French Bakery. Oui.
http://www.bouchonbakery.com/
As a California transplant, I can always appreciate a little bit of the Golden State in New York City, so when I heard that there was a NYC branch of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery at the shops in Columbus Circle, I made it a point to make my way over. I’ve never had the opportunity to go to the original in the Napa Valley, but let me tell you – if it is anything like the one here I say GO with a capital G. Amongst their selection of the usual French boulangerie fare like croissants, macaroons, and tarts, you will also find a variety of cookies and interpretations of “junk food delights” like their own version of the nutter butter cookie. They also have some standout sandwiches (they make their own bread after all!), soups, and salads. However, as this is a bakery let’s talk their baked goods.
Chocolate Chip Cookie & Pain Au Tois Chocolat
Their individual macaroons error on the larger end, which is not a hinderance but it doesn’t make it outstanding either. The pistachio macaroon I had contained a nice subtle hint of flavor, but the center was too creamy and frosting like for my taste. All in all, its just as good as any but not anything to fawn over. The chocolate chip cookie here fares as a much better choice in my opinion. It had excellent texture, with just the right amount of crisp edge without compromising the soft and chewy center. Bonuses for not being overly sweet. My pick though, if you plan on venturing to Midtown for this bakery, is to try the pain au tois chocolat. If you are a chocolate fan, this is for you! And if you are not, you will be. It’s a standout. It’s a flaky croissant that is chocolate, contains a bar of chocolate as a base (like the pain au chocolat), and has a chocolate filling (yes, filling!) that’s not quite cream and not quite frosting, but all the best of both. It’s like an eclair but a croissant. A definite must.
-Jules
Bouchon Bakery – 8 out of 10 stars.
10 Columbus Circle
At 59th Street – Third Floor
New York, NY 10019
Is Fat Hippo Worth the Fat?
courtesy fathipponyc.com
I’m not a huge fan of the bar scene in the Lower East Side (Not East Village, Not Chinatown, but more the Rivington, Norfolk, etc area), but I must say that I’m usually very happy with my food purchases there. Brunch brought me to Fat Hippo and the menu looked innovative and delicious.
Dishes that caught my eye from the lunch and dinner menu that I wouldn’t be able to eat included the pan fried mozzarella balls and lobster pot pie. Doesn’t that sound so homey and satisfying? I can’t wait to go back to try it.
What brought me there that morning was a birthday of a friend who was minding everyone’s budgets, $12.95 for brunch (entrée, coffee/tea and juice) and $4 cocktails (mimosa, screwdriver, hangover spiced tequila shot and bloody Mary’s). I thought that that was very considerate of her.
Unfortunately, either our waitress was either having an off day or was very, very, very new because it took about 30 minutes for our food order to be taken and then almost another hour before our food got there. We sat at 2pm and got our food at 330PM. Whaaaaaaat? We were pretty damn hungry by then.
Luckily my crab and eggs were pretty good, because I hoovered that thing. The menu said that it was crab cakes with poached eggs, green tomato gratin and home fries. I’m not really sure where the green tomato gratin came in, but what I saw was slices of red tomatoes, topped with crab cakes, topped with poached eggs, topped with creamy sauce and a side of homefries. The food maybe have been sitting there for a bit because it was a little cold, but still tasty. The crab cakes were full of meat, not just breading, the eggs were beautifully poached, seriously, they were beautiful, and the sauce was flavorful. I was not disappointed in taste. The potatoes tasted like they were sitting out there for a while, but I don’t believe that that was any fault of the chef’s.
Nope, it wasn’t busy, there were maybe 3 other tables in there, but something was going on with the service. I want to go back to taste the rest of the food, but I don’t know when I’m going to have that kind of time to spend on a meal again, lol.
6 out of 10
71 Clinton St, New York NY10002
-Juice
I Can’t Wait To Go Back To Westville East
courtesy of westvillenyc.com
I’m a big meat eater. I was a vegetarian throughout my teenager years and appreciate vegetarian meals, but (unfortunately) the majority of my meals consist of meat. However, as I sat at the counter of Westville East the other night, I felt like having a meat free meal, and I am so glad that I did.
