Bliss Bistro
4520 Skillman Avenue
Sunnyside, NY 11104-2117
(718) 729-0778
Food 8
Ambiance 7
Service 7
Overall 22
Good for romantic couples dinner and for upscale small group dining for bargain prices- Orgasmic potential alert!
Now when I started this blog, I swore to myself that I was only reviewing places I had never been to before the blog. My husband thought this was unfair as some of my favorites would not recieve their just due. And while I am still sticking to the policy, I will revise it to add that if one of my true blue places delivers an orgasmic meal than I shall have to review it. And this is why I am reviewing Bliss. Since I started going to Bliss the last several years, it has become one of our neighborhood stars for consistently tasty well priced French food in a romantic atmosphere. The owner Maruf always goes out of his way to greet us and we are always promptly seated. The waitstaff is generally very attentive and food service uniformally speedy. Food quality is generally very good. On occasion spectacular, but on average just really good with good sized portions. .During the week , they have an unbeatable 20 or 25 dollar prix fixe. The atmosphere is elegant cozy chic. Its a fairly spacious dining room that can seat about 50 diners. White walls with cream curtains and historic pictures of Sunnyside in the 19 th century . Comfortable cream well padded banquets throughout.
So we decided to go to Bliss for Valentines Day this year.
The menu for Valentine's Day offered multiple specials not seen on their regular menu.
The standard menu price at Bliss is ultra-reasonable. Appetizers $6-8, Mains $13-21 and Desserts $7. The wine list is also reasonable with a focus on well priced French wines.
We started with cocktails. My husband had a glass of whiskey and I had a signature champagne cocktail.Initiailly I found it too sweet so I asked them to add some lime, which still made it unpalatable. After a few sips I gave up. Although I did not complain or return it, they removed the drink price off our final bill.
We ordered a bottle of $40 Pomeral Bordeux Red which was a medium bodied earthy red.
I started my meal with a $15 appetizer of sauteed fois gras with roast pear and my husband had a $5 mesclun salad.
Now the fois gras and its perfection is the principle reason I am writing this review. Now in case you haven't figured this out yet, my primary reason for eating is taste. While I certainly care about healthiness, supporting local farmers ,having pesticide free food, and being humane to animals,if all of those things also didn't translate into supremely better tasting meals, honestly I really wouldn't bother. So for those who care about the pain the duck suffers being forcefed to produce their premium liver, I say, my first duty is to satisfy my tongue, by whatever means necessary. If a duck must be stuffed to accomplish this, so be it. So in my opinion, one of the best ways to have fois gras is when it is perfectly seared, slightly seasoned and served with a lightly sweetened accompaniment. Just enough accompaniment to highlight that delicate sweetness and creaminess of the fois gras itself. You really don't need to do much to the fois gras. If it is high quality, you want to barely caress it with seasoning, heat and sides so it is the true star of the show. And this is what Bliss did perfectly. The fois gras was lightly salted and peppered and so perfectly barely cooked. Even now the memory makes me infinitely sad it is not on the regular menu. It melted in my mouth, gliding into a creamy slice of perfect luxury. Bliss was not skimpy with the portion either , giving a good 3 inch portion of the fois gras. It was served with a 1/4 of a sliced roast pear and a balsamic reduction with a few sprigs of salad and a few toast points. The pear and balsamic reduction provided the needed undertone of sweet and tart to balance the fois gras. Truly one of the best fois gras appetizers I have ever had. My husband's salad was a simple refreshing salad lightly dressed. The Valentines menu was somewhat pricer than Bliss' typical menu.
For mains, I had the $29 special rack of lamb with couscous and vegetables, cooked rare. My husband had the $27 filet mignon with gratin potatoes,cooked medium rare. My lamb arrived perfectly cooked, well seasoned with a tasty side of couscous and small portion of fresh vegetables. My husband's filet was well seasoned and perfectly cooked and his potatoes were a well balanced mix of creaminess. Overall the mains were the standard consistent tastiness we have come to expect from Bliss. Nothing extraordinary like the fois gras. We finished with an apple tart, which was a light refreshing puff pastry base with sliced apples served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Overall, Bliss is a true New York treasure. I am always amazed it is not packed with more people, as it truly delivers in taste for the price point. If only I could have the fois gras monthly.......life would be divine
So though the Quest continues I am so happy to report my first food orgasm since starting this blog........
