
Pampano New York
Some may disagree, but I feel Pampano has seen better days. First impression, a musty smell. We were promptly seated upstairs. Though the booth we were seated in was away from the other tables in a private corner, the upholstery had several stains and needed changing. When I looked up to the once impressive vaulted cielings, the curtains had water damage. It feels like a refresh is needed.
The Paella Mariscada had shrimp, calamari, scallops, octopus, cilantro rice, achiote-coconut sauce ( $27.00). Presentation was a little flat… just rice and seafood on a plate. Though not listed on the menu, the chorizo included in the rice overpowered the rice in flavor and greasiness. As a result of the chorizo, I didn’t taste the cilantro rice, achiote-coconut sauce. Every bite of my meal tasted exactly the same.
I enjoy paella more when it is served in the pan or pot that it is prepared in. This dish was missing the crispiness of the rice that can be achieved from pan presentation. And, by the way, since when is Paella Mariscada Mexican? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella.
I wouldn’t be as critical of the food and decor if prices were knocked down about $5 per entree. The 5 shrimp included in the Chor Camarones Al Ajillo shrimp, tomato, almond pipian, though cooked well, were not substantial enough to warrant the $28 cost. The corn, rajas tamal was not as sweet as tamals I have tried at other restaurants (such as Mesa Grill) and was a little dry for my taste.
Four $14 margaritas (2 each) added significantly to our tab. They were made well (with a heavy hand).
The drinks combined with overpriced entrees resulted in a $120 tab. We had Blackboard eats 30% discount. Even with the discount, I’d rather go somewhere newer and cooler for the price. I’d say go to Mercadito instead of Pampano for Mexican food.
Rating:
Food – 6/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 6/10
Category:
Food Type – Mexican
Style – Casual
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone –
209 East 49th Street, Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-751-4545
website- richardsandoval.com/pampano/
OpenTable – opentable.com/pampano
menu – menupages.com/restaurants/pampano
Maialino
It wasn’t until people flocked away from NYC for Memorial day that I could get a reservation at Maialino, and the best time we could get was a 9:30 PM. There were several reasons why Maialino is so popular: Danny Meyer, Gramercy Park Hotel, Rockwell group decor…and most importantly, you guessed it, the food.
I had been intrigued by this restaurant long before I knew what it was. For some reason when heading downtown, cabbies always zig-zag through the city and always end up passing the Gramercy Park Hotel. As we pass the park, we look to the right to see the ground floor windows of the restaurant. I always thought to myself ” this is very nyc and I want to eat there.”
Upon entrance, the restaurant isn’t as trendy as I was expecting it to be from the outside view. According to the PR description, Maialino “captures the warmth and comfort of a traditional Roman trattoria, re-imagined for its contemporary setting.” It actually has an Otto vibe… A more expensive Otto vibe. With a large bar up front and different “stations” in the middle of the restaurant (not train stations like Otto, a salami station and a dessert station).
I was particularly impressed with how spread out the tables were for NYC and how good the acoustics were.
We were taken to our table and promptly presented menus. Maybe the style of the menu was designed to be like an old italian restaurant (like Pietros in midtown), with prices written in and a few lines to add new dishes…. My cynical self said this was a smart tactic to be able to up the prices without a new print run. Others will say this adds authenticity.
Since by the time we sat down for dinner it was 10 PM, our goal for the evening shifted from a full meal with appetizer, primi, secondi, and dessert, to trying that the waitress said were the “money plates” of the restaurant, two pasta dishes.
Before the “money plates” arrived, a fresh basket of bread and bread sticks was placed to the table. I would like to re-emphasize the freshness of the bread. It was one of those bread baskets that was worth eating. Fresh foccocia, fresh semolina. I wish they would have offered more before we were finished with the meal.
Onto the best part, the pasta! Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe consisted of a spaghetti type pasta. It was covered in Pecorino cheese and has a powerful amount of black pepper. The cheese and olive oil coated the pasta to form a consistency that was different from the normal “smooth” sauces I am used to.
The Lasagna al Forno consisted of spinach pasta & bolognese. Looking back, I wanted to take a picture of how the house made spinach pasta was delicately layered, piece by piece over the beef bolognese, but the pasta was gone before I had a chance to take a picture (oops). It was very flavorful… The consistency of the pasta was perfect and the meat added just the right amount of contrast.