The restaurant was tiny and crowded, as are many of the new restaurants in New York City. And after glancing at the menu I wanted to clap my hands. They had one of my very favorite things to eat in this world, an arugula and parmigiana reggiano salad. It’s so basic, but incredibly flavorful. They only added lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. I was swooning. For my entrée I got the veggie burger with mixed mushrooms and spicy tartar sauce, which also came with a side of fries. It was, I swear, the best veggie burger that I have ever had. It had bite to it that made you feel like you were eating something substantial and the taste was beautiful. I was taken aback by my first bite and then munched happily away. And may I just say that their fries reminded me of Burger King fries, and I love Burger King fries so that’s a good thing.
Of course I had to get dessert, so I grabbed two of their cream filled cookie sandwiches. Keep in mind that these a decent sized dessert sandwich the diameter around 3-4 inches. One was called “Oreo Cookie” because it was made up of chocolate cookies and a vanilla butter cream filling. It was good, but I would have rather had a real Orea. But the “Little Devin Cookie” ? I could not put that damn thing down. I kept saying, just one more bite and put it away, but I couldn’t. I’m a sucker for cream cheese frosting and this was sandwiched in between 2 tasty granola, cranberry and walnut cookies. I was in Heaven.
Westville East, was a wonderful restaurant, even if it was crowded. I can’t wait to go back. After that fantastic first meal, I know that I definitely want to taste their other baked goods, in particular their carrot cake and their cobblers. I also would love to try their smoky mac and cheese with bacon, arugula with smoked mozzarella and pears, their beef burger, hot dogs, sausage and peppers, chicken cutlet, beer battered codfish and chips and pretty much their entire brunch menu.
9 out of 10
173 Avenue A, New York NY10009
-Juice
Klong, My Favorite Thai In New York City
courtesy of klongnyc.com
I’ve been going to Klong for probably almost a decade. I was in college and when they had first opened, I wandered in and wanted to see what was going on in there. The interior design of this Thai restaurant is fantastic. Gorgeous abacus walls, metal sculptures and beautiful statues decorate the room. And when you see how lovely everything looks, you are taken aback when you see how affordable the prices of their dishes are.
Klong has extremely tasty food, for a really good price. Oh gosh, looking at their menu right now, I’ve probably tasted 60% of the items on it and have never been disappointed. Though I will warn you, their cocktail are only average, but they are still a lot of fun to sip on. Like their Frost in Night Market Bangkok. Made with pandan leaf juice, vodka, Malibu, midori, coconut milk and jackfruit, it is a very darling drink. And did you know that Red Bull originated in Thailand? I didn’t. I only found out when I saw that interesting tidbit next to their Red Bull and vodka cocktail. But, if you are in a non-alcoholic mood, you can never go wrong with their Thai ice tea. Those things are addicting!
Gosh, appetizer, entrée and dessert-wise, you will be happy with what you order. They also have a great vegetarian selection that tastes great. My favorite entrée on the menu overall though, has to be the Spicy Basil Noodles with beef, hands down. Every time I go with someone new to this restaurant, they are blown away by the spices and the overall taste of it. Broad noodles and tender beef are sautéed with tons of basil and spice. Layers of heat overcome my mouth with each bite that I take, and because I can’t handle that too well, I ask them to make it with very little chili and it is still just as amazing.
And for the price, their dessert is pretty good too. That reminds me, it’s been a while since my last visit, I think that I’ll have to pop in soon.
9 out of 10
7 St Marks Pl, New York NY10003
-Juice
Oh Me, Omai
courtesy omainyc.com
It had been a very long time since I have had a taste of Vietnamese, so when I entered Omai, one of my dinner companion’s favorite restaurants, I was delighted. Far off on 9th ave, it wasn’t crowded and we were seated immediately. The space was simply decorated, clean and crisp. The light reflecting off of the white walls made the room seem bigger than it really was and the seating was comfortable.
Our drinks came immediately, my Manhattan wasn’t bad at all. On the recommendation of my friend, we decided to get a bunch of appetizers and just split them. And you know me, I always over order, but in this case, I was very happy with her decision because their appetizers are very generous, portion-wise, compared to other New York City restaurants. It was a very pleasant surprise.