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Buttermilk Channel
Buttermilk Channel
524 Court St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 852-8490
Food 4
Ambiance 7
Service 5
Overall 16
Good for local beers and wine ,skip the pricey food and head somwhere else on Court street
So after hearing so much about this place, this past Thursday I ventured forth with my husband and cousin hankering for some expertly fried chicken. The restaurant is at the far end of Court Street, without too many other competing restaurants nearby. We arrived at 6 pm without reservation and were promptly seated when our full party was complete. The place is standard Brooklyn ,cool and elegant. Cream walls, cozy small space with high ceilings, loads of windows and historic seeming charm. Actually given the menu, focused on so many comfort foods, I was not expecting the refined decor. We waited at the bar for my cousin and I tried a $ 10 Bill Royale, a champagne cocktail with pear brandy and ginger liquor while my husband had a $6 ommegang draft beer. My cocktail tasted like gingerale with a whiff of pear. Not my cup of tea and certainly not worth the price tag but not bad enough to send back.
The menu is somewhat pricey for the mish mash of good ole american and french inspired comfort food. The most well priced were the appetizers 5- 11 dollars, ranging from oysters cooked 3 ways, a variety of charcuterie, cheeses , salads and soups. The wine list is an impressive ode to American wine, with a nice well priced selection of Californian, Oregon and New York varieties. We settled on a $30 Wolffers Estate North Fork Merlot and were nicely surprised.We started off with the $10 winter squash tart and the $7 pork rilletes. The tart was without a doubt the highlight of the meal. A sweet beautifully cooked squash layered on a thin bed of ricotta and puff pastry that tasted like shortbread crust. It was a perfect appetizer, combining a variety of subtle winter flavors in an appropriate sized portion. The rilletes on the other hand were another story althogethr. Underflavored, overly fatty with an unappetizing look and consistency, they reminded me of undercooked hamburger and had none of the lovely fullness that pork can always impart. For the main course ,my cousin had the $14 lamb salad, I had the $18 fried chicken and my husband had the $19 ommegang oxtail chili. Although I did not sample my cousin's salad, it was a small portion of a 2 romaine leaf boat filled with primarily lots of roast cauliflower, eggs and capers with a dusting of lamb chunks. My cousin seemed to marginally enjoy it. My fried chicken was a geneous portion of 2 leg and two pieces of breast meat with a tiny serving of coleslaw and half a cheddar waffle. The chicken was overly crusted and the leg just barely cooked while the breasts were dryly over cooked. The crust was an hard shell around the chicken meat , which was uninspiringly seasoned. The waffle, though a tiny portion, was actually tasty and light but was served with a side sauce that tasted more like molasses than maple syrup. The cole slaw was standard, not too much sugar or mayonaisse. Overall for the price tag of 18 dollars, there a plethora of better fried chickens to be had in Brooklyn and beyond. On to the worst of the worst, my husband's chili. I must preface my comments by saying that somehow my husband managed to swallow the entire portion of this chili and pronounced that he had found it enjoyable. But be forewarned that my husband likes to be contrarian ,especially when I have such obvious disdain for a dish.First , let me state that when I think of chili I think of hearty portion of beans and meat, simmered together into a perfect stew of protein spiced goodness. The first clue that this was not the kind of chili Buttermilk Channel was serving was the minuscule portion of chili served in a beautiful white porcelain mini terrine soup bowl. The bowl itself was filled perhaps a third of the way with chili,at most a 1 cup portion for 19 dollars. Now despite the small portion, I hoped that maybe an incredible taste filled with heaty chunks of meat would make the ridiculous price worth it. Unfortunately, the first impression I felt at looking and smelling the warm dirt brown colored chili in the soup bowl was that it reminded me of dog food . I ventured forth with a bite and my impression was confirmed that this chili was worse than it looked. .Truly shocking for a restaurant of this supposed caliber. A place that can't make decent chicken or chili is very telling. I would certainly not waste my money on their other entrees when they can't get basic standards. We continued with the $7 dollar apple bread pudding which unfortunately continued the theme of disappointment. We were served a barely warmed congealed hunk of bread doused with an overly caramel sweet sauce. We shared 3 bites and then were done. What was truly amazing is that by the time we were leaving, the restaurant had a line out the door. The only reason I would return here is if I wanted some local beers and wines at the bar. Otherwise, to spend your dollar at this Brooklyn joint when there are so many other fine establishments is in my opinion frankly nuts.
