La Mangeoire
1008 2 Ave
New York, NY 10022-4966
(212) 759-7086
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 5
Overall 18
Good for Pricier than average Lunch ,average priced dinner for pairs or small groups of friends in small cozy french bistro setting
My mom and I ,after visiting Saint Patrick's cathedral ,were hungry for some good home cooked french food.
We walked around ,surprised we had to walk all the way here to find a reasonable French restaurant in the midtown east area, since the Upper East has usually loads of well priced places French finds. Their menu showcased a prix fixe lunch menu for $19.75 and dinner menu of $28 and reasonable a la carte prices so we decided to give it a go. When you enter this medium size cozy restaurant, it reminds you of a funky French aunt's country house. Shabby french chic country cottage. Yellow roughly plastered walls with heavy wood moldings. Copper Pots , brightly colored paintings and antique appearing lighting with brightly colored scarves thrown on as original shades.
We were seated promptly next to what turned out to be either the manager or owner's table, a loud group of French men who were enjoying a later afternoon leisurely lunch. I must confess I am always more confidant in any restaurant owned by a native of the country. While unfortunately I have been to many a NYC French restaurant with this distintion that still served sub par food, it always leaves me surprised. In France, no matter how small or cheap, I have usually found most of the restaurants pretty good, especially when it comes to dishing typical casual favorites. I never understand why these same classics across the Atlantic somehow become mangled.
In any case, the lunch menu is mildy pricey. Appetizers ranged from $10-14 . Mains, are offered in two sizes with a small price reduction for the smaller size and range in price from $13-33.
We were unimpressed by the lunch prix fixe as mains consisted primarily of salads. They also have many moules frites varieties that are $18.50, which I found a bit pricey for mussels.
I opted for the $16.50 calf liver with ratatouille and my mother had the $19.50 striped bass with sweet potatoe mash. Both were the smaller portion size which turned out to be a perfectly sized lunch or dinner size. Both dishes were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. My liver was served with a sweet onion compote and bacon which provided an interesting taste dimension. My mother's bass was nicely seared with the fresh flavor of thyme singing through. Both meals reminded me of some French mother's cooking. Simple,fresh well prepared with attention to seasoning and cooking. Nothing fancy but good home-style country cooking. Although we skipped appetizer and dessert, I would love to try this spot for a dinner.
I recommend this place if you are in the Midtown East area or even as a destination for the well priced cozy French dinner prix fixe.
The Quest continues......
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sanford's
Sanford's
3013 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106-2610
(718) 932-9569
Food 4
Service 5
Ambiance 6
Overall 15
Good for burgers and drinks - pairs or small groups, skip the brunch or pricey dinner
So I have passed by Sanford's several times and have always been intrigued by the very cool sleek interior of this place on a street which houses mainly a goodly amount of greek and brazilian restaurants in Astoria. Today, after checking out their 13 dollar prix fixe brunch menu online and some good reviews I decided to take the plunge.
When we arrived at 1:30 pm, there was line of about 8 people waiting. I got to the front to ask the hostess how long a wait for party of two could be. Before I even started speaking, the hostess, who was finalizing a takeout bill, imperially informed me to wait in a harsh tone. After several minutes, she looked up at the rest of the crowd, apparently having already forgotten me, although I was right in front of her, and asked who is next for a table. I then approached her again to ask for the wait time, and she informed with much dramatic disdain, that the wait would be at least 20 minutes. After all of this, we ended up eating here because we were too hungry and too tired to figure out an alternative. We walked in the neighborhoood for a little while and returned to the restaurant 10-15 minutes later, to find, surprise surprise several free tables and no more line.
Anyways, our hostess seats us initially at this center table, very close to the door, although there were several other open tables and booths further away. After 10 minutes at this table with the breeze blowing in my face every time a new customer came in, we asked to be relocated to a less wind accesible table.
SO you can probably tell that by this point I am not very impressed by this place, the hostess having left a rather poor impression on me. Our waiter, however, did make up for some of her annoying behavior and was attentive and helpful throughout our brunch.
