Per Se

Shortly after our engagement back in 2013, Leah and I decided to celebrate by dining at Per Se, the long-vaunted crown jewel of modern fine dining in NYC (maybe even the entire east coast). 

Though we had gone in on the heels of rave reviews from my dear friend Al, who did not have any of the problems we would ultimately experience, our afternoon was a bit of a letdown. Three years before Pete Wells' infamous review in the New York Times, we felt the cracks in Per Se were already showing. 

Restaurant entrance in the Time Warner Center. It's hard to imagine anything in that building being quiet and serene, but Per Se manages it, being tucked away in this little corner. 

First little gaffe of the afternoon was that nobody was inside the restaurant at the host stand to seat us. Since the whole rest of the space is sectioned off behind this wall, nobody else in the restaurant would be able to see you and realize you were waiting. We stood around awkwardly for about three or four minutes before the hostess rushed out, realizing we were there. 

Restaurant interior. Though well-decorated and with beautiful views, we felt it had more of an office or library feel rather than "dining room". 

Salmon Cone

Black Sesame, Crème Fraîche

The actual first bite was a pair of delicious gougères, though nobody actually told us what they were when they were dropped on the table. 

This salmon cone, a Per Se hallmark, lived up to the hype. The flavor and particularly the texture contrasts were fantastic. You can see why this is a trademark dish. 

Cocktails

Can't remember what we ordered, but they were at that time the most expensive cocktails we had ever had, weighing in at $25 each. 

Also - notice Leah's engagement ring???

"Oysters and Pearls"

"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca, Beach Point Oysters, Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar

Thomas Keller's signature dish, which again lived up to the hype. I found the combination of warm sabayon, gently poached oysters, delicate tapioca pearls, and salty caviar to be an absolute dream. Unfortunately, this was before Leah learned to enjoy oysters, so it was not as big a hit with her. 

Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras ($40 Supplement)

"Assaisonné au Confit de Canard", Compressed Apples, Red Onion Rings, Marble Rye Melba, Per Se Cole Slaw

My notes from the time specify that this was a foie gras dish in which the foie was the star, not at all overshadowed by the many accompaniments. I also noted that the rolls this was served with were "unbelievably buttery".

Still, it was a bit of a turn-off to pay $40 per person on top of the already massive menu price to receive this dish. Compare to, say, Eleven Madison park, which at the time was already serving copious amounts of luxury ingredients with no supplemental charges and for less money on the overall menu. There were two other supplements later in the meal which we did not pay for. 

Salts

The foie gras dish also served with six different salts, which were a little unnecessary, though still fun to sample. My favorite was the "Jurassic" salt, bottom-left. 

Parker House Roll

Another mini bread course, this dainty roll was served with two butters, sweet cream (right) and salted (left). They noted that the salted butter was produced specifically for Per Se by a tiny NY farm with only seven cows. 

Around this time we had finally finished our cocktails and inquired about wine pairings. Annoyingly, Per Se did not offer a set beverage pairing (another miss, we felt). The server offered to help us select as we slowly browsed through the very long list presented on iPad, which, as a process, we hated. 

Sautéed Fillet of Atlantic Striped Bass

Squid Ink "Orecchiette", Pickled Garlic, "Haricots Verts", Basil, "Puttanesca"

My notes read, "the fish was super-juicy and the sauce was rich and tangy". 

Georges Bank Sea Scallop

Chinese Broccoli, Charred Leeks, Hakurei Turnips, Scallop Roe Miso Butter

I recall especially enjoying this plate, and was intrigued by the butter sauce, which incorporated the bright orange roe of the scallop. 

Wolfe Ranch "Supreme de Caille"

Applewood Smoked Bacon, Garnet Yam, "Gnocchi", Toasted Pine Nuts, Tuscan Kale Salad, "Beurre Noisette"

I can't recall this at all, but notes say this quail was one of the best dishes of the night. The "gnocchi" apparently had a "holiday" flavor, with notes of nutmeg, clove, and pumpkin pie. Sounds great - wish I could remember it!

I think it was this course or maybe the next, when our server was too busy joking around with another table to remember to serve the wine that accompanied the dish. We sat for about five minutes waiting for him, as I wanted to experience the wine and food together. He apologized when he finally came over, realizing his mistake, though his explanation of "It's Sunday, I'm off my game" kinda gave us the impression that he was just slogging through his shift. Maybe true, but not what you want to hear at one of the "best" restaurants in the world (or at these prices). Again, this all seemed to predict Pete Wells' eventual negative review. 

A quick bathroom break in Per Se's beautiful men's room. I was disappointed to find that even in one of the "best" restaurants in the country, there are still jerk-offs who throw their paper towels and hand towels on the floor instead of in the appropriate receptacle.

On the way back to my table, I stopped to take a shot of this amazing duck press - too bad they didn't use it in any of our dishes though. 

Elysian Fields Farm's "Collier D'Agneau"

"Merguez", Crispy Quinoa, Persian Cucumbers, Olive Relish, Greek Yogurt, Cilantro, Pimentón Glaze

This lamb neck preparation was an explosion of flavor and was textured like pulled pork. The cool, crunchy vegetable components were a nice counterpoint, and clearly a lot of work had gone into their presentation. 