The Quest continues...........
524 Court St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 852-8490
Food 4
Ambiance 7
Service 5
Overall 16
Good for local beers and wine ,skip the pricey food and head somwhere else on Court street
So after hearing so much about this place, this past Thursday I ventured forth with my husband and cousin hankering for some expertly fried chicken. The restaurant is at the far end of Court Street, without too many other competing restaurants nearby. We arrived at 6 pm without reservation and were promptly seated when our full party was complete. The place is standard Brooklyn ,cool and elegant. Cream walls, cozy small space with high ceilings, loads of windows and historic seeming charm. Actually given the menu, focused on so many comfort foods, I was not expecting the refined decor. We waited at the bar for my cousin and I tried a $ 10 Bill Royale, a champagne cocktail with pear brandy and ginger liquor while my husband had a $6 ommegang draft beer. My cocktail tasted like gingerale with a whiff of pear. Not my cup of tea and certainly not worth the price tag but not bad enough to send back.
The menu is somewhat pricey for the mish mash of good ole american and french inspired comfort food. The most well priced were the appetizers 5- 11 dollars, ranging from oysters cooked 3 ways, a variety of charcuterie, cheeses , salads and soups. The wine list is an impressive ode to American wine, with a nice well priced selection of Californian, Oregon and New York varieties. We settled on a $30 Wolffers Estate North Fork Merlot and were nicely surprised.We started off with the $10 winter squash tart and the $7 pork rilletes. The tart was without a doubt the highlight of the meal. A sweet beautifully cooked squash layered on a thin bed of ricotta and puff pastry that tasted like shortbread crust. It was a perfect appetizer, combining a variety of subtle winter flavors in an appropriate sized portion. The rilletes on the other hand were another story althogethr. Underflavored, overly fatty with an unappetizing look and consistency, they reminded me of undercooked hamburger and had none of the lovely fullness that pork can always impart. For the main course ,my cousin had the $14 lamb salad, I had the $18 fried chicken and my husband had the $19 ommegang oxtail chili. Although I did not sample my cousin's salad, it was a small portion of a 2 romaine leaf boat filled with primarily lots of roast cauliflower, eggs and capers with a dusting of lamb chunks. My cousin seemed to marginally enjoy it. My fried chicken was a geneous portion of 2 leg and two pieces of breast meat with a tiny serving of coleslaw and half a cheddar waffle. The chicken was overly crusted and the leg just barely cooked while the breasts were dryly over cooked. The crust was an hard shell around the chicken meat , which was uninspiringly seasoned. The waffle, though a tiny portion, was actually tasty and light but was served with a side sauce that tasted more like molasses than maple syrup. The cole slaw was standard, not too much sugar or mayonaisse. Overall for the price tag of 18 dollars, there a plethora of better fried chickens to be had in Brooklyn and beyond. On to the worst of the worst, my husband's chili. I must preface my comments by saying that somehow my husband managed to swallow the entire portion of this chili and pronounced that he had found it enjoyable. But be forewarned that my husband likes to be contrarian ,especially when I have such obvious disdain for a dish.First , let me state that when I think of chili I think of hearty portion of beans and meat, simmered together into a perfect stew of protein spiced goodness. The first clue that this was not the kind of chili Buttermilk Channel was serving was the minuscule portion of chili served in a beautiful white porcelain mini terrine soup bowl. The bowl itself was filled perhaps a third of the way with chili,at most a 1 cup portion for 19 dollars. Now despite the small portion, I hoped that maybe an incredible taste filled with heaty chunks of meat would make the ridiculous price worth it. Unfortunately, the first impression I felt at looking and smelling the warm dirt brown colored chili in the soup bowl was that it reminded me of dog food . I ventured forth with a bite and my impression was confirmed that this chili was worse than it looked. .Truly shocking for a restaurant of this supposed caliber. A place that can't make decent chicken or chili is