Let me back track to the decor of this place. It is actually a fairly well thought out and executed space. Funky green and orange glass tiles on the walls, cool modern lamps, sleek floors and world music in the background. Very cool space except the noise level was problematic. We almost had to shout facing each other for most of the meal .
Anyways, our waiter arrives at our new location and takes our order. Although we ordered from the breakfast and brunch menu, this place has an extensive regular menu which looked interesting- especially their 8 versions of burgers. The brunch menu as mentioned is a 13 dollar prixe fixe which includes coffee or tea and one alcholic drink. The breakfast mains are fairly cheap. They focus as per the menu on organic free range eggs and local produce when possible. I ordered a Croque Madame(which they call Monsieur) for $7.95 and my husband had the $9.95 big boy breakfast - a combo of eggs, homefries, bacon and a waffle)
We also had a $5.95 side of fresh fruit. For drinks, I had a cup of revolution earl grey lavender tea while my husband opted for a cup of the hot chocalate.
Now before I speak much about the food, let me provide a neccessary detail. Apparently Sanford's has been around since 1922, as a corner diner. Recently, in response to the changing neighborhood they decided to revamp the place and expand the menu. Unfortunately for us, they still retain diner breakfast standards, and not the good kind either. My husband's Big Boy breakfast arrived with the standard cardboard tasting diner waffle straddled by unseasoned scrambled eggs, dried out over cooked bacon and watery tasteless spatula flattened homefries. The menu also publicizes their use of real maple syrup. However, our waiter initially brought out breakfast syrup and when we asked for the real maple syrup, which was quickly brought out, our final bill showed we were charged an extra dollar for the real deal. My croque Madame arrived a three layer grilled ham and cheese sandwhich made from Wonder White bread and not an ounce of bechamel. After this and Cafe Henri, I am starting to belive that I will not find a proper Croque Madame in Queens. Dense and overly stuffed with ham and unmelted cheese, I forced myself to stumble through half of it before my stomach hurled revolt. I focused my energies on the fairly fresh and bountiful side of fruit, which aside from my tea was the best thing as far as food in this place. My husband did not fare as well with his hot chocalate as I did with my tea. His had the undeniable smell and taste of Swiss Miss.
Overall, the brunch left me sorely disappointed and hungry. Because of the cuteness of the space, price and since these owners own a burger joint (Petey's Burger Joint) as well, I might venture again to try some strong drinks and big burgers.
The Quest continues......
3013 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106-2610
(718) 932-9569
Food 4
Service 5
Ambiance 6
Overall 15
Good for burgers and drinks - pairs or small groups, skip the brunch or pricey dinner
So I have passed by Sanford's several times and have always been intrigued by the very cool sleek interior of this place on a street which houses mainly a goodly amount of greek and brazilian restaurants in Astoria. Today, after checking out their 13 dollar prix fixe brunch menu online and some good reviews I decided to take the plunge.
When we arrived at 1:30 pm, there was line of about 8 people waiting. I got to the front to ask the hostess how long a wait for party of two could be. Before I even started speaking, the hostess, who was finalizing a takeout bill, imperially informed me to wait in a harsh tone. After several minutes, she looked up at the rest of the crowd, apparently having already forgotten me, although I was right in front of her, and asked who is next for a table. I then approached her again to ask for the wait time, and she informed with much dramatic disdain, that the wait would be at least 20 minutes. After all of this, we ended up eating here because we were too hungry and too tired to figure out an alternative. We walked in the neighborhoood for a little while and returned to the restaurant 10-15 minutes later, to find, surprise surprise several free tables and no more line.
Anyways, our hostess seats us initially at this center table, very close to the door, although there were several other open tables and booths further away. After 10 minutes at this table with the breeze blowing in my face every time a new customer came in, we asked to be relocated to a less wind accesible table.
SO you can probably tell that by this point I am not very impressed by this place, the hostess having left a rather poor impression on me. Our waiter, however, did make up for some of her annoying behavior and was attentive and helpful throughout our brunch.
Let me back track to the decor of this place. It is actually a fairly well thought out and executed space. Funky green and orange glass tiles on the walls, cool modern lamps, sleek floors and world music in the background. Very cool space except the noise level was problematic. We almost had to shout facing each other for most of the meal .