Blueberry Cake w/ Zabaglione

The first of several dessert courses, most of which were bland and unmemorable, as was the case with this blueberry plate. There was also apparently a cheese course, though I must have forgotten to photograph it. 

Mint Chip Ice Cream, Chocolate Ribbons, Brûléed Marshmallow

This was a bit better, but still did not stand out like the mostly wonderful savory courses. 

Chocolate Mousse, Phyllo Touille

Another unmemorable dish, which seemed to have little thought put into it, seeming more like filler than anything else. 

Anniversary Cake

I feel a little awkward complaining about this complimentary dessert, but it was just so flavorless, despite its beautiful and unique appearance. 

"Coffee and Doughnuts", Mignardises

The final signature Per Se dish, Keller's famous "Coffee and Doughnuts". This was finally the hit dessert we were waiting for, after four previous dishes that seemed like filler. 

They also served a variety of other sweets and mignardises, including selections from their extensive truffle box. When Leah joked that she would like one each of all the truffles, the server became red-faced and stuttered out a response, haha.


After paying the bill, we exited the restaurant, only to remember that we had left without our take-home bags and souvenir menus, which our server had told us would be waiting for us on the way out (again the hostess was not present as we departed). We turned around to go back inside, but found the door locked. We gently knocked and peered through the glass, but nobody was there. We waited for about ten minutes and eventually the same hostess came running out with our bags, apologizing again for the mishap. 

Overall, while there were some very stand-out, incredible dishes, the experience itself was a mixed affair. Normally these service screw-ups would not seem like a big deal, but again this was supposed to have been one of the best restaurants in the world. We left a bit confused, not feeling it lived up to the hype. 

WD~50 w/ Al

Friends, family, and followers of this blog may know that every year around the December-January holidays, I share a rather extravagant meal with my best friend since childhood, Al. We've engaged in this tradition since 2007.

This was my second trip to WD~50 (having gone the previous year with Leah), and my 6th annual dinner with Al. This was a wonderful evening, though it tastes bittersweet now that WD~50 is gone. I'm glad I had the privilege of eating there on several occasions before the final closure a few years later. 

Cocktails

Unquiet American - Smoked Vermouth, Campari, CO2

Sofa Jockey Julep - Root Beer, Cherry, Rum, Bourbon

We had each ordered a cocktail before being delightfully surprised by a nice bottle of Cava Reserva, compliments of Al's then-GF (now wife) Megan. He really chose wisely with her! We also subsequently ordered the full beverage pairing, and I recall this as being among the drunkest I've ever stumbled out of a restaurant. 

 Nigiri

Salsify, Seaweed, Sesame

I don't recall much about this dish, aside from it being our least favorite. The flavor was slightly astringent, and the detailed components didn't add up to anything interesting (other than being visually striking). 

 Sweet Shrimp

"Pine Needles", Chestnut, Cranberry

An interesting late fall dish which we found creative and tasty. 

"Pho Gras"

Foie Gras, Pho Noodles & Broth, Hoisin Sauce, Puffed Beef Fat

A truly standout concept. The broth was rich and the foie delectable. Everything came together beautifully with pleasing contrasts in temperature and texture. 

"Peas & Carrots"

Duck Yolk, Chicken Confit, Peas, Carrots

This one felt slightly more novelty. While the chicken and yolk in the center were moist, the overall dish ate dry. 

Veal

Veal Brisket, Za'atar, Plum, Mustard 

One of our favorites of the night. This concept simulated a sort of deli platter. The large tan puffs were dehydrated mustard - eating a full bite with everything mixed together evoked a ham sandwich taken to the nth degree. 

Crab Toast

Saffron, Kaffir-Yogurt, Arare

This was another one that wasn't a hit, having not much flavor to speak of despite the normally pungent ingredients. 

Snapper

Squash, Cherry, Juniper, Cous Cous Squared

This began a trio of pretty incredible mains. The squash was the real highlight here. 

Squab

Deep Fried Tomato Hummus, Pickled Turnips, Tzatziki

I dug in before remembering to take a photo, but you can still can an idea of what this wonderful Greek-inspired dish looked like. 

Wagyu Flat Iron

Mushroom Jerky, Grape, Verjus

The mushroom jerky truly had a beef-like quality. It's not listed in my notes, but I believe the big tan cracker object was a solidified béarnaise. 

Jasmine Custard

Cucumber, Honeydew, Chartreuse

The first of three desserts, and a big hit. It was almost like a frozen, herbal crème brûlée, riffing on the idea of cracking a shell to get at the custard underneath. 

Yuzu Milk Ice

Hazelnut, Jackfruit, Basil

Light and flavorful, this worked well placed in-between the herbal jasmine dessert and the very rich finale.

S-Mores

Bitter Cocoa, Meringue, Black Currant

One of the more delightful takes on s'mores that I've ever had, this hit all the right notes. The edible stick was a nice touch as well. 

Mignardise

White Chocolate, Gjetost

These lovely little bites ended our meal in memorable fashion - the white chocolate and slightly sour goat cheese paired wonderfully. 

WD~50

Long on my list of restaurants to visit has been WD~50. A recent tax return made the meal possible, so the GF and I made an impromptu visit one dreary Wednesday evening. The experience was overall very nice, however there were some hiccups along the way. I think 4 stars is a fair rating.

