A Voce - NYC Restuarant Review #6

A Voce – "don't waste your time or money"

As soon as I walked into A Voce I was welcomed by classic Tuscan scents and a soothing sense of tranquility. The modern style has an earthy feel; especially with the hanging wood chips in the back of the restaurant to the unsophisticated color schemes of the tables. Unfortunately, it would be all down hill from here.

APPETIZERS:

Duck meatballs in a sweet sauce

Still raving about the spicy duck meatballs at Perilla from last week, I felt obligated to try another chef's take on one of my new favorite dishes. Lesson learned: I should have quit while I was still ahead. The consistency of the meatball was nice, but the sauce lacked in the "flare" department; it just didn't WOW me at all. Also, the dish was drenched in sauce and it took away from the flavor of the meat. The actual meatballs didn't taste anything like duck, but rather, ground beef.

Caprese Salad with fresh tomato and pesto

The presentation was impressive, but at that price, would it kill them to add some more tomatoes and mozzarella? The flavors were on point; the tomatoes (they just happen to be in season) had a full red color and were bursting with flavors. The mozzarella was garnished with seasoning and had a nice bodied flavor. Again, I really loved the dish, well all two bites of it.

Crostini alla Toscana with chicken liver, foie gras, moscatod'asti

This was probably one of the best dishes we had all night. It was served with four big pieces of toasted rustic Italian bread alongside a spread of foie gras. The foie gras had a nice thick texture; it was salty, but not too salty and was the ideal spread for the toasted crostini. I highly recommend this dish as it's perfect for sharing around the table. The two previous dishes were not great for sharing appetizers.

ENTREES:

Seared Diver Scallops with an orange citrus and lentils

I don't know what the chef was smoking back there, but this just didn't do it for me. The overpowering flavors of the dull lentils took away from the already flavorless scallops. The citrus flavors were nowhere to be found and didn't add any pizzazz to the meal. In my opinion, when you add lentils to any dish, you are killing any potential for it to be great. They have such rich tastes that it's hard to mix with another ingredient, in particular, scallops which were not very strong in flavor. I realize lentils are healthy and a great source of protein, but COME ON!

Homemade farfalle with sweet corn, bacon and pesto

Do not be fooled by the ingredients here! I don't even know where to begin this one so ill just start right at the root.

The pasta was undercooked and hard….not exactly what I was expecting from HOMEMADE farfalle. My old roommate Wod (Worst of day) Mike used to make it all the time out of the box and it tasted much better than last night. The pesto was buried under the small portion of pasta and was tasteless. The consistency of the pesto was too oily and didn't go well at all with the hard pasta. I don't even recall tasting any corn, yet it was listed on the menu. Ah, and now to the bacon. Personally, I am not a bacon person, but I will try the occasional salad with bacon bits. To my dismay, the bacon was not crispy enough and was also sparingly scattered throughout the dish. The flavors of this dish had potential but were poorly executed.

Mezzi Rigatoni- lamb, cippola rossa, aged pecorino toscano

I cannot fully review this dish because I did not taste, but can assure you another member at the table loved it.

DESSERT:

If it wasn't for the great company I was with, I may have considered walking out on the bill for this place because the service and food were just awful. But I am glad I stuck around for one more round and boy was it worth it.

Bomboloni alla Toscana – Tuscan doughnuts with chocolate sauce

A gourmet doughnut is like a 100 little orgasms packed into one tasty treat. That's exactly what this was, heavenly. There were four doughnuts on the platter (perfect for sharing) alongside a chocolate dipping sauce, which was warm and gooey. The doughnuts were creamed filled, and no, not that crappy cream filling from Dunkin Donut's; it was the real deal.

In closing, A Voce was quite the dining experience, but be glad you have a friend like me to steer you clear of a place that will really put a hole in your wallet.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	6		10
Service	6		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	5		10
Overall	6.5		10
	32		50

A VOCE
41 Madison Ave., nr. 26th St.212-545-8555

http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/16837/

Perilla - NYC Restuarant Review #5

August 19^th 2008

Perilla – "a neighborhood gem"

For those of you who watch "Top Chef," you are probably familiar with the season one winner, Harold Dierterle. He opened Perilla in the heart of the Greenwich Village in May 2007. The menu is inspired by fresh seasonal ingredients and has a great complimentary wine list to go with any dish. Whether you are in the mood for a quick bite at the bar or have the time to sit down and enjoy the entire menu, Perilla's inviting atmosphere is the perfect place. During the summer months, the bar windows are opened to the tree-lined street.