The wok seared monk fish with peanuts, chili, basil and served with a sesame rice cracker was very good. All the ingredients came together beautifully, and even though it was a very flavorful dish, it was light and not at all heavy.
The seared beef over tomato and watercress was amazing. The meat was beautifully seasoned and incredibly tasty. I loved the bitterness that the watercress added to it. Yummy!
And let me tell you, they really know how to make meat here. Our next dish were the baby back ribs with 5 spices and we polished them off right away. Tender meat and great flavor. What more could you want? Simple and to the point.
However, our last appetizer was a disappointment. The shrimp ravioli fell apart immediately the second we tried to transport it to our plates, and while it wasn’t a bad dish, it was definitely the worst savory dish we had that night. It is also something that I would recommend that people not order, the shrimp were chopped too small, and the skin very thin. They also should have served it with a sauce to give it more oomph. It was very bland.
And last, the dessert. Maybe I ordered wrong. We got the banana bread with warm Tahitian vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was decadent and so good, but the banana bread was a downer. It was some type of tapioca texture bread layer, covered with a banana and topped with ice cream. It didn’t have that come out of the oven banana bread that I was expecting. A bit sad, but at least the majority of my appetizers were good right?
7 out of 10
158 9th Ave, New York NY10011
-Juice
Tipsy Parson, True To Its Name, A Damn Good Cocktail
courtesy of tipsyparson.com
Maybe this isn’t a fair post. I was in a rush and I had dinner already, so I couldn’t fit down an entrée, but my mind insisted that I try some of the bar snacks. Have you been to Tipsy Parson yet? If not, then read on.
Conveniently located next to a restaurant that I had a lovely dinner at, me and my dining mate decided to pop in for a quick drink and I must say that cocktail wise, I wasn’t disappointed. After grabbing a couple of seats I decided on the maple old fashioned and it was amazing. The maple added a perfect balance of sweet against the hard liquor and it wasn’t overly sugary at all. It was delicious and refreshing and I know that the next time that I go to Tipsy Parson, that I will be torn between getting this wonderful drink or trying something new. Now, now, I know what you are all thinking, knowing me, I would have tried all the drinks at the bar, however, I already had two Manhattans with dinner and had work the next morning so I knew that getting another drink was probably a bad idea.
Food wise? Bar snacks wise, it was only OK. I have to go back and try and actual entrée. At the bar I ordered:
Deviled Eggs: An oldie, but a goodie, it was a recommendation of one of the bartenders, but I was disappointed. It was OK, but there was a strange tartness to it. Vinegar? Pickling somehow? It wasn’t the heart attack, flavorful deviled egg that I am use to.
Assortment of pickles: Grapes, carrots, onions, string beans, turnips, mushrooms and all that good stuff. Again my expectations weren’t met. I LOVE pickled vegetables. When I’m working, I keep a jar of pickles next to me to snack on, I love them so much. When I get my stinky tofu at Chinese restaurants, I devour the pickled cabbage, carrots and turnips. Not so much at Tipsy Parson and for one reason. Too much salt. And I like my salt, but, for the price of these pickles, I expected more.
Hush Puppies: The best hush puppies I have had in my entire life. It came with an aioli dipping sauce that I didn’t need because they were flavorful enough and so satisfying that I was pleasantly surprised after tasting the other two options. They were beautifully fried, the outside was so light and crispy, and the inside was the perfect level of denseness. Gorgeous. Can gorgeous be used to describe texture and flavor? On my blog it can!
5.5 out of 10 if you just eat, 6.5 out of 10 if you enjoy a cocktail
156 9th Ave, New York 10011
-Juice
Family Style Italian Dinner At A NYC Institution
courtesy of carminesnyc.com
Nothing makes me happier than seeing huge portions of good food. When I’m with a large group of people who don’t have a ton of money to spend, off to Carmine’s we go. I’ve been to both locations in Manhattan and the consensus is that the service is never great, unless you get an upstairs table at the theatre district location.
Carmine’s is the epitome of family style Italian dining. You’re surround by hustle and bustle, loud talking and laughter everywhere. And you will never leave hungry.
