Aqualis Grill
773 Fulton St.
Brooklyn, NY 718-797-3494
Food 6
Ambiance 6
Service 5
Overall 17
Good for basic Greek inspired seafood in the heart of Fort Green
Now since I live in Queens, not far from the bastion of the best Greek cooking in the city, Astoria, I pondered more than thrice the wiseness of trying Greek anywhere else. But curiosity ,proximity to BAM and a string of good reviews, made me venture forth. Aqualis Grill sits in one of the hippest strips of Fort Green, in a space that has had poor luck maintaining any restaurant for longer than 2 years. The interior has not changed much from its former incarnation as an Italian restaurant, and is fairly nondescript. Tame yellow walls, wood accents, a large undivided dining room. The decor is standard, uninspiring, but adequate. We arrived at 6 pm on a Tuesday and were lucky to find that there is a $25 prix fixe from 5- 7 :30 pm. The place was fairly empty,although by 7:30 pm it had slowly begun to fill up. My husband opted for the prix fixe option, which includes a glass of wine. I opted for the whole dorado and my sister ordered the appetizer mussels with a side of fries. One problem with this place is it is fairly slow in service. Although the place was empty, our waiter took his time getting our orders and our food took its time getting to the table.
The prix fixe appetizer we chose was an eggplant mash, which was served almost ice cold with tasty toasted pita points. Flavorful, it was marred by the ice cold temperature. My main dorado was a generous portion of fresh flaky fish. Under charred and under seasoned, it was no match for some of the best Astoria seafood places. Served with a side of wild greens , I also ordered a $4 side of the beet salad. The greens were delicately sauteed in garlic and olive oil. The red beet salad was one of my favorites of the meal, a combination of yellow and red beets tossed in a light vinaigrette with red onions. Perfect for summer with grilled meats. My husband's main was a grilled salmon filet, which was perfectly cooked and in contrast to my dorado well spiced. My sister's $10 appetizer mussels portion was fairly small with an interesting unexpected flavoring of feta, saffron and the anised sweetness of the ouzo. The $4 side of fries was disappointing not only in size but lacking in proper crispness. My husband's prix fixe ended with a small serving of creamy greek yougurt sprinkled with nuts and honey. Although tasty, fairly uninventive as far as a dessert offering.
Overall, this is not by any means on par with most of the excellent greek restaurants in Astoria.
However, the prix fixe is an excellent deal and if you are craving Greek in Brooklyn , Aqualis is a good substitute.
The Quest continues......
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Convivium Osteria
Convivium Osteria
68 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217-2021
(718) 857-1833
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 20
Good for well made and priced home cooked italian specialities in romantic Old World decor
So I have been intrigued by this place for some time as it advertises itself as serving Portuguese and Italian food. Aside from the odd combination, it has been a neighborhood favorite for some time, although because of its miniscule size, the wait is generally very long. Luckily, I attempted the outing on a Sunday night and was easily able to sit a party of 4 for 7 pm. We arrived there and from the minute we stepped in I felt we had taken our TAP flight right into Lisbon. Having traveled to Portugal frequently for the last 10 years, the place gets high marks for authenticity in decor. Beautiful blue and white tiles. Rustic wood tables. Cozy simple charm. I can only imagine how lovely it must be when they have their Fado set on Saturdays.This place however is beyond tiny. Maybe 5 tables at most in the entire space. It is amazing they can get enough mileage put of those few settings. Be prepared to get close to your neighbor diners.
Now while the decor is a definate ode to all things Portuguese, the food from my estimation was straight up Italian. Lots of pasta,polenta and preparations that recall nothing in Portugal that I have seen.The wine list is an extensive mix of primarily Italian ,Spanish and Portuguese wines, with a good range of pricing. We opted for a $40 bottle of Spanish Cava- a nice refreshing complement to everything we ordered. We started with the $13 grilled octopus served with a white bean celery and tomatoe salad, a sizeable appetizer portion. The octopus was perfectly grilled, tender and subtly seasoned. The salad, although a fresh summery combination was marred by the undercooked beans. I opted for the $24 whole seabass, my mother had a special linguine with half lobster, my sister had rabbit with polenta and my husband had the $22 dollar pork ribs with polenta. The star of all the dishes in my opinion were thoseb featuring seafood. My mother's linguine was perfectly cooked and delicately spiced with garlic and herbs with a generous portion of half lobster. My whole seabass was perfectly cooked and super fresh. I could have handled more ample seasoning and char but for the price, the fish is beyond ample for one. The sides of asparagus and potatoes were good choices,especially the charred delicious asparagus. Both my sister's and husband's meals were underflavored for my tastes. While both meals were not bad, they did not merit the price, as their portions were at least half of the seafood dishes with half of the taste. Though full, we finished of the meal with a "a panna cotta flan" which was an essentially very delectable,creamy flan and the italian house speciality- a crumbly moderately sweet chocalate hazelnut fig cake which was decadently good.