APPETIZERS:

Spicy Duck Meatballs with mint cavatelli, water spinach and quail egg

****MUST ORDER DISH****

If you speak to anyone who has dined at Perilla, you will hear the same shpeal, "You have to get the meatballs!" Since I am not one to go against the grain, I reluctantly ordered them and couldn't agree more. The texture was perfect, not too stiff, but at the same time, not too moist as they stayed packed together during each delicious bite. The meatballs were served in a bowl with a spicy dipping sauce which went together wonderfully. I realize that I am going overboard here, but I really want to emphasis just how much I loved this first dish. I would bet that if Harold (who was in the kitchen on this night) can make meatballs like that, he could make some killer Matzah Balls. The portions were just right for an appetizer. It was packed full with spicy flavors; however, the presence of the mint was a refreshing contrast to the duck's zing.

Crispy Berkshire Pork Belly with pea tendrils, trumpets & banyuls-vanilla gastrique

I realize it sounds a little obscure and foreign to a novice eater, but I can assure you, pork bellies are quite tasty. Surprisingly, I have to admit that the only time I had really heard of pork bellies was in my Finance 410 class when we talked about commodities that were traded at the Mercantile Exchange. With that being said, this was my first real encounter with the pork belly, and trust me, it will not be the last. The pork bellies were perfectly caramelized with a sugary-vanilla extract which really ignited my sweet tooth.

ENTREES:

Romesco Oil Poached Chatham Cod with black olive gnocchi, oyster mushrooms & summer zucchini sauce

I loved the fish component of the dish, but was not crazy about the black olive gnocchi. I must admit I am not a huge olive fan to begin with, so my opinion here is not valid. Although, I really enjoyed the zucchini sauce which was peppered on top of the fish. The texture resembled bacon bits because of the colors but had a tomato-pesto flavor.

Sauteed Trigger Fish with quinoa, heirloom tomatoes, sweet & sour eggplant-basil sauce

I had never tried Trigger Fish before, but I was more than willing to accept a recommendation from the server. Trigger Fish is similar to a Grouper. It's a very flat boned, meaty fish. The dish was served as a few thick filets over tomatoes and a sweet and sour basil sauce. The Trigger Fish was much more of a complete dish than the cod. The thick meaty filets were filled with flavors and were not overpowered by the sauce. I highly recommend this dish.

In closing, Perilla was a great dining experience with an interesting menu of high-quality ingredients. Luckily, I was there to eat while Harold happened to be in the kitchen; maybe you will get lucky, too.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	9		10
Service	9		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	9		10
	45		50

Perilla ($$$$$)
9 Jones St, New York 10014
Btwn Bleecker & W 4th St
Phone: 212-929-6868
Fax: 212-929-6882

Miami - Restuarant Review #1

DeVito’s

It’s Miami Spice Month in Miami, which means one thing; it’s time to get out and eat. Our first pick was only natural seeing as how our good friend’s father is part owner along with award winning actor Danny Devito. We like to keep it in the family, so we hit the beach to finally see what DeVito’s, the new celebrity owned Italian chophouse, was all about. Our reservation was for 6, yet the maitre’d sat us at a table top for 5. After a nostalgic game of musical chairs we had a chance to check out the dining room. It was only natural that the rich mahogany walls were peppered with plasma TV”s displaying The Godfather… on repeat. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that was DeVito’s idea.

The Miami Spice menu is a set menu for $23 during lunch and $36 during dinner. You usually have a choice of either 2 or 3 different dishes for each appetizer, entrée, and dessert. After a quick read over the short menu, I knew one thing was clear; I was definitely ordering the Italian meatball appetizer in a homemade Pomodoro sauce, topped with a thick round slice of ricotta. The mammoth meatball came in a steel skillet drenched in sauce, which was pretty good, but nothing special.

The sad part about it is the meatball was actually really good, but the cheese served on top was ice cold. I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but the lukewarm temperature definitely hurt the overall enjoyment of the dish. Luckily, they kept the fresh oven baked crusty bread coming to mop up the hot sauce. As I handed the last half of my meatball to my brother for him to devour, I saw a crispy pyramid of oniony fried goodness. I announced to the table that we were ordering onion rings, and after everyone turned to see the stack on the line waiting to be delivered to some other lucky patron, nobody dared argue.