The first thing I will mention is that the website describes the restaurant as having "two walk-in tables in the bar area". Be aware that this is misleading on two counts:

1) The "tables" are in fact a single small bar counter running parallel to the large bay windows capable of sitting up to 2 people on each side. The restaurant-side of the counter is equipped with two rather wobbly bar stools, and the window-side of the counter's seat appears to be a two person bench. I say "appears to be" because the bench is in fact a radiator with a cushion on top. The hostess was very kind about asking if it was too hot, but I found it a bit off-putting to expect guests to sit on top of a radiator.

2) The counter isn't exactly in what I would consider to be the "bar area". It's not even so much that it is not in the bar area, but more that it IS in the "door/host stand/coat check area". One side of the counter faces the windows, one side faces the door, one side faces the host stand/coat check, and the final side is open to the restaurant, where guests waiting for their tables stand or walk past. I just felt it was a bit out in the open. Next time if I were to do a walk-in I would prefer sitting at the bar itself.

The servers were all warm, but not overly informal, as well as being very professional and knowledgeable - I thought the service was great overall.

The GF and I excitedly ordered the tasting menu, with the wine pairing for me. She mentioned her unfortunate shellfish allergy to the servers, and they were happy to accommodate. Here's my rundown of the courses. Keep in mind I am doing much of this from memory, so there are quite a few things I am fuzzy on in retrospect:

Hamachi Sashimi - my least favorite thing the whole night. The fish was nice, but the rest of the dish was bland, except for a few nicely pungent capers. There was a warm foamy white sauce that was a bit of a turnoff with the cold fish, and there was a dollop of brown sauce that appeared like it would be flavorful but was also bland. I was a bit disappointed because the menu said I would be getting Razor Clams, which I would have very much preferred. Strangely, they described this course as an "amuse bouche", though it counted as one of the actual menu courses (which should not have made it an amuse bouche). Also strange was that they gave the GF a different dish, though there was no shellfish in the one I received.

Everything Bagel, Smoked Salmon Threads, Crispy Cream Cheese - another disappointing course, which I very much wanted to like due to its creativity. The frozen "bagel" mousse was very bland, as was the cream cheese. The salmon threads were tasty, but for me they had the uncomfortable texture of what I imagine chewing insulation might be like. Contrarily, the GF loved this course and noted all the flavors that I felt I was missing.

Foie Gras, Passionfruit, Chinese Celery - things started getting much better here. The foie gras was as good as any I've had, and the passionfruit center was tangy and very complimentary to the liver. I will say I found the passionfruit to overwhelm a bit though - I think maybe half the amount would have been perfect. The celery came in (I believe) two forms - a fine julienne on top of the foie gras and a crunchy dehydrated crumble on the plate (the first of many crunch crumbles, all having a pleasingly similar texture to the black crunchies in ice cream cake).

Poached Egg & The Shell, Caesar Dressing, Pumpernickel, Lily Bulb - a great blend of flavor and creativity. The egg was perfectly runny, and mixed greatly with the tangy Caesar dressing. The crunchy pumpernickel stripes were salty and delicious, and the edible shell was a fun if relatively flavorless component. For me the star of the dish was the sweet but sour lily bulb, almost like a caramelized shallot.

King Oyster "Udon", Sweetbreads, Banana-Molasses, Pickled Ginger - one of my favorite courses. Crispy, creamy sweetbreads, chewy mushroom "noodles", and the great little studs of ginger. I missed the banana-molasses a bit, but a winner none the less.

Scallops, Bone Marrow, Parsnip, Black Sesame - another favorite, though the grated frozen bone marrow was missing in flavor a bit. The sweet scallops were amazing along with the rich parsnip mousse and caramelized parsnips, and the crunchy black sesame nuggets added great texture.

Beef & Bearnaise - my absolute favorite (and apparently our server's too). A killer beef consumme, hot, rich, and just a tiny bit iron-y. Floating in it were three creamy balls of solid Bearnaise sauce topped with a julienne of crunchy snow peas. Worth coming back just for this exquisite masterpiece.

Squab Breast, Cheese Pumpkin, Corn Bread, Pickled Cranberries - this dish was pretty good, but not the best, especially when compared to the three homeruns that preceded it. The squab was nice, if a bit unmemorable. The cheese pumpkin was basically a pumpkin and cheese puree, which was very tasty but again not that memorable. The corn bread was very nice, with the pickled cranberries actually being folded inside the bread.

Buttermilk Ice Cream, Kumquat, Orange Blossom, Cumin - not the most memorable dish, but again it was still pretty tasty. I remember the ice cream and kumquat being really great, but not much else about the dish. I thought it was a bit of a miss to give us three desserts in a row that essentially consisted of 'canelle of ice cream, mousse-y thing, and unusual additional element'. I thought given the creativity and level of quality of the restaurant, an original cheese course should have substituted this dessert.

Grapefruit Curd, Campari, Hibiscus, Sorrel - this was a nice and refreshing course. Everything was very tasty together, with the herbaceous sorrel adding a pleasant touch.