Anyways, our waiter arrives at our new location and takes our order. Although we ordered from the breakfast and brunch menu, this place has an extensive regular menu which looked interesting- especially their 8 versions of burgers. The brunch menu as mentioned is a 13 dollar prixe fixe which includes coffee or tea and one alcholic drink. The breakfast mains are fairly cheap. They focus as per the menu on organic free range eggs and local produce when possible. I ordered a Croque Madame(which they call Monsieur) for $7.95 and my husband had the $9.95 big boy breakfast - a combo of eggs, homefries, bacon and a waffle)
We also had a $5.95 side of fresh fruit. For drinks, I had a cup of revolution earl grey lavender tea while my husband opted for a cup of the hot chocalate.
Now before I speak much about the food, let me provide a neccessary detail. Apparently Sanford's has been around since 1922, as a corner diner. Recently, in response to the changing neighborhood they decided to revamp the place and expand the menu. Unfortunately for us, they still retain diner breakfast standards, and not the good kind either. My husband's Big Boy breakfast arrived with the standard cardboard tasting diner waffle straddled by unseasoned scrambled eggs, dried out over cooked bacon and watery tasteless spatula flattened homefries. The menu also publicizes their use of real maple syrup. However, our waiter initially brought out breakfast syrup and when we asked for the real maple syrup, which was quickly brought out, our final bill showed we were charged an extra dollar for the real deal. My croque Madame arrived a three layer grilled ham and cheese sandwhich made from Wonder White bread and not an ounce of bechamel. After this and Cafe Henri, I am starting to belive that I will not find a proper Croque Madame in Queens. Dense and overly stuffed with ham and unmelted cheese, I forced myself to stumble through half of it before my stomach hurled revolt. I focused my energies on the fairly fresh and bountiful side of fruit, which aside from my tea was the best thing as far as food in this place. My husband did not fare as well with his hot chocalate as I did with my tea. His had the undeniable smell and taste of Swiss Miss.
Overall, the brunch left me sorely disappointed and hungry. Because of the cuteness of the space, price and since these owners own a burger joint (Petey's Burger Joint) as well, I might venture again to try some strong drinks and big burgers.
The Quest continues......
Pomme de Terre
Pomme de Terre
1301 Newkirk Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 284-0005
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for cozy casual tasty dinner with a small group of friends
So last night, we were driving my cousin to his Midwood apartment and I asked him about restaurants in the area as it was getting close to dinner time. He recommended two places: The Farm - which has had a lot of buzz for some time, and Pomme de Terre, both owned by the same people. After attempting to get seated at Farm which was packed with 45 minute wait for a table at 9 pm, we headed to Pomme when they told us they had a table for us. I am so glad I did. Although I did not eat at Farm, the space is super loud and the decor more sleek Manhattan than homey Brooklyn for my taste. The menu is more Nouvelle American and was not overly intriguing to my palate. In any case, we drove to Pomme, just 5 minutes away and before we entered I was glad we had not found a table at Farm. It is a truly small and quiet intimate space- one room with a tiny kitchen. Not cramped though, I actually had the feeling of being in someone's dining room. The decor is typically french bistro country: Some red paint on the wall, lots of old french newspapers as wallpaper and paintings. Nothing unusual or original, but a quaint neighborhood feel. The only thing I hated was the funky blue and white floor tiles, some of which were broken, which made no sense with the rest of the decor.
Our waitress was friendly and appropriately present throughout most of the meal. We were seated promptly and handed our menu which featured an assortment of french american bistro afforadable favorites. Most appetizers were in the 8 -10 dollar price range while mains were in the high teens with only the steak frites a high 28 dollars. The well priced wine menu was fairly small with not many available by the glass. Most were french wines but the varieties represented could have been more well rounded. We shared a bottle of a $29 dollar french white, which was a nice citrusy flavored simple fruit forward choice. I also ordered a glass of Spanish temparanillo with my steak , which was an approachable mildy interesting red.
We started off with a $8.50 pissaladiere for appetizer, a french savory tart . It arrived a generous serving of 4 perfectly baked flaky puff pastry squares topped with a well harmonized mix of diced tomatoes, basil and anchovies. Fresh,simple and tasty, each ingrediant lent its own note to bring th overall flavor together.