The onion rings arrived, and within seconds a fight broke out. As people struggled to gather as many rings as they could, the breading fell off the onion faster than Josh’s mom’s clothes on a first date. It was as if the two elements had never even come into contact. Either the onions were too wet or the proportion of ingredients in the batter was off, but luckily the curry ketchup and spicy mustard dipping sauces were good enough to make gerbil nuts taste good.

Next, it was time to order the entrée. The choice was between either a citrus chicken with chiles, rigatoni with ricotta cheese, or Chilean seabass topped with lump crab meat, dressed with a creamy and seductive berenaise sauce, and served with steamed asparagus. There was a debate at the table about which sounded the best, and I immediately crossed off the rigatoni. “I didn’t come to a place with a reputation like this to have pasta,” I thought to myself. I mean pasta is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s rare that you are ever WOW’d by it. Through the process of elimination, I went with the seabass. Little did I know, I was about to have one of the best fish dishes of my life.

The fish was tender, light and flaky and would have been delicious alone on its own merits. The large lumps of crab were sweet and rubbed down with a Cajun spice, which added a really nice contrast of flavor. But it was the berenaise sauce that stole the show and really took the dish from good to unforgettable. To top it off, the plate was drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction that was to die for.

Nobody ordered the chicken dish, but two of my friends ordered the rigatoni. I pitied them as they sat with unsatisfied looks on their faces while listening to me moan as if I was enjoying the best sex of my life. “How’s the pasta,” I asked my friends with a self-satisfied smirk on my face. Needless to say, they quickly regretted their decision to play it safe. Fortunately for them, we also ordered two orders of parmesan truffle fries off the regular menu. They made me feel like what I imagine a crackhead feels like once they get their first taste of that sweet rock. The fries themselves were a bit soggy, but again the truffle oil made up for the poor execution.

I still wasn’t over my seabass when the dessert showed up. We had the choice between Tiramisu and a Chocolate Chip Pistachio Covered Cannoli served with a scoop of blood orange sorbet. My friend, still muttering obscenities about the pasta, decided that it was time redeem himself and save the remainder of the meal. So, he went with the tiramisu. “How could you pick tiramisu over a cannoli,” I asked. You can pick your friends, you can pick your meals, but you can’t pick your friend’s meals. I mean he’s my best friend, but the kid doesn’t know how to order. “We’ll see whose dessert is better,” he whispered under his breath.

Judgment time arrived and I have to admit, the creamy whipped topping and chocolate shavings made the tiramisu look pretty tantalizing. But when I took my first bite of my cannoli, a tear fell from my eye… my lips quivered….it was love at first bite. This is not to say that the blood orange sorbet wasn’t amazing as well, but the sweet velvety cheese was more succulent than a fine Italian Cadburry egg. Yet again, my friend watched in agony as he played with his tiramipoo.

All in all, the meal provided an incredible array of flavors only to be matched by the important lesson learned. Happiness is all about the choices we make, choose wisely.

Devito South Beach LLC

www.devitosouthbeach.com

150 Ocean Dr
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-0911
Get directions

Rare Bar & Grill - NYC Restaurant Review #4

August 17^th 2008

Rare Bar & Grill – “upscale burger joint”

This is not your regular Pub/Bar Burger place. It has a trendy flare and is a great place to kick back with friends to enjoy one of their many beers on tap. I was expecting an overpriced, elegant, wanna-be burger place that gets away from the traditions of the All-American Burger. Rare is none of these. The price is just right and the burgers are packed to the brim.

Appetizer:

Beef Brisket Quesadillas with homemade salsa

Typically, I only eat brisket on Jewish holidays when it’s prepared by my mom, but this appetizer sounded very appealing. It was served with a fresh, chunky salsa, with great texture. Unlike normal salsa the tomatoes and yellow peppers were in huge watery chunks and mixed a sweet and spicy sauce…..DELICIOUS. The brisket was packed into each bite and had a sweet, tangy flavor with great moist texture. The dish was a little small, but enough for 4 people to each try a quarter slice.

French Fry Tasting Basket with a mix of cottage, shoestring & sweet potato fries with 3 dipping sauces

What is a PB & J without the jelly? I tell ya one thing..its not a PB & J. It’s the same thing with burgers and fries; the all American classic meal. If you go to Rare, you need to order this. With that being said, I cannot take full credit for this brilliant move nor will I reveal whose idea it was; but I would highly recommend telling the waiter to serve the fry tasting basket during the main courses instead of with the appetizers. Having the fries with 3 dipping sauces (honey maple, spicy mayo, BBQ) was such a great compliment to burgers and make for a great side to share with the table.