Soft Chocolate, Beets, Long Pepper, Ricotta Ice Cream - here was the star of the desserts. The soft chocolate mousse was amazing - you did not get immediate flavor from the pepper and beets, but they did sneak up on you in a very fun and delicious way.

Cocoa Packets, Rice Krispy Treats - sheer fun. The packets were made of a leathery, unmelting chocolate that was somehow still tender and easy to chew. Inside hid a rich cocoa powder. Next to the packet sat a bon-bon sized ball of crushed rice krispy's, surrounding a cold ice cream. Delicious!

Overall I found the consistency of the dishes a bit lacking, with some standing out greatly and others falling a bit flat in comparison. Some of them were heavenly in flavor, others were downright bland. Some were inspiringly imaginative, others were rather straightforward. In the end I did enjoy the meal very much, and would love to come back using my previous experience to make some specific choices. More than anything, WD-50 is a restaurant worth a trip.

Momofuku Ko

To check out my more formal review of Momofuku Ko on Yelp, please navigate to:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/momofuku-ko-new-york#hrid:scRfPety2oYciYeMYSQ34Q

What I did not do in my Yelp review was post the menu, which is what I wanted to do here for anyone interested. I believe the below items cover everything we ate. They aren't in exactly the correct order we received them in, but I think I got it pretty close.

Amuse

Potato Souffle - a tiny, crispy, paper-thin fried potato shell filled with potato mousse and hackleback caviar. Served chilled.

Grapefruit gelee with chamomile.

Fish belly - a small bite, not sure if it was fried or roasted but it was crisp on the outside and very meaty and nicely chewy. It sort of kept releasing flavor as you chewed on it.

Oyster - a tiny but plump oyster with purple sweet potato vinegar.

Crudo Plate - the first real course was a tasting of four different fish. One was topped with very finely minced chive, and one with toasted rice. There was a Spanish mackerel with beet, and a scallop with a spicy creamy sauce.

Soup - the broth was an oxtail consumme. In it floated several little open faced "tortellini" made out of daikon. The "tortellini" were filled with a paste of caramelized onion and topped with fresh herbs and mung beans.

Surf & Turf - the "surf" was an mazing piece of Uni sitting atop braised mustard greens. The "turf" was a piece of Wagyu beef with almost a very finely minced ratatouille on top.

Bento Box - this course was composed of four small plates: a delicious meatball cooked in cherry sauce, a small bowl of clam broth with a single clam floating at the bottom, a little pile of fried Brussels sprouts with some sort of fishy flavoring (probably anchovy or fish sauce), and a warm rice ball with salt and melted pork fat.

Fish - skate crusted with almond. Served over roasted cauliflower with an almond froth on top.

Egg - a single delicate "puffed" egg (the egg looked like it had been scrambled and then puffed up with air while it was cooked). Served in a bacon consumme with konbu.

Pasta - handmade orecchiette in a sharp white cheddar sauce. Dollops of broccoli puree dotted the plate, and there were slices of crisp broccoli stem mixed in. Topped with truffle and dehydrated ham.

Charcuterie - offal heart sausage, some sort of meat block with grain mustard, and a thin slice of what they called "pig face" with citrus dressing.

Poultry - sous-vide squab breast, roast squab leg, peeled grapes, and something crispy - I think it was potato?

Cheese - a small bowl of Gruyère broth (note that it was most definitely a light broth, not a thick cheese soup) with a brioche crouton. On top of the crouton was a very fine dice of something I forget - I think it was akin to the Wagyu beef in the earlier course.

Foie Gras - shaved Hudson valley foie gras over Riesling gelee. Again I know there was something crisp in the dish but can't remember what it was.

Dessert 1 - diced apple, caramel sauce, oatmeal ice cream, dehydrated sponge cake

Dessert 2 - cannelle of chocolate pudding with rice pearls.

To take home we were each given a homemade rice ball stuffed with kimchi.

Esca

It's been a long time, but last Saturday night I finally returned to Esca, prompted by a $50 off coupon.

We ordered the tasting menu, which was largely superb.

To start we received 6 flights of Crudo (raw or nearly raw fish), which included a perfectly briny oyster, a piece of fluke with sea bean and radish, about 4-5 tiny ruby red shrimp (similar to the Japanese melt-in-your-mouth ama ebi), a branzino with fish skin cracklin's, a nameless white fish I can't remember with pumpkin seeds, and finally an ethereal sea urchin.

The next course was a large piece of seared monkfish liver, sitting atop a salad of bitter greens, and paired with a cranberry hazelnut relish. Though good, it was the weakest course of the night. The monkfish felt a bit dry and overcooked, and I found the cranberry relish to be a bit too strong and one note.

Our third course was a beautiful plate of creamy polenta topped with two large grilled head-on prawns. The prawns were outrageously rich and were so perfect atop the silky polenta. They were messy to eat, as they required removal from their shells, but so worth it. The innards from the heads were especially great.

For the fourth plate, we received the house signature maccheroni alla chittarra. This was the one repeat from the last time I was at Esca, but it was a very welcome site, as it is probably one of the best things on the menu. The spaghetti is perfectly textured, and the sauce is velvety and luxurious, made from uni and crab meat. The element that ties the whole thing together is a wafer thin shaving of crunchy scallion on top.