As I mentioned, Maialino is expensive, but, when all was said and done, we were out of one of NYC’s top new restaurants for under $75. Now, don’t get me wrong, that $75 went to two glasses of wine and several bites of pasta, but it was worth it. It is definitely a place I want to go back to to try again (if I can get a reservation at a decent hour)!
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – Italian
Style – Casual
Price – Expensive
Address/ phone: 2 Lexington Ave, 212- 777-2410
Menu: maialinonyc.com/_pdf/trattoria.pdf
Opentable – opentable.com/maialino
Shaburi
** Update 7/25 /2010 – Shaburi has closed***
I had the pleasure of dining at Shaburi two times in three nights. I very rarely go back to a New York City restaurant so quickly, but I was especially impressed with attentive service and gourmet cuisine at reasonable prices (based on how you order, more on that later). This restaurant, which is highly rated by Zagat and Michelin, has a noticeable awning, but often is overlooked on this quiet part of East 39th Street.
I ordered Shabu Shabu both times. Shabu Shabu is thin slices of meat and vegetables cooked on the table in a simmering pot of broth. I opted for Kobe Beef ($28) with the spicy miso broth ($2) the first time and Berkshire Pork ($ 16) with Tom Yom broth ($2) the second time. I will describe my first time…
The waiter quickly turned on the built in burner on the table.
Next, the spicy miso broth arrived.
Within minutes, the broth was at a simmering boil.
At this point, it was time to add the vegetables. Because I was a “first timer,” the waiter did this for me and explained that adding the vegetables first was necessary to add flavor. The vegetable assortment was a “work of art” including corn, several varieties of mushroom (shiitaki, enoki, and oyster) watercress, tomato, cabbage, tofu, scallions, and my favorite, pumpkin.
A few minutes later, the shabu shabu was back to a rapid boil.
It was time to dip the thinly sliced pieces of Kobe beef into the broth. The waiter demonstrated how it only took about 5 seconds to cook the meat. When cooked to your specifications, remove the meat, dip in either sesame sauce or ponzi sauce, and enjoy. The meal also came with sushi grade rice, which helped to tone down some of the spiciness of the broth.
Next, scoop out the veggies with one of the special spoons and enjoy from the soup bowl provided. The soup bowl also has handles to allow you to sip instead of spoon!
Shaburi shabu shabu was perfectly executed in every way. It was also a hearty portion – piping hot and perfectly seasoned. The broth was “harmonious” when all the previously described ingredients mixed together.
hough I enjoyed the Kobe, I found the Berkshire pork to be as enjoyable for a much lower price.
Rating:
Food – 8/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 8/10
Category:
Food Type – Japanese
Style – Casual
Price – Expensive
Address/ phone: 125 E 39th St (Btwn Lexington & Park Ave), 212-867-6999
menu: menupages.com/restaurants/shaburi/menu
Pera Mediterranean Brasserie
Pera Mediterranean Brasserie is perfect for business lunches, dinner, and drinks. Why you may ask? Here are five reasons.
1. The sophisticated decor - Tall ceilings, flowers, sophisticated art, an open kitchen make Pera is truly classy and modern. The acoustics were really good at Pera. Their dropped cielings to the padded decorative walls were clearly well planned.
2. The professional service – Our waiter was a nice guy. He wore a professional business suit, which is uncommon these days. The service was polished and professional.
3. The high quality food - I have had Mediterranean food all over the city. At Pera you can tell that they used better quality ingredients in every bite. Loved the fresh pita pocket bread with crumbled cheese. As I waited at the bar I saw them baking the bread in the wood burning oven.
The Roasted Whipped Eggplant ($8) had the highest quality olive oil mixed in. It was light and it didn’t have that overpowering smokiness that seems to be a standard at most Med places.
The Greek Salad Pidette was really fresh. The crust was crunchy, the salad on top was dressed lightly and didn’t overpower or make the crust soggy, the grape leaves were one of the meal’s highlights for me.
The meat was as good as it gets- very high quality, soft and tender. Every component, the tender chicken brochette, lamb loin brochette, seasoned lamb riblets and signature lamb “adana” was cooked perfectly. More on the meat under #4.