For mains, I opted for the $19 strip steak with twice baked potatoe and spinach, my husband went for the $17 onion crusted salmon and my cousin for the $17 roast chicken. I ordered my steak "bloody", which I felt underlined my need for truly rare steak. Unfortunately it arrived medium with parts medium rare. Despite that, the steak was bloody good. Beautifully seared exterior with light but well thought out seasoning, the meat was tender and juicy despite being cooked beyond my desire. The side of the twice baked potatoe and spinach were both well cooked and seasoned. While there was nothing original in presentation or flavor spectrum, this is the kind of food a good neighborhood joint should deliver. Fresh well prepared simple ingrediants that make you feel like a good friend has worked hard to make you a good meal. My husband's salmon , which he ordered medium, arrived a shriveled onion coated sliver . Although it looked extermely overdone, somehow they managed to retain moistness and flavor. My steak was a truly generous portion of food, so it was a bit surprising how skimpy the salmon portion was. I did not taste my cousin's chicken although it also looked a tad overcooked but was undeniably juicy appearing.
For dessert, we ventured for the warm chocolate cake and I had a glass of the white port. The cake was also overcooked with a tangy mango sauce that laced the plate and a large serving of vanilla icecream.
My white port was simply a well aged chenin french wine, which was a bit too light to call porto and would have served better as a appetizer drink.
Overall, if I lived in Midwood or were in the area, I am sure this would be one of my go to places for a lazy dinner on weekdays. The price ,portions,taste spectrum and friendly decor and service make it a good neighborhood joint. While the kitchen needs help in not overcooking all food, somehow whats left is still tasty cuisine.
The Quest continues.......
1301 Newkirk Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 284-0005
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for cozy casual tasty dinner with a small group of friends
So last night, we were driving my cousin to his Midwood apartment and I asked him about restaurants in the area as it was getting close to dinner time. He recommended two places: The Farm - which has had a lot of buzz for some time, and Pomme de Terre, both owned by the same people. After attempting to get seated at Farm which was packed with 45 minute wait for a table at 9 pm, we headed to Pomme when they told us they had a table for us. I am so glad I did. Although I did not eat at Farm, the space is super loud and the decor more sleek Manhattan than homey Brooklyn for my taste. The menu is more Nouvelle American and was not overly intriguing to my palate. In any case, we drove to Pomme, just 5 minutes away and before we entered I was glad we had not found a table at Farm. It is a truly small and quiet intimate space- one room with a tiny kitchen. Not cramped though, I actually had the feeling of being in someone's dining room. The decor is typically french bistro country: Some red paint on the wall, lots of old french newspapers as wallpaper and paintings. Nothing unusual or original, but a quaint neighborhood feel. The only thing I hated was the funky blue and white floor tiles, some of which were broken, which made no sense with the rest of the decor.
Our waitress was friendly and appropriately present throughout most of the meal. We were seated promptly and handed our menu which featured an assortment of french american bistro afforadable favorites. Most appetizers were in the 8 -10 dollar price range while mains were in the high teens with only the steak frites a high 28 dollars. The well priced wine menu was fairly small with not many available by the glass. Most were french wines but the varieties represented could have been more well rounded. We shared a bottle of a $29 dollar french white, which was a nice citrusy flavored simple fruit forward choice. I also ordered a glass of Spanish temparanillo with my steak , which was an approachable mildy interesting red.
We started off with a $8.50 pissaladiere for appetizer, a french savory tart . It arrived a generous serving of 4 perfectly baked flaky puff pastry squares topped with a well harmonized mix of diced tomatoes, basil and anchovies. Fresh,simple and tasty, each ingrediant lent its own note to bring th overall flavor together.