Entrees:

“Rare” Classic Cheeseburger with Cheddar

I personally did not order this burger, but for blog purposes I had to take a few bites since it is the staple item at Rare. I have never had a better $9 burger in my life. The meat was packed into a great size patty, with 2 slices of melted cheese on a traditional burger roll. In addition to the standard condiments, they have toppings made to order which include: Truffle Butter, Foie Gras, Bacon, Caramelized Onions etc.

Filet Mignon Steakhouse burger with brie cheese, house salad and caramelized walnuts

For anyone who knows me (and my love for food), is well aware of my love for brie cheese; so before I even start discussing this burger just think to yourself what I could possibly say about this meal.

I literally inhaled this burger and didn’t look back. The meat was cooked perfectly, just the way I like it; medium rare. Now that I think of it, I really didn’t contribute much to the dinner conversation because I knew I was on a mission and would not be satisfied until I cleaned my plate. The Brie was melted onto the meat with some nice field greens to top if off. The combination of the sugary and crunchy flavors of the walnuts and the juiciness of the meat went together beautifully. Nicely done Chef….

All in all, I really enjoyed dining at Rare and recommend it for any birthday celebration or casual gathering. The service was great and the beer & wine list was very extensive.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	9		10
Service	9		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	9.5		10
Overall	9		10
	45		50

Rare Bar & Grill ($$$)
The Shelburne Hotel
Burgers, American (Traditional)

303 Lexington Ave, New York 10016
Btwn 37th & 38th St
Phone: 212-481-1999
Fax: 212-779-7068

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0&restaurantid=4943&readmore=true&page=2

ThaiNY - NYC -Restaurant Review #3

August 9^th 2008

ThaiNY

Appetizer:

Steamed Chicken Dumplings with soy sauce

A traditional Chinese dish with a Thai twist. The dumplings were smaller and more compact than the usual, but steaming when they arrived at the table; and full of impressive flavors. Moreover, the dipping sauce made the dish. It had a base of normal soy sauce, with just the right amount of kick and sweetness to make you grab another.

We also ordered a small plate of the classic spring rolls with a plum sauce. Nothing to report here.

Entrees:

Chicken Pad Thai

It is very hard not to order pad thai when you go to a thai restaurant, so this dining experience was no different. The peanut flavors were represented throughout, with crushed peanuts served on the side to compliment the dish. I am huge fan of pad thai and have ordered the dish many times, but I would have to say this is one of the best.

Shrimp in ginger sauce with sautéed vegetables

I was not too impressed with this dish. When I really don’t like something at a restaurant, I always ask myself, “could I make this better in my own kitchen?” Usually, if the dish isn’t great, the answer is yes. You can get creative with these types of dishes since their menu offers a wide variety of mix and match wok stations. The dish I ordered was shrimp sautéed w/ginger, mushrooms, onion, scallions in ginger vinaigrette sauce. Again, would not recommend.

Tamarind Duck with a sweet plum dipping sauce

This dish was the highlight of the night; it was also one of the daily specials as indicated on the menu. The duck was served with the bone on each individual piece. The presentation reminded me of Peking duck, with its crispy skin. The combination of the crispy skin and tender meat went beautifully with the sweet plum sauce. I highly recommend this dish.

If you are looking for an affordable, local and consistent Thai restaurant, look no further.

The service and ambiance was great. It has retractable windows in the front of the restaurant so in the summer you feel like you are sitting outside with a nice cool breeze. It’s the perfect date place or even great for pick up. You really can’t beat the quality of food for that price. ThaiNY is located on the corner of 28^th and 3^rd Avenue. See below for a link to menu.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8.5		10
Service	8.5		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	8.5		10
	42.5		50

ThaiNY
394 3rd Ave, New York 10016
At 28th St
212-696-2888

http://menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=6&restaurantid=42272&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=65&home=Y

Le Cirque- NYC Restaurant Review #2

July 29^th 2008

Le Cirque ---(a.k.a Le Overrated)

DISCLAIMER: Before I begin this review, I must admit that I had extremely high expectations before dining there on the food, service, reputation, etc. So, if I seem a little harsh it is because I was expecting perfection.

First Course: Australian Shrimp, Asian mixed vegetables, coconut lemongrass jus

Nothing too special about this dish except for the foamy broth which was underneath the oversized shrimp giving it some extra flavor. Not sure if you are familiar with Richard from Top Chef: Season 4 but the broth reminded me of a special concoction that he would make with a high tech gadget to impress the judges. Well done Chef.