Fifth came a roast (I think) striped bass with mushrooms and cardoons. I could not get over the juicy, steak-yness of the fish, which was really transformed from how I would normally expect it to be texture-wise. The mushrooms and cardoons were super rich and buttery - totally delicious.

A tiny cheese course was served prior to dessert. A super-simple little scoop of ricotta di bufula sitting atop a drizzle of honey. Every bite was pure bliss.

Dessert was also a hit - three scoops of gelato (vanilla with crushed nuts, rich chocolate fudge, and coconut) sitting atop a crisp wafer with a drizzle of honey in the middle for me, and a perfectly tangy square of Italian cheesecake with candied orange and pomegranate seeds for the lady. We rounded out the meal with some complimentary Italian cookies and an espresso for me. A delicious evening, truly.

Led Zeppole

After the earlier outing at Momofuku Noodle Bar, we vowed to hit a highly reputed little gut buster of a window shop known as Led Zeppole. As if the name weren't enough to draw you in, the menu makes such offerings as deep fried Oreos and a waffle ice cream sandwich, as well as traditional items like funnel cake, cannoli, and the namesake zeppole.

Though feeling too fat from all the pork at Momofuku, we did manage to squeeze room for an order of zeppole (a three count) and one hell of a messy cream puff. I found the dough on both to be a bit more dense than I am used to - it gave the bites an "old" feeling despite having come straight from the fryer. Still, it's hard to argue with fried dough swimming in powdered sugar.

One note to add - to the deeply-cleavaged spunky stand attendant: you made our experience far more enjoyable than the food alone could have, especially when you let us spin the wheel for a potential free zeppole (way to fail, Leah) and also when you spilled our order of zeppole, covering yourself and the floor in powdered sugar. You rock. We can party anytime.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

After about 3 years of overlooking the rapidly expanding Momofuku wave, I finally made it to the flagship Momofuku Noodle Bar earlier this evening. After tonight's meal, I feel I've been a fool for passing on this superb restaurant for so long.

The interior itself is cute - a little bit chic, a little bit homey, it's modern New York Japanese but much less pretentious than I expected based on my skewed knowledge of the cozy eatery. The counter stretches a significant length of the restaurant, with the close end seating patrons on both sides. Sitting down, we spied four churning machines behind the counter containing various soju slushies. I tried the "Yuzu Palmer", which was delicious, though I could have done with a bit more soju.

Our server behind the counter was super-friendly and seemed quite knowledgeable of her craft despite her young age.

The menu is brief and eclectic, and for a noodle bar there is a rather limited selection of noodles (a scant three). But as the adage goes, quality over quantity. To start we ordered two small items. First came the roast pork buns, which quite literally oozed porky goodness. Sorry, Ippudo, but Momofuku has your buns spanked. The fatty meat was of a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, and a welcome textural component included thin slices of cucumber.

Next to be served were roast pig tails. As the server described, they possessed a rib quality, only in smaller bites (riblets?). The meat was crispy on the outside, stringy and tender inside, dripping with flavor. Accompanying the morsels was a pickled Asian pear salad which was just heavenly. As first time pig tail eaters, we were a bit turned off by the tiny vertebrae bones, but for the flavor that's something I am perfectly willing to overlook.

Our noodle dishes came next: Chilled Spicy Noodles for me and Momofuku Ramen for my date. We each sampled the others' entree - the ramen was great, packed with a very heady piggy essence and more dissolvingly tender pork belly. My noodles, as the server warned, were searingly spicy, almost beyond my personal ability to tolerate, and let's face it - if you are reading this blog you know that is saying something. Overall I feel a bit perplexed by my dish. It felt a bit like a lazy night's dinner at home - "hmm what to eat? How about I throw some of this spicy sauce on those leftover noodles? What else...oooh there's some leftover sausage, and I need something healthy so I'll toss in this bag of baby spinach. Oh and I've been meaning to eat these candied cashews. What the hell, everyone in the pool!" Make no mistake, I liked it, but it was just confusing. Next time I would probably opt for the ramen, or one of the non-noodle mains, which sounded interesting. They also offer a 4 course prix fixe for $30, which is totally acceptable in my book.

I must return here for the fried chicken feast...

Clinton Street Bakery

Heaven, also known as Clinton Street Bakery, is located at 4 Clinton Street in the East Village. This little jewel is the winner of many a "Best In NYC" award for such notable delectables as pancakes, muffins, and biscuits. On my first trip there recently I was more than impressed by virtually every piece of food on my plate.

Ambiance-wise, the place is cute. It's part bakery, part diner. The end. On to the food.

It's the type of menu where you want one of everything. While I told myself that I absolutely had to order their famous blueberry pancakes, as soon as I looked at the menu I found I had a craving for potato pancakes with lox, dill, and lemon creme fraiche. But I stuck to my guns and ordered the requisite pancakes, as well as biscuits, fried green tomatoes, and twice smoked bacon.

Firstly, the biscuits. At $2.50 each, I thought to myself "ok NY prices..." When the biscuits arrived my jaw literally dropped. Or at least opened noticeably. Each flaky, golden, buttery, crumbly, delicate, delight could not have measured less than 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches in height. They were served with a tin of raspberry jam, which was quite honestly the best raspberry anything that I have ever consumed. I could eat this jam on these biscuits every day for the rest of my life, and I am not a raspberry person (though I am a biscuit person). The only thing that could have improved the biscuit-devouring experience would be some nice thick honey to drizzle on. Oh well, I settled for bacon.