For mains, I opted for the $19 strip steak with twice baked potatoe and spinach, my husband went for the $17 onion crusted salmon and my cousin for the $17 roast chicken. I ordered my steak "bloody", which I felt underlined my need for truly rare steak. Unfortunately it arrived medium with parts medium rare. Despite that, the steak was bloody good. Beautifully seared exterior with light but well thought out seasoning, the meat was tender and juicy despite being cooked beyond my desire. The side of the twice baked potatoe and spinach were both well cooked and seasoned. While there was nothing original in presentation or flavor spectrum, this is the kind of food a good neighborhood joint should deliver. Fresh well prepared simple ingrediants that make you feel like a good friend has worked hard to make you a good meal. My husband's salmon , which he ordered medium, arrived a shriveled onion coated sliver . Although it looked extermely overdone, somehow they managed to retain moistness and flavor. My steak was a truly generous portion of food, so it was a bit surprising how skimpy the salmon portion was. I did not taste my cousin's chicken although it also looked a tad overcooked but was undeniably juicy appearing.
For dessert, we ventured for the warm chocolate cake and I had a glass of the white port. The cake was also overcooked with a tangy mango sauce that laced the plate and a large serving of vanilla icecream.
My white port was simply a well aged chenin french wine, which was a bit too light to call porto and would have served better as a appetizer drink.
Overall, if I lived in Midwood or were in the area, I am sure this would be one of my go to places for a lazy dinner on weekdays. The price ,portions,taste spectrum and friendly decor and service make it a good neighborhood joint. While the kitchen needs help in not overcooking all food, somehow whats left is still tasty cuisine.
The Quest continues.......
Cafe Henri
Cafe Henri
1010 50th Ave.
Long Island City, NY 11109
Food 5
Ambiance 5
Service 4
Overall 14
Good for tea and dessert, skip the brunch
So I decided to continue the Queens borough sampling and headed to LIC for a Sunday brunch with my cousin. Having passed Chez Henri many a time, mainly on my way to Tournesol or Domaine wine bar, I had always pegged it from its exterior vibe and menu as a good brunch option. We arrived around 12:30 ish and the small cozy space was packed. Luckily for us ,there was an empty table which we were promptly seated at. The decor is a mismash of antiques with a country french charm. Neutral hues with a pop of color here and there. The kind of place that if the food were fantastic would be your favorite neighborhood joint. Most tables seat 2 tightly. The menu focuses on standard french bistro options with a heavy focus on all things crepes. all at reasonable low prices 8-12 dollars for most things on the menu. I ended up going for a Croque Madame sandwich and my cousin had an eggplant crepe.
Both were served with a side salad. My sandwich arrived and I was immediately sorely disappointed. For those who don't know, a croque Madame is essentially a croque monsieur with an egg on top. The best start with some lovely crusty french bread into which a health serving of good ham and gruyere cheese are ladled with a creamy milk based bechamel . The sandwich is pan toasted in butter and then usually more of the heavenly bechamel is ladeled on top with a dusting of cheese and broiled to a melting golden brown . When perfectly done, it is one of those guilty pleasures which leaves you well fed and lip smacking for more although your stomach cannot handle another bite. Cafe Henri's version arrived with a hard helmet of unbrowned cheese congealed on its top. Most of the sandwhich was lukewarm and I don't think any of the interior had any bechamel. The bread used was also hard-possible day old. I was certainly neither guility nor lip smacking at the end of this sandwich- just wondering what kind of place can mess up what is basically a jazzed up grilled ham and cheese sandwich that most corner delis can nail.The side salad was a nicely dressed small serving of greens, a good counterpoint to the heaviness of my sandwich. Although I did not taste my cousin's crepe, which she stated was ok, it looked not eggy enough for my taste and fairly small for almost the same price as my sandwich.
Service was helpful when present.
Overall, I would not recommend for brunch and although I have never been there for dinner,I will certainly not venture there for that. Its very cute for a cup of coffee or tea and maybe a dessert for you and maybe one friend.
The Quest continues.......
1010 50th Ave.
Long Island City, NY 11109
Food 5
Ambiance 5
Service 4
Overall 14
Good for tea and dessert, skip the brunch
So I decided to continue the Queens borough sampling and headed to LIC for a Sunday brunch with my cousin. Having passed Chez Henri many a time, mainly on my way to Tournesol or Domaine wine bar, I had always pegged it from its exterior vibe and menu as a good brunch option. We arrived around 12:30 ish and the small cozy space was packed. Luckily for us ,there was an empty table which we were promptly seated at. The decor is a mismash of antiques with a country french charm. Neutral hues with a pop of color here and there. The kind of place that if the food were fantastic would be your favorite neighborhood joint. Most tables seat 2 tightly. The menu focuses on standard french bistro options with a heavy focus on all things crepes. all at reasonable low prices 8-12 dollars for most things on the menu. I ended up going for a Croque Madame sandwich and my cousin had an eggplant crepe.