very telling. I would certainly not waste my money on their other entrees when they can't get basic standards. We continued with the $7 dollar apple bread pudding which unfortunately continued the theme of disappointment. We were served a barely warmed congealed hunk of bread doused with an overly caramel sweet sauce. We shared 3 bites and then were done. What was truly amazing is that by the time we were leaving, the restaurant had a line out the door. The only reason I would return here is if I wanted some local beers and wines at the bar. Otherwise, to spend your dollar at this Brooklyn joint when there are so many other fine establishments is in my opinion frankly nuts.
The Quest continues...........
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Ornella Trattoria
Ornella Trattoria Italiana
29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718-777-9477
Food 6
Service 5
Ambiance 5
Overall 16
Good for authentic and creative pasta and salads
I wanted to check out Ornella after reading about it in Edible Queens and either Metro or AM NY. I am always on the lookout for great pasta like what I seemed to find so easily anywhere in Italy. So 2 weekends ago, my husband and I ventured forth on a Sunday night , with our Amarone in hand.They don't yet have a liquor license, so we actually came without Amarone, but ran to the liquor store next door to recitify that. On our arrival we were immediately greeted by the warm and very friendly owner, Giuseppe Viterale .He showed us to our table and began talking with us to find out if it was our first time visiting and how we had heard about it. Giuseppe is one of the main reasons I will be returning to this restauarant. His love and pride of his home cooking is evident. And he clearly is looking to make people feel truly welcome in his home style restaurant. Every small critique of his food he seemed to be taking truly to heart. Like he wanted us to truly help him make the restaurant better. A rare quality to encounter in a New York City restaurant. Back to the restaurant's ambiance. The place is long and narrow. The Viterales have tried to provide some rustic charm with cheery yellow walls and a few hastily made flowers along with a few poor man's frescoes on the wall, but alas, the place lacks the much needed t authentic charm of its owners. On to the menu. The main menu consists of an assortment of interesting appetizers $7-10, well priced pastas($14-19) and meat and fish main entrees($21-25). Of note a majority of the pastas and risottos are to be found in the menu vegetariano. So you should look at this before making a final selection. Since I had heard the star of the shows is pastas that is where we focused our attention. We started off with a $9 grilled octupus salad. A generous portion, definantly good for 3 to share, we were disappointed by the saltiness and toughness of the octopus. The accompanying salad was perfectly dressed and a refreshing counterpoint. I continued on with their $18 housemade chestnut pasta with shrimp, pasta di castagna, while my husband had the $19 imbustata. Both were generous portions of fresh homemade goodness. My chestnut pasta was similar to linguine made with chestnut flour and served with quickly wilted arugula ,cherry tomatoes and shrimp.We also ordered a side of rabe, which was a delicious garliced complement. Although my chestnut pasta was a tad bit on the salty side, it was a hearty and satisfying with the unique understated nutiness of the chestnut. It reminded me in color and taste profile of buckwheat noodles. Aside from the tad bit over saltedness of the dish I did not find the shrimp married with the other ingrediants- would definantly order this dish straight vegetarian next time. My husband's imbustata was essentially a lasagna filled with a rich creamy mix of ground veal and chicken with mushrooms,spinach, mascarpone cheese and mozzerrela cheese. It was too heavy and unrefined for my taste, the flavors collapsing together into an unrecognizable medly of mush. It was not bad, just in comparison with the sweet simplicity of the chestnut pasta quite surprising- and not for me in a godo way. My husband adored it. We finished our meal with italian flan and tiramisu. The flan was tasty but nothing extaordinary. For my taste, not enough sugar or creaminess. The tiramisu on the other hand I found too sweet , without enough balance of coco and coffe flavors and an unusual orange flavored aftertaste which was not to my liking.