The twice smoked bacon was very good. It really had a strong bacon flavor, though it could have been a bit more crispy and a bit less chewy. I would be interested in trying the sugar cured bacon next time.

Fried green tomatoes are a real fav of mine and these did not disappoint, though at 7 bucks for four slices they were probably the only thing we ate that I would actually consider overpriced. They were everything a fried green tomato should be, with the addition of a really fine tangy sauce, which I'm reasonably certain was the same lemon creme fraiche offered on the potato pancakes & lox. Yum.

Let's talk about pancakes. I don't much care for pancakes from restaurants. I only eat pancakes that are made by the following list of people:

- my mother

- my father

- me

While I prefer pancakes that are thinner and a little bit crisp about the edge, invariably this is not what is served when dining out. Rather you receive a thick, spongy, often dry cake that crumbles when you cut into it and forms a sort of mush when the crumbs from the center of the cake mix with the syrup. Ew. Not to mention the countless places that serve Aunt Jemima under the inappropriate handle of "Maple Syrup".

So please understand that I felt a certain amount of trepidation in ordering even the "Best Pancakes in NYC" rather than more savory dishes like the potato pancakes or truffle fried eggs with asparagus. But no, my inner willpower persevered and I forced myself to order a stack of Maine blueberry pancakes. What fortitude, right?

While they were not the best pancakes I have ever had in my life (yes that title is still held by my folks and I), they were absolutely the best pancakes I have ever been served in a restaurant. They were quite thick and fluffy, though they did have that delicate crispness I so enjoy. The blueberries were astoundingly delicious, both in the cakes themselves and also in the form of a rich sauce atop the stack. And to top it all off, a warm cup of whipped maple butter (a thick mixture of maple syrup and butter). Had it been my last meal ever I would have been pretty satisfied I think. Next time I am getting the buttermilk biscuit sandwich for sure - scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, and homemade tomato jam.

How a chump like Bobby Flay managed to beat these guys in a pancake throwdown is utterly beyond my comprehension.

Le Bernardin

After months of procrastination, I present to you my extremely overdue review of Le Bernardin.

Al and I decided to aim high this year for our annual dinner. The experience was mostly great, though it included a couple kinks that unfortunately made it less than perfect. The main issue came not with the food at all, but began when I made the reservation online through Open Table. Some time after securing our table I received a call from the restaurant's reservationist to confirm our table for 5:30 PM. Toward the end of our conversation she said to me, "...and just so you're aware, your table has been appropriated by another party at 8:00 PM." Not even quite registering what she was telling me I hesitated, then asked her to please repeat, which she did in calm, clear fashion. Befuddled, I hung up. It wasn't until later on that the inappropriateness of what she said to me registered. At one of NYC's top restaurants I would expect better than to be told, essentially, that there was a time limit to my dinner. Now, I am under no illusions that such time allowances do exist during each and every dinner service, but this is not something that should ever be revealed to the customers. Absolutely never.

Al and I decided to bring this to the attention of a manager upon our arrival. The manager said, "Oh of course you will not be rushed or asked to leave, please enjoy your dinner". Ok, but I found his response rather more slick than I would have cared for. It had the air more that we were silly for even thinking that might happen, rather than simply apologizing for the reservationist's rudeness. As Al and I were seated we decided that we would take our time with our meal and keep a close eye on the service to see if it suffered around the 8:00 PM mark.

The restaurant itself is beautiful. A combination of warm wood panels reminiscent of Japanese architecture and vibrant colors emanating from the many European (Dutch?) paintings lining the walls. A very nice balance between comfort and elegance.

On to the food! With Al uninterested in the Le Bernardin tasting menu, and myself with the standard a la carte selections, we agreed to go big and do the 8 course Chef's Tasting Menu. A very charming and knowledgeable sommelier was sent to service our wine selection. She and Al hit it off rather wonderfully, and the resulting wines they picked together were superb.

First - Tuna

Smoked Yellowfin Tuna "Prosciutto"; Japanese Pickled Vegetables and Crispy Kombu

The meal began with a slightly rocky start. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this dish - it was interesting and tasty, especially the smokey kombu, however Al and I both felt that it didn't set a very impressive tone for the rest of the meal. It was quite simply too plain, falling even beyond the overused and zombie-ish "simple, clean, fresh" mantra littering cooking currently. Were it not for the spectacular Amuse preceeding this first course, we would have been a bit worried.

Second - Egg-Caviar

Poached Pastured Egg; Osetra Caviar; Mariniere Broth and English Muffin

Any reservations we had after the mediocre first course were blown away. Quite simply the best egg I've ever eaten in my life, this may have been my favorite dish of the evening. Everything about it - from the voluptuous texture of the egg, the buttery taste of the broth, the subtle saltiness of the caviar, and the delicate crisp and chewiness of the bread - were simply a work of art.