Both were served with a side salad. My sandwich arrived and I was immediately sorely disappointed. For those who don't know, a croque Madame is essentially a croque monsieur with an egg on top. The best start with some lovely crusty french bread into which a health serving of good ham and gruyere cheese are ladled with a creamy milk based bechamel . The sandwich is pan toasted in butter and then usually more of the heavenly bechamel is ladeled on top with a dusting of cheese and broiled to a melting golden brown . When perfectly done, it is one of those guilty pleasures which leaves you well fed and lip smacking for more although your stomach cannot handle another bite. Cafe Henri's version arrived with a hard helmet of unbrowned cheese congealed on its top. Most of the sandwhich was lukewarm and I don't think any of the interior had any bechamel. The bread used was also hard-possible day old. I was certainly neither guility nor lip smacking at the end of this sandwich- just wondering what kind of place can mess up what is basically a jazzed up grilled ham and cheese sandwich that most corner delis can nail.The side salad was a nicely dressed small serving of greens, a good counterpoint to the heaviness of my sandwich. Although I did not taste my cousin's crepe, which she stated was ok, it looked not eggy enough for my taste and fairly small for almost the same price as my sandwich.
Service was helpful when present.
Overall, I would not recommend for brunch and although I have never been there for dinner,I will certainly not venture there for that. Its very cute for a cup of coffee or tea and maybe a dessert for you and maybe one friend.
The Quest continues.......
Friday, October 16, 2009
Trattoria L'Incontro
Trattoria L'Incontro
2176 31 st Avenue
Astoria,NY
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 7
Overall 20
Good for small to large groups ready for a loud time with fresh well made pastas and well portioned mains
So I finally decided last night I must dine in Queens. I figured enough with the focus on all things not in my borough. The problem is that there is not a plethora of cool or interesting spots. The list is fairly small with many options having been sampled prior. And unlike Brooklyn or Manhattan, I find there are not new restaurants popping up every week. Many tried and true favorites. However, running through my head restaurant file, I remembered Trattoria L'incontro, which has often received uniformly good reviews. I was in the mood for good Italian, less Italian American and more new Italian ,so it seemed like a possible good match. I must confess that what sealed my fate for coming here was a review on yelp which talked about there many daily specials with unusual combinations like pear Gorgonzola ravioli. I am partial to the point of mild lunacy to that particular combination because on my honeymoon in Italy, my first afternoon in Florence ,I had the distinct pleasure of being forced heaven bound by eating just such a ravioli. They melted in my mouth ,a succulent lush combination of fragrant ripe pear dotted with creamy Gorgonzola enveloped in a pillow of the thinnest and freshest pasta in a butter sauce dotted with hazelnuts. Yes, I digress. But if only I could just bite into them one more time....
So obviously there was no chance in hell we weren't going to Trattoria after I read that review.