4. The thoughtful presentation – When the mixed grill platter ($34) arrived at our table, I enjoyed how the passionate server explained how to mix the meat with the condiments, sip some wine and enjoy as if we were in Turkey. The fresh pita, meat, the sumak salad, The slightly spicy rice… Perfection.
5. The price - the fact that for a little babaganoj, a small flatbread, a few pieces of meat, some rice and a glass of wine came to $72. Glad I took advantage of Living Social.
Rating:
Food – 8/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 8/10
Category:
Food Type – Mediterranean
Style – Trendy
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone- 303 Madison Avenue (41st/42nd), 212- 878-6301
website- peranyc.com
menu – menupages.com/restaurants/pera
OpenTable- opentable.com/pera-mediterranean-brasserie
August New York
August is “Damn Good!” At least that’s how our waiter, Marty referred to much of the food. I have to say, this fun-loving guy made a leisurely Friday night meal with friends truly entertaining.
But, more importantly, August delivered high quality food “rich in the finest traditions of Europe’s food cultures, ranging from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe using local and seasonal ingredients.”
When you walk up to August on Bleecker St, you smell the wood from the wood burning oven which I have to say, isn’t something I was expecting when walking this city street filled with retailers.
The wood burning oven is smack in the center of an intimate front dining area and a larger bright greenhouse dining area in the back.
I started with Roasted Mushroom Soup. The soup was smooth and delicate. It was not cream based but, according to Marty, had the “slightest amount of cream to finish it off.” The sorrel mushrooms and other ingredients were high quality, the smoked eel provided nice flavor and the puffed rice added texture.
I had Heirloom Pork Tortelleni with rock shrimp, fava beans, ramps, and brodo. If you are curious, the blog, CULATELLO, describes heirloom pork as the result of a ”movement of producers and chefs to spotlight pork from unique and rare breeds of pig.” This pork was definitely from a unique pig because it was so flavorful… the filling of the tortellini had almost a pâté taste and texture.
Others at the table ordered the Oven Roasted Whole Dourade, which I would have ordered if I had to do it again… not that my heirloom pork wasn’t good. There was just something about the whole fish cooked in the wood oven. It smelled fresh and appeared to be cooked to perfection. The Roasted duck breast, leg confit, ginger cavatelli, rhubarb, spring onion had a nice portion of duck – the cavatelli was enjoyed by those who had the dish and I enjoyed my taste of the dish, which had a little spice to it.
The Pommes Frites side dish was a popular item. They were fresh and crispy. If you get them don’t forget to try the side of smoky mayonnaise!
For dessert we had the Rich Chocolate Pave with Banana bavois, macadamia, maple. The chocolate dessert was light and well constructed, but I wouldn’t describe it as rich.
We also had the Apple and Pretzel Tartlet. It was the better choice of the two. We finished both desserts, but if I were to do it again, I would walk to Magnolia down the block for dessert.
Marty said…” Chocolate and apple is the classic combination. It’s like love and war.” I don’t know if I’d agree from the combination of these two desserts but we won’t hold that against him.
Rating:
Food – 8/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – European
Style – Casual
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 359 Bleecker Street (between Charles & West 10th), 212-929-8727
website- augustny.com
menus - menupages.com/restaurants/august
Koi New York
Koi is still cool, but not as cool as it once was. We decided to go for a late night snack (instead of dinner). Ordered Kobe potstickers (four small dumplings for $20), crispy rice topped with spicy tuna, and sauteed shrimp on california roll. The crispy rice is the dish that everyone seems to get when they go to Koi. Nothing like that crunchy and chewy rice meeting with high quality spicy tuna on top. Good but it can’t be very healthy. I would have enjoyed the spicy tuna more if it were spicier. The sauteed shrimp, which included asparagus and high-quality mushrooms, was good, but a little too salty for my taste. I wouldn’t order the potstickers again.
In the past, when not coming in for a snack, I have enjoyed sushi a la carte. It is nice to mix some pure fish (especially the Hamachi) with some of the unhealthy fried options we had last night.
Koi is in an impressive space connected to a “cool” hotel.
Don’t forget about the cocktails.
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – Japanese/ Fusion
Style – Trendy
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 40 W 40th St, Btwn 5th & 6th Ave, 212-921-3330
website- http://www.koirestaurant.com/
menus – http://menupages.com/restaurants/koi/menu
reservations – http://www.opentable.com/koi-new-york