Third - Langoustine

Seared Langoustine, Mache, Wild Mushroom Salad; Shaved Foie Gras; White Balsamic Vinaigrette

This was a wonderful salad course. The langoustine was plumpand juicy, and all the other elements supported it very nicely. The star here was truly the vinaigrette - just a little bit sweet and a little bit sour, but totally unique and complimentary to the food elements. The white wine Al selected paired especially well with this dish, which I believe was Al's favorite.

Fourth - Monkfish

Pan Roasted Monkfish; Hon Shimeji Mushrooms; Turnip - Ginger Emulsion; Sake Broth

I'm a big fan of monkfish, and this offering did not disappoint. The plating was rather interesting - the sake broth poured first around the fish, and the thicker ginger emulsion being spooned in dollops into the broth. The fish was fantastic, and it was a nice touch of personal decision-making in being able to control the level of intake on the two wildly different but matching sauces.

Fifth - Black Bass

Crispy Black Bass; Braised Celery and Parsnip Custard; Iberico Ham - Green Peppercorn Sauce

For those Top Chef fans out there, this dish made an appearance in season 5, in which the contestants were treated to lunch at Le Bernardin and then had to recreate one of the dishes they ate. Jamie, who made no attempt at hiding her contempt for the cooking of the restaurant, was assigned this Black Bass dish. She complained the whole way and then failed miserably in her execution of the dish, getting booted from the show in just fashion. It was my pleasure to try this course myself, and I was very happy to be able to say that the dish is absolutely delicious and that any aspiring chef unimpressed by its subtle complexities is not in the right field.

The whole presentation was simply oozing flavor - the celery so gentle but acting as a sponge for the complex sauce. The fish was elevated so much by these elements, and the parsnip custard (topped with a parsnip foam and parsnip chip) was a wonderful sharp yet rich cutting component. A very close contender for favorite dish, rivaled only by the egg.

Sixth - Lobster

Baked Lobster on a Bed of Truffled Foie Gras Stuffing; Brandy Red Wine Sauce

Unfortunately by this point I was a bit worn out of the standard presentation of food, that being 1) Base element, 2) Fish on top of base element, 3) Sauce spooned into plate surrounding fish. While this dish on its own was really quite delicious, it was simply one too many similar concepts and felt a bit unnecessary in the meal as a whole.

Seventh - Chevre

Creamy Goat Cheese Spheres, Concord Grape, Candied Walnut, Black Pepper

A polarizing dish - like the lobster course it was tasty on its own, but seemed a little out of place in terms of the larger menu. The cheese capsules were quite fun to eat, popping in your mouth as you bit into them, and the tiny concord grapes added a great texture component. It was just disappointing to see the magnificent cheese cart being wheeled around, and instead receive a more concept-oriented sweet cheese course. Al and I both would have preferred a simple sampling of 3 or so cheeses from the cart rather than this relatively high frill, more dessert style dish.

Eighth - Corn-Praline

Caramelized Corn Custard, Hazelnut Praline, Brown Butter Ice Cream, Popcorn Tuile

Dessert somehow always feels less elegant than the savory courses. Not so here - the custard was served inside the crispy praline shell, with the ice cream and tuile on the opposite side of the plate. Each component was perfect on its own, but still combined to become more than the sum of their parts. The popcorn tuile was truly heroic here.

Overall the food was pretty superb. It was not perfect - there were some hiccups along the way, but absolutely nothing was "bad", only less spectacular than others. The highs came in the form of the egg, the langoustine salad, and the black bass. What stuck with me the most about the food can be found in the words I used repeatedly to describe it: "delicate, subtle, complimentary". This was not a meal that attempted to hit the flavors out of the ballpark. It did not go for big, huge flavors, but it did not do "simple, clean, fresh" either (well except maybe for the first course). The cooking was very intricate and very purposeful. Every element that was on the plate, or not on the plate, was an intelligent, well-thought out choice. It was extraordinarily complex in its subtlety - a true example of food that only seems simple but is in fact layered with dynamism.

One interesting side note was that Eric Ripert did make the rounds of the dining room twice throughout the evening. He greeted many of the guests, and it was impressive to see him there on an evening where most chefs of his fame would not set foot in their own restaurant. My understanding is that he still runs the kitchen nearly every night. Al noticed that each time he was present in the dining room, service stopped completely. Not a single dish left the kitchen while he was away from it, leading us to believe that he may have been personally overseeing the end of the line on every dish. Very classy.

Sadly, we did notice the service become very rushed toward the end of our meal. No sooner after we set our forks down at the end of the cheese course did the servers pick up our plates and set down the next course in one motion. The same occurred after finishing the desert - immediately our plates were gone and we were being asked if we would like anything else. Al had to ask for the after dinner drink menu (something that absolutely should have been offered to us without asking), and we decided to each enjoy a nice, long, slow glass of scotch. We spent about another 30 minutes enjoying that scotch, finally walking out a little bit after 9:00.

Ippudo

It's been far too long since I posted. So here we go, a string of updates starting with the lusty temptress known as Ippudo.