We arrived on Saturday a little after 7 pm without reservations. The exterior decor is beige brick- that is unassuming and fairly boring. We entered the restaurant and were immediately overwhelmed by the noise level. This is a fairly large restaurant and it caters more to small groups than the romantic pair. The decor is standard attempted charm. Annoying "bathroom-kitchen" looking floor tile with large village scenery paintings on the wall. As soon as we entered, we were greeted warmly by the host and promptly seated at our table. Within seconds our server arrived, dressed in a black suit with an earpiece in his ear. I paused briefly to verify there was no President in the house, as our server looked suspiciously like an political bodyguard. Trattoria ,as I was soon to learn, is all about the show. Our waiter paused to greet us briefly before launching into a litany of specials.And when I say litany I mean litany. All we needed was a few Hail Marys and we would have all been blessed.The standard menu, in case you are wondering, is not by any measure small to begin with. A decent selection of antipasti, pasta and mains to choose from. The specials easily double that menu. Our waiter,apparently having the specials fed to him on the earpiece, paused infrequently, only enough it seemed for requisite breathing and my necessary questions. Honestly I cannot remember most of what was shared. I strategized once I got the gist of the game to pay attention to ingredients that sounded tasty to my ear. While I enjoyed the extensiveness of the specials and the show of the delivery, it would help for those not graced with incredible audible memory to have a board listing the specials. In any case after several questions of clarification, my husband and I decided for an "only specials" meal. We opened with the ravioli with apple and mascarpone cheese ($19) to share and I would continue with a whole grilled branzino ($29) and my husband with a grilled double Berkshire pork chop ($28). Both mains were served with a standard roast potatoes and green beans. While pondering our menu, we surveyed the wine list which featured a well priced selection of primarily Italian wines with a few other options thrown in. As I am a big lover of Amarone, we though about getting an 80 dollar bottle until the host came to whisper in my ear that they had two wine specials, a 200 dollar Brunello going for 60 dollars and and Amraone/Brunello mix. We went for the Brunello, which I have never had but heard much about and which is usually very for my budget both here and Italy. Our Brunello arrived, an average tasting wine which paired better with my husbands pork than my branzino, certainly not enough complexity for the prior price tag of 200 dollars but not too bad for the 60 we paid.
Back to the food forray. Our apple ravioli on separate places, a nice accommodating touch. The ravioli looked fresh- 3 each with a subtle truffle perfumed cream sauce laced across . The ravioli were tasty and fresh but unfortunately the apple was lost in the cheese. Every so often I had a faint whiff of sweetness but not enough to know there was apple in there. A shame, I had pictured small chunks of faintly sweet apple juxtaposed with the creamy cheese. Now that would have been spectacular.
My branzino arrived a well sized whole fish nicely browned with perfectly cooked and seasoned sauteed green beans and under salted white potatoes. The branzino was incredibly fresh but could have been seasoned more assertively with a bit more char flavor. My husbands pork was a tad over cooked but very well seasoned with beautiful caramelization on its exterior.
We continued to dessert where I had the house made tiramisu and my husband had the lemon tart. The tiramisu was light, not enough cream ng or coffee flavoring for my taste. The lemon tart was nicely tart but oddly capped off with a blueberry glaze which was overly sweet.
Disappointingly, they do not serve many after dinner drinks by the glass, most by the bottle.Again, the restaurant is very group friendly. I was considering getting vin santo or passito, but the waiter informed me they were out of both that night. Even though they are not my preferred post dinner drinks, I was surprised at the lack of grappas on the menu.
Over all, I would recommend this restaurant for a memorable friends night out on the pricey side with theatrical flair with friends if you are in Queens. If you are trekking from Brooklyn or Manhattan, there are many more memorable places to spend your money on. I did enjoy the sense that if I became a regular here I would soon be on a first name basis with the chef(who did make table rounds) and the the staff. As you may have guessed from the review so far, the service was very attentive and friendly.
2176 31 st Avenue
Astoria,NY
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 7
Overall 20
Good for small to large groups ready for a loud time with fresh well made pastas and well portioned mains
So I finally decided last night I must dine in Queens. I figured enough with the focus on all things not in my borough. The problem is that there is not a plethora of cool or interesting spots. The list is fairly small with many options having been sampled prior. And unlike Brooklyn or Manhattan, I find there are not new restaurants popping up every week. Many tried and true favorites. However, running through my head restaurant file, I remembered Trattoria L'incontro, which has often received uniformly good reviews. I was in the mood for good Italian, less Italian American and more new Italian ,so it seemed like a possible good match. I must confess that what sealed my fate for coming here was a review on yelp which talked about there many daily specials with unusual combinations like pear Gorgonzola ravioli. I am partial to the point of mild lunacy to that particular combination because on my honeymoon in Italy, my first afternoon in Florence ,I had the distinct pleasure of being forced heaven bound by eating just such a ravioli. They melted in my mouth ,a succulent lush combination of fragrant ripe pear dotted with creamy Gorgonzola enveloped in a pillow of the thinnest and freshest pasta in a butter sauce dotted with hazelnuts. Yes, I digress. But if only I could just bite into them one more time....
