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