Second Course: Daurade grilled with Soba noodles, zucchini, scallions, ginger, fennel salad

This was probably the best dish of the night. The last time I had Daurade was in Spain a few years ago, but the flavors were very consistent with authentic Spanish cuisine. The fish was cooked perfectly- full flavors with a very light texture.

Third Course: Chicken stuffed with morels, caramelized cocotte, asparagus, morel jus

I am not sure why a basic poached chicken dish was even on the menu. Furthermore, I am disappointed in myself for ordering it. I probably should have mentioned earlier that my choices were limited since I was ordering from the restaurant week menu. From my previous experience, Chicken seems to be a safe bet. It tasted like a bad Fresh Direct Heat n’ Eat meal. The chicken was dry and flavorless, while the sauce was boring.

Desert: Crème Brulee “Le Cirque”

It was getting late into the 4^th quarter and the chef needed something to win me back. He tried hard with the Crème Brulee, but it still wasn’t enough to fully win me over. To his credit, the topping was perfectly crystallized and the custard was bursting with creamy rich flavors.

In conclusion, it was a fine dining experience, but really proves why restaurant week is such a great concept. Basically, you have the opportunity to eat at the “supposed” best restaurants in the city for $35/person. If you are really impressed by the food, it could be the kind of place you would go back in the future for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Unfortunately, Le Cirque just isn’t that kind of place for me.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	7.5		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	9		10
Bang for the Buck	7		10
Overall	7.5		10
	39		50

One Beacon Court

151 E. 58^th Street

NY, NY 10022

212 644 0202

http://www.lecirque.com/index2.htm

Nougatine -NYC Restaurant Review #1

This is just the first of many restaurant reviews to come. Please see below for a link to the menu and the address of Nougatine.

July 24^th 2008

Nougatine

First Course: Cherry Tomato with basil and Cucumber soup

Even though this wasn’t the official first course of the evening, I felt obligated to mention my opinion of it. I always appreciate when the waiter delivers an unexpected dish and utters the words, “compliments of the chef” or “the chef would love for you to try this”. Despite the Tomato scare that hit the US this summer, Jean George was still able to capture the core flavors of the cherry tomato with a surprising hint of basil. In addition, this dish included a cucumber soup, which had a delicate and soft texture; soothing the pallet for better things to come.

Second Course: Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

I think we can all agree that this dish had the most mystique and questions surrounding how the flavors would go together. However, to our surprise the succulent taste of the (seedless) watermelon went beautifully with the creamy texture of the goat cheese. Each bite had a hint of salt, pepper and olive oil, which at no point overpowered the flavor of the watermelon. Personally, it was my favorite dish of the night and a great idea for an appetizer at a dinner party.

Third Course: Broiled Salmon with sticky rice in Miso Soup

Possibly the most promising dish of the night, but I don’t think it quite met our expectations. Although, I was very impressed by the extra effort of the waiters to pour the miso soup into the dish once the plates were at our seats. I think that type of service in a restaurant can easily be overlooked. Now to the salmon, which in my opinion, was a little undercooked, but that is just my personal preference. The rice was a presented in a very interesting and obscure way, but the texture was a little too well done for my taste buds.

Fourth Course: Parmesan chicken in a cream sauce with white Asparagus

I think we all know how I felt about this dish, because Karen was nice enough to point out my facial expression before I took the first bite. The sauce really made this dish, which if I had to guess was a melted parmesan cheese sauce (similar to a cheese whiz sauce used in Philly for cheesesteaks, but more elegant). As I mentioned last night, which is almost never the case; the piece of chicken was just too big. I could have used a lot more sauce and a smaller piece of chicken. Oh, I almost forget to mention the white asparagus which went great with the sauce. It looked and felt like penne pasta, but was a tasty veggie which I may have to add to my repertoire.

Fifth Course: Chocolate cake and Pound cake with berries and whipped cream

If the four courses before the desert weren’t enough, Jean George took it one step further by offering us a taste of his signature chocolate cake, which was full of warm gooey flavors once it burst open. Along with the chocolate delight, was a sponge cake topped with whipped cream, berries and fresh mint gelee which ended the night on a high note.

Overall, the restaurant was great and the service was even better. This was the best restaurant week experience that I have had yet.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8.5		10
Service	9.5		10
Ambiance	9		10
Bang for the Buck	9		10
Overall	8.5		10
	44.5		50

• Jean Georges
  1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023
  at Columbus Cir. See Map | Subway Directions
• 212-299-3900

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/nougatine/menus/dinner.html