So obviously there was no chance in hell we weren't going to Trattoria after I read that review.
We arrived on Saturday a little after 7 pm without reservations. The exterior decor is beige brick- that is unassuming and fairly boring. We entered the restaurant and were immediately overwhelmed by the noise level. This is a fairly large restaurant and it caters more to small groups than the romantic pair. The decor is standard attempted charm. Annoying "bathroom-kitchen" looking floor tile with large village scenery paintings on the wall. As soon as we entered, we were greeted warmly by the host and promptly seated at our table. Within seconds our server arrived, dressed in a black suit with an earpiece in his ear. I paused briefly to verify there was no President in the house, as our server looked suspiciously like an political bodyguard. Trattoria ,as I was soon to learn, is all about the show. Our waiter paused to greet us briefly before launching into a litany of specials.And when I say litany I mean litany. All we needed was a few Hail Marys and we would have all been blessed.The standard menu, in case you are wondering, is not by any measure small to begin with. A decent selection of antipasti, pasta and mains to choose from. The specials easily double that menu. Our waiter,apparently having the specials fed to him on the earpiece, paused infrequently, only enough it seemed for requisite breathing and my necessary questions. Honestly I cannot remember most of what was shared. I strategized once I got the gist of the game to pay attention to ingredients that sounded tasty to my ear. While I enjoyed the extensiveness of the specials and the show of the delivery, it would help for those not graced with incredible audible memory to have a board listing the specials. In any case after several questions of clarification, my husband and I decided for an "only specials" meal. We opened with the ravioli with apple and mascarpone cheese ($19) to share and I would continue with a whole grilled branzino ($29) and my husband with a grilled double Berkshire pork chop ($28). Both mains were served with a standard roast potatoes and green beans. While pondering our menu, we surveyed the wine list which featured a well priced selection of primarily Italian wines with a few other options thrown in. As I am a big lover of Amarone, we though about getting an 80 dollar bottle until the host came to whisper in my ear that they had two wine specials, a 200 dollar Brunello going for 60 dollars and and Amraone/Brunello mix. We went for the Brunello, which I have never had but heard much about and which is usually very for my budget both here and Italy. Our Brunello arrived, an average tasting wine which paired better with my husbands pork than my branzino, certainly not enough complexity for the prior price tag of 200 dollars but not too bad for the 60 we paid.
Back to the food forray. Our apple ravioli on separate places, a nice accommodating touch. The ravioli looked fresh- 3 each with a subtle truffle perfumed cream sauce laced across . The ravioli were tasty and fresh but unfortunately the apple was lost in the cheese. Every so often I had a faint whiff of sweetness but not enough to know there was apple in there. A shame, I had pictured small chunks of faintly sweet apple juxtaposed with the creamy cheese. Now that would have been spectacular.
My branzino arrived a well sized whole fish nicely browned with perfectly cooked and seasoned sauteed green beans and under salted white potatoes. The branzino was incredibly fresh but could have been seasoned more assertively with a bit more char flavor. My husbands pork was a tad over cooked but very well seasoned with beautiful caramelization on its exterior.
We continued to dessert where I had the house made tiramisu and my husband had the lemon tart. The tiramisu was light, not enough cream ng or coffee flavoring for my taste. The lemon tart was nicely tart but oddly capped off with a blueberry glaze which was overly sweet.
Disappointingly, they do not serve many after dinner drinks by the glass, most by the bottle.Again, the restaurant is very group friendly. I was considering getting vin santo or passito, but the waiter informed me they were out of both that night. Even though they are not my preferred post dinner drinks, I was surprised at the lack of grappas on the menu.
Over all, I would recommend this restaurant for a memorable friends night out on the pricey side with theatrical flair with friends if you are in Queens. If you are trekking from Brooklyn or Manhattan, there are many more memorable places to spend your money on. I did enjoy the sense that if I became a regular here I would soon be on a first name basis with the chef(who did make table rounds) and the the staff. As you may have guessed from the review so far, the service was very attentive and friendly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)