Aside from the owner, waitstaff was adequatey present.
I will definantly be checking out Ornella again. It is rare to find such authentic Italian pasta at reasonable prices in the city. Although there were several misses in our meal, the owner and the opportunity to try more original and unusual pastas make me want to return.
The Quest continues..............
29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718-777-9477
Food 6
Service 5
Ambiance 5
Overall 16
Good for authentic and creative pasta and salads
I wanted to check out Ornella after reading about it in Edible Queens and either Metro or AM NY. I am always on the lookout for great pasta like what I seemed to find so easily anywhere in Italy. So 2 weekends ago, my husband and I ventured forth on a Sunday night , with our Amarone in hand.They don't yet have a liquor license, so we actually came without Amarone, but ran to the liquor store next door to recitify that. On our arrival we were immediately greeted by the warm and very friendly owner, Giuseppe Viterale .He showed us to our table and began talking with us to find out if it was our first time visiting and how we had heard about it. Giuseppe is one of the main reasons I will be returning to this restauarant. His love and pride of his home cooking is evident. And he clearly is looking to make people feel truly welcome in his home style restaurant. Every small critique of his food he seemed to be taking truly to heart. Like he wanted us to truly help him make the restaurant better. A rare quality to encounter in a New York City restaurant. Back to the restaurant's ambiance. The place is long and narrow. The Viterales have tried to provide some rustic charm with cheery yellow walls and a few hastily made flowers along with a few poor man's frescoes on the wall, but alas, the place lacks the much needed t authentic charm of its owners. On to the menu. The main menu consists of an assortment of interesting appetizers $7-10, well priced pastas($14-19) and meat and fish main entrees($21-25). Of note a majority of the pastas and risottos are to be found in the menu vegetariano. So you should look at this before making a final selection. Since I had heard the star of the shows is pastas that is where we focused our attention. We started off with a $9 grilled octupus salad. A generous portion, definantly good for 3 to share, we were disappointed by the saltiness and toughness of the octopus. The accompanying salad was perfectly dressed and a refreshing counterpoint. I continued on with their $18 housemade chestnut pasta with shrimp, pasta di castagna, while my husband had the $19 imbustata. Both were generous portions of fresh homemade goodness. My chestnut pasta was similar to linguine made with chestnut flour and served with quickly wilted arugula ,cherry tomatoes and shrimp.We also ordered a side of rabe, which was a delicious garliced complement. Although my chestnut pasta was a tad bit on the salty side, it was a hearty and satisfying with the unique understated nutiness of the chestnut. It reminded me in color and taste profile of buckwheat noodles. Aside from the tad bit over saltedness of the dish I did not find the shrimp married with the other ingrediants- would definantly order this dish straight vegetarian next time. My husband's imbustata was essentially a lasagna filled with a rich creamy mix of ground veal and chicken with mushrooms,spinach, mascarpone cheese and mozzerrela cheese. It was too heavy and unrefined for my taste, the flavors collapsing together into an unrecognizable medly of mush. It was not bad, just in comparison with the sweet simplicity of the chestnut pasta quite surprising- and not for me in a godo way. My husband adored it. We finished our meal with italian flan and tiramisu. The flan was tasty but nothing extaordinary. For my taste, not enough sugar or creaminess. The tiramisu on the other hand I found too sweet , without enough balance of coco and coffe flavors and an unusual orange flavored aftertaste which was not to my liking.
Aside from the owner, waitstaff was adequatey present.
I will definantly be checking out Ornella again. It is rare to find such authentic Italian pasta at reasonable prices in the city. Although there were several misses in our meal, the owner and the opportunity to try more original and unusual pastas make me want to return.