Located downtown at 65 4th Avenue, Ippudo is a Japanese restaurant that takes the humblest of Japanese dishes and elevates it to upscale pop culture star status. The dark but glitzy interior entry room houses a hostess stand and small bar where one can order 2 for 1 pints of Kirin or Sapporo for $6 Monday-Thursday. Speaking of weeknights, don't expect to come to Ippudo on a weekend without a potentially multi-hour wait. For that matter, try to get there before 6:00 even on weeknights, and even if your party is small. The icy hostesses won't help matters much if your dining situation is less than set in stone. With forced smiles they decree that restaurant policy is to A) Not seat parties that aren't all present (an increasingly common dining rule, but one I wholeheartedly disagree with), and B) Add-ons are not allowed. Wait, what? So when my party of 5 was seated at a table that could have accommodated 7 or 8, apparently were we to have another guest show up later they would not have allowed them a seat.

Fortunately, the inadequacies in service are limited to the hostesses, acting almost as the restaurant bouncers who may more may not allow you entry past the red velvet curtain into the dining room proper. Once inside things are a different story. Newcomers may be startled at first to hear an entire restaurant's worth of chefs, hosts, and servers shouting at them when they enter the dining room. In (mostly) traditional Japanese form, the entire staff greets each guest with a hearty "Irasshaimase!" (welcome!) upon entry. The decor itself is sleek but warm, with a sit down bar lining the L-shaped exposed kitchen area. Adorning the back wall is a list of names spelled in Hiragana depicting the business's staff, starting with the founder in the top left corner. But enough small talk. Guests flock to Ippudo for one thing and one thing only: Ramen.

Well they don't really just do Ramen. There is an entire menu of hot and cold appetizers, including their famous pork buns, which must be tried to be believed. These juicy little morsels are pricey - about $8 for two buns - but well worth the investment. Served as a sort of sandwich rather than the traditional enclosed bun, the pillowy dough wraps slices of sticky sweet pork topped with a crisp leaf of iceberg lettuce and a dollop of Japanese mayo. Upon first biting into one of these heavenly little guys, I recalled a vague taste memory...what was it these flavor grenades reminded me of? Then it hit me: the pork buns at Ippudo taste exactly like a Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger. And I mean that with the utmost respect and adoration.

Ramen. It's delicious, and contrary to some tradition-bound naysayers, Ippudo does it REALLY well. The menu consists of 5 different ramens, plus one nightly special. Choices include a fairly catch-all traditional model, a savory and salty soy based affair, a light and fragrant herbal infusion, a nutty concoction rich with roast sesame flavors, and finally the senses and convention shattering Akamaru Modern - a rich blend of pork based soup with Ippudo's spicy "special sauce", red miso paste, and, floating atop this magnificent elixir, a fragrant layer of garlic oil. Each ramen includes several of a variety of toppings, most of which can be ordered as add-ins, similar to the manner in which you would get a pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and jalapenos (at least you would if you were as awesome as me). For example, the Akamaru Modern includes slices of simmered Berkshire pork, cabbage, onions, scallions, and kikurage (wood ear mushrooms). However I have yet to order ramen without the mandatory addition of incredibly sexy kakuni (braised pork belly), and usually a seasoned hard boiled egg or bamboo shoots.

Of course it wouldn't be ramen without the noodles. Ippudo's are a delight - perfectly cooked every time to be slightly toothsome and chewy, but by no means al dente. The best part is that for $2 extra, one may ask for "kae dama" - provided you've left a generous enough amount of soup in your bowl but finished all your noodles, the servers will bring you another portion of noodles to add to your bowl.

Having dined at Ippudo with a Japanese friend of mine, I realized that I am indeed a statistic: apparently something like 80% of the customers who go their first time and order Akamaru Modern return within the same week for a second time. Well having ordered Akamaru Modern, I actually returned twice in the same week. A word of warning however: eating at this ridiculously decadent noodle and broth juggernaut three times in a week leaves one's insides dry and crying for moisture (MSG OD anyone?).

In this eater's opinion, a small price to pay for such bowl shaped bliss.

Dinner at Noel and Laura's

My cousin Noel is really a fantastic cook. I've reflected since last night on what deeper meaning I can find in that statement. I don't think it can be considered a coincidence that this many members of my family all share a passion for food, cooking, and dining. I'm also not certain that this is strictly a matter of being exposed to food through my family, though that must certainly be a contributing factor. I believe it to be something inexorably passed on through my family's blood, and through many family's bloodlines. I believe that passion for food is a perfect combination of genetic and cultural heritage. Not nature vs. nurture, but more nature + nurture, where the sum is greater than the individual parts.

I regret that my Grandfather succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease when I was young. I remember little about him before he began fading. The majority of my spotty recollections are filled in with stories recounted by my Mother. I can picture the things he did, but I cannot remember them. When I think back to my time with him I think of the disease first, and that makes me very sad. I wish he were alive and in a healthy enough mental state to participate in the passionate, yet casually meandering evening of food I experienced last night with my family.

Adam & Cheryl's Engagement Celebration Dinner

July 25th, 2009

Amuse
Tuna Ball, Crystallized Ginger
Spiced Valencia Orange Segment, Aged Balsamic
Homemade Ginger Ale

First
Striped Bass Sashimi with Soy Syrup & Chili Oil

Second
Asian Gazpacho, Cilantro-Jicama Cream

Third
Spaghetti with Crab, Lemon & Jalapeño

Main
Swordfish Paillard with Leeks & White Grapefruit

Dessert
Peaches in Apricot-Brandy Sauce
White Wine Granité