Dishes I’ve devoured at Carmine’s:
Baked clams: Good, not great but good. Scoop the sauce at the bottom of the dish for a big hit of garlic.
Zuppa de mussels: Yummy, yummy, yum, yum. And I love dipping my bread into the leftover sauce.
Carmine’s salad: Think leafy green mixed with antipasto, chunks of salami and cheese all throughout
Ceasar Salad: It is what it says and doesn’t disappoint.
Mixed seafood pasta: Their pasta is always al dente and they do not skimp on the seafood.
Pasta with white clam sauce: Like I said, perfectly cooked, you cannot go wrong with their pasta dishes.
Chicken Marsala: The wine flavor is a bit overpowering for me, but the chicken was cooked well.
Chicken parmigiana: A very tasty dish, I probably could have eaten the entire plate if I had more time.
Broiled porterhouse: HUGE portion, great for meat eaters.
Porterhouse Contidina: This blew the plain porterhouse out of the water. I could cut the meat with just a fork and the sausages, potatoes, peppers and onions added an incredible amount of flavor. Love at first bite.
Strawberry shortcake: To me this tastes amazingly when done simple and to the point, which is how Carmine’s does it. A delicious winner.
Chocolate Torta: A must have for any chocolate lover. Think of an oversized, good quality, rich brownie that is slightly undercooked. Grab a side of ice cream to go with it.
I know, I know, I complain about the service at tons of other places, why don’t I let it affect about how I feel about Carmine’s? Part of it is because it’s a family style restaurant so it’s very laidback in my eyes. Another part is that the restaurant is simply understaffed. They should bring on more waiters, but at the same time if they do, the waiters would make less money. One more part. The cost of the food is extremely reasonable. One bowl of pasta can feed 4 people and have them leave full. I can’t complain about that.
8.5 out of 10
-Juice
Angel’s Share Is A Heavenly New York Bar Experience
courtesy of yelp.com by Ben N.
Angel’s Share. Sigh. Angel’s Share gives me goosebumps. It’s one of my favorite bars. Ever. Small and hidden behind a Japanese restaurant on the second floor, the staff is dressed impeccably and look like Japanese pop stars. Oh yeah, and did I mention that the drinks are freaking amazing? This review has been a long time coming, I’ve just been putting it off because I hate spreading the word about it. I know, I know, how selfish of me. But I hate waiting on line to go to my favorite places.
When you watch the bartenders make the drinks and the waiters serve them to you, you know you are in for an experience. They treat the ingredients and drinks with respect and care. Every martini is a perfect pour and large ice cubes keep your hard liquor chilled. The large size of the ice prevents a fast melt that will water down your drink. I love watching them serve martinis. Touches that I’ve noticed, herb garnishes are always placed away from the patron’s face. I am guessing because when you take a sip, you actually get a whiff of the fresh herb which is just a beautiful thing. I’ve also noticed that they infuse some of their own liquor and that earl grey vodka is a beautiful thing. A very, very beautiful thing. I was suppose to go to a movie tonight, but writing this post is making me want to go to Angel’s Share. I’m thinking about their cozy seasonal drinks, the wide variety of scotches, the sweet, but not to sweet lemon drop martinis, the smooth feel of the Serenity drink and how I had a new love in my life when I took a sip of Cousin Mary. Cousin Mary, who loves you? I love you.
And! And! Angel’s Share has bar food as well. I always get the raw oysters, which are usually amazing, one time they were only average, which surprised me, but they are usually delicious. The soft shell crab salad is always a crowd pleaser. And they have other items such as dumplings, meats and sashimi.
Who knew that Heaven was just one story above the New York City Sidewalk?
Some notes about Angel’s Share. No parties bigger than 4 are allowed. No cell phone use is allowed.
9 out of 10
8 Stuyvesant St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-5415
The Dirty Stinkin’ Whore Martini At Divine Bar West
courtesy of divinebar.ypguides.net
There is something very touristy about Divine Bar West that is a turn off. Think pre and after theatre crowd. But they make some really amazing martinis and tasty treats. If you stop by make sure to ask for a table upstairs. There’s more to the place then just the bar. If you are lucky enough to visit during the warmer months, you might want to try for an outside table.