The Quest continues..............
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Capsouto Freres
Capsouto Freres
451 Washington Street
New York, NY 10013-1723
(212) 966-4900
Food 5
Service 6
Ambiance 7
Overall 18
Good for romantic setting for unimpressive old school french for beaucoup dollars
So my husband and I went here before a Chinatown play for restaurant weeek dinner. Although it is a fairly old by New York restaurant standards, the reviews are uniformly glowing. First off ,its in the middle of industrial nowhere, somewhere at the edge of Tribeca , SOHO and Chinatown. Meeting up on a winter's night at 6:30, I was a little scared at the lack of pedestrain traffic around these parts. When I finally sidled up to the restaurant, I was impressed at the size and warm decor. A historic almost cavernous room, with high celings, cheery hints of red and beautiful molding throughout. Giant leafy plants take over the massive windows. I was instantly greeted by a cheery and somewhat cheeky older French fellow, who showed me to my table. The waiters, all dressed up in formal black and white attire, quickly gave me a drink menu to peruse while I waited for my husband. When we arrived at 6:30 the place was fairly empty. But by our departure close to eight it was full with many large parties. We stuck with the restaurant dinner menu. I opened with smoked salmon salad, followed by a daube de boef bourguignon. He had an argula goat cheese salad, followed by a grilled mahi mahi. We both had some wine, which was fairly priced and adequate. My smoked salmon was delicately seasoned and a nice portion. A refreshing opener for the palate. My husband' salad was nothing notable. Overly dressed and certainly not memorable. My beef was an unfortunate tiny small portion that was overly cooked and underseasoned.Very unimpressive for such an impressive looking restaurant. My husband fared worse. His fish was unfresh and miniscule. Although well seasoned, again I was shocked that a place with this look would serve so unfresh a fish. Overall the meal was barely adequate for a restaurant week price. If I had paid full price, I would have been a little more than disappointed. Service was fairly speedy and responsive. Given the ambiance and service, its a shame the kitchen is not more on point.
The Quest continues.....
451 Washington Street
New York, NY 10013-1723
(212) 966-4900
Food 5
Service 6
Ambiance 7
Overall 18
Good for romantic setting for unimpressive old school french for beaucoup dollars
So my husband and I went here before a Chinatown play for restaurant weeek dinner. Although it is a fairly old by New York restaurant standards, the reviews are uniformly glowing. First off ,its in the middle of industrial nowhere, somewhere at the edge of Tribeca , SOHO and Chinatown. Meeting up on a winter's night at 6:30, I was a little scared at the lack of pedestrain traffic around these parts. When I finally sidled up to the restaurant, I was impressed at the size and warm decor. A historic almost cavernous room, with high celings, cheery hints of red and beautiful molding throughout. Giant leafy plants take over the massive windows. I was instantly greeted by a cheery and somewhat cheeky older French fellow, who showed me to my table. The waiters, all dressed up in formal black and white attire, quickly gave me a drink menu to peruse while I waited for my husband. When we arrived at 6:30 the place was fairly empty. But by our departure close to eight it was full with many large parties. We stuck with the restaurant dinner menu. I opened with smoked salmon salad, followed by a daube de boef bourguignon. He had an argula goat cheese salad, followed by a grilled mahi mahi. We both had some wine, which was fairly priced and adequate. My smoked salmon was delicately seasoned and a nice portion. A refreshing opener for the palate. My husband' salad was nothing notable. Overly dressed and certainly not memorable. My beef was an unfortunate tiny small portion that was overly cooked and underseasoned.Very unimpressive for such an impressive looking restaurant. My husband fared worse. His fish was unfresh and miniscule. Although well seasoned, again I was shocked that a place with this look would serve so unfresh a fish. Overall the meal was barely adequate for a restaurant week price. If I had paid full price, I would have been a little more than disappointed. Service was fairly speedy and responsive. Given the ambiance and service, its a shame the kitchen is not more on point.
The Quest continues.....
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