I cannot rave enough about their Dirty Stinkin’ Whore martini. A massive potato vodka martini is lined with celery salt and garnished with a blue cheese stuffed olive, a roasted shallot and a sliver of red roasted pepper. It goes down so lovely and clean and the celery salt is a heavenly touch to the cold vodka. And when I say that this is a big drink, it really is a big drink. It might even be twice the size of some of the martinis I have had in my life. The rest of their special martini list has beautiful flavors as well, like their Champagne-Grapefruit martini, which is grapefruit vodka, champagne, citrus syrup and a gorgeous sun-dried citrus garnish. It’s looks beautiful in addition to tasting good. The Platinum Cosmo is refreshing and pretty. Made from platinum sipping tequila, white cranberry juice, triple sec, lime juice and a lemon and cranberry garnish, it’s a fantastic twist on a regular Cosmopolitan.
I’m not going to lie. With all of that booze, you will surely want food to munch on. My general opinion of the menu is that the food is good, not amazing, but good. BUT! But, there is one dish that I always have to have when I go there. Hands down, I always have to get the baked brie in a puff pastry with honey, walnuts, dates and apples. You will be using those apple slices to scoop up every last bit of honey and pastry. The funny thing is that it doesn’t taste like they use honey. It tastes like they poured yummy caramel all over it.
Dishes that aren’t mind-blowing, but that are worth giving a go are the tuna sushi roll (wrapped tortilla style, but if there were ham in there instead of tuna I probably wouldn’t have know), the antipasti (this is great if you want quantity, it’s a big platter), the bruschetta with warm goat cheese (absolutely delicious, but their bruschetta portions are very small, 3 to a plate).
How are the desserts you ask? Just like the rest of the menu, not to-die-for, but definitely good and will satisfy and please you. And will plates like pumpkin poppers with butterscotch gelato and a bag of mini doughnuts, how can you resist?
6.5 out of 10
236 W 54th St, New York NY10019
(212) 265-9463
-Juice
Supper In New York, Anyone?
courtesy of supperrestaurant.com
Supper will definitely be seeing me again for dinner. Delicious and well-executed dishes come out of this Northern Italian influenced kitchen and is definitely a must try for those who haven’t been yet. The restaurant is cozy and very tight, but is rustic in the way that you would imagine a restaurant in Italy would be like. The second you sit down you are hit with wafts of sauces, meats and cheese and wondering what everyone ordered and hope that everything tastes as good as it smells.
I sipped on a glass of prosecco and nibbled on bread with a white bean sauce while we ordered and after a while put down the bread and started eating spoonfuls of the beans when no one was looking. Soon, our aromatic appetizers were placed in front of me and my friends. We decided on grilled calamari, burata mozzerella and veal meatballs. The grilled calamari? I barely remembered it was even there when I tried the other two. It was good, but not memorable. On the other hand, the burarata mozzerella was one of those dishes where you thought you might orgasm with each bite that you took. It was a rich flavor explosion in your mouth and one of those dishes where you would come back to Supper just to eat this dish. The veal meatballs? Simple, savory and fantastic. This was a wonderful start to our meal. I was really praying that our entrees wouldn’t let us down.
Sunday gravy is one of my favorite things to eat so I knew I had to try their version. I got their grandpa pasta (long thin tubes) with Sunday gravy and ricotta. Basic and tasty. It wasn’t mind blowing like the meatballs and the burata, but I definitely was not disappointed and was wishing I had another bowl of it later on in the night. As you know, I love dishes where the ingredients really stand out and are the stars of the dish. Buried flavors make me sad. I don’t need an entrée that has 20 ingredients and has fireworks coming out of it to be satisfied.
I cannot wait to try the other restaurants that the owners of Supper also run and I can’t wait to return to Supper as well.
My only one complaint? Community tables. Maybe it’s because I grew up in New York, but I don’t like sharing tables with people I don’t know because I feel like someone is always trying to steal my wallet.
156 East 2nd Street
New York, NY 10009-7719
(212) 477-2732
8 out of 10
-Juice