Overall , if you stick to seafood dishes , this place is a great ambiance filled trip to Portugual by way of Italian flavors for a reasonable price. Service was appropriately attentive throughout.
The Quest continues.....
68 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217-2021
(718) 857-1833
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 20
Good for well made and priced home cooked italian specialities in romantic Old World decor
So I have been intrigued by this place for some time as it advertises itself as serving Portuguese and Italian food. Aside from the odd combination, it has been a neighborhood favorite for some time, although because of its miniscule size, the wait is generally very long. Luckily, I attempted the outing on a Sunday night and was easily able to sit a party of 4 for 7 pm. We arrived there and from the minute we stepped in I felt we had taken our TAP flight right into Lisbon. Having traveled to Portugal frequently for the last 10 years, the place gets high marks for authenticity in decor. Beautiful blue and white tiles. Rustic wood tables. Cozy simple charm. I can only imagine how lovely it must be when they have their Fado set on Saturdays.This place however is beyond tiny. Maybe 5 tables at most in the entire space. It is amazing they can get enough mileage put of those few settings. Be prepared to get close to your neighbor diners.
Now while the decor is a definate ode to all things Portuguese, the food from my estimation was straight up Italian. Lots of pasta,polenta and preparations that recall nothing in Portugal that I have seen.The wine list is an extensive mix of primarily Italian ,Spanish and Portuguese wines, with a good range of pricing. We opted for a $40 bottle of Spanish Cava- a nice refreshing complement to everything we ordered. We started with the $13 grilled octopus served with a white bean celery and tomatoe salad, a sizeable appetizer portion. The octopus was perfectly grilled, tender and subtly seasoned. The salad, although a fresh summery combination was marred by the undercooked beans. I opted for the $24 whole seabass, my mother had a special linguine with half lobster, my sister had rabbit with polenta and my husband had the $22 dollar pork ribs with polenta. The star of all the dishes in my opinion were thoseb featuring seafood. My mother's linguine was perfectly cooked and delicately spiced with garlic and herbs with a generous portion of half lobster. My whole seabass was perfectly cooked and super fresh. I could have handled more ample seasoning and char but for the price, the fish is beyond ample for one. The sides of asparagus and potatoes were good choices,especially the charred delicious asparagus. Both my sister's and husband's meals were underflavored for my tastes. While both meals were not bad, they did not merit the price, as their portions were at least half of the seafood dishes with half of the taste. Though full, we finished of the meal with a "a panna cotta flan" which was an essentially very delectable,creamy flan and the italian house speciality- a crumbly moderately sweet chocalate hazelnut fig cake which was decadently good.
Overall , if you stick to seafood dishes , this place is a great ambiance filled trip to Portugual by way of Italian flavors for a reasonable price. Service was appropriately attentive throughout.
The Quest continues.....
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Kitchenette
Kitchenette
156 Chambers St, New York 10007
212 267 6740
Food 4
Ambiance 4
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for heavy greasy leaden diner inspired brunch
So I realized when arriving here last Sunday, that I have visited the Morningside Heights branch of this establishment many times before. However, the Morningside heights branch has never left me so sorely disappointed. We arrived there fairly late, my husband, sister and my mother around 3 pm. We were quickly seated at a small corner table ,with a window to the super cramped kitchen. When you enter this place you are reminded of country diners gone awry. To your left, is glass area of baked goods , cakes, cupcakes and cookies that look fresh and delicious. The rest of the decor is a mishmosh of garage finds and colors. Pinks,red,yellow and greens. Well battered and used kitchen items. The menu is fairly priced, most brunch items starting in the ten dollar range with some in the early teens. The food is basic with some attempted creativity thrown in. Plates come heavily loaded and and the food is just plain heavy. My sister had the $11.50 sweet potatoe waffle, my mom the $12 chicken cobb salad, my husband $11.50 blackberry and cherry pancakes , and I had the $10.25 Turkey sausage, cheddar and potatoe omelet. All of our food came out within about 15 minutes, which made me a little suspicious as to how fresh everything was. The plates looked large and potentially appetizing, though clearly this kitchen is not about finesse. Food was just plopped on the plate, diner style. Where to begin on this journey of sublime disappointment. I will start with my mother's skimpy Cobb salad. The thing about Cobb salad is it should be very hard to screw up. Load up the plate with onion, bacon, cheese, tomatoe, avocado and chicken. And voila you have salad. However, when my mom's salad arrived all ingredients were barely there. 4 pieces of tiny chicken, a few tomatoes, smattering of onion, no celery and very little blue cheese . It was amazing that compared to all other brunch items they were so pathetic in the salad. Aside from the general paucity of ingredients, the dressing and taste just were plain not too good. On to my omelet. Greasy and heavy. Like coal landing in my stomach. Some foods are greasy bits of heaven. This wasn't one of them. Barely seasoned, poor quality cheddar. The biscuit was even worse. I knew there was a problem when I picked it up and could sense its weight. Problem No 1. Problem No2 is it tasted as leaden as it looked. My husband's pancakes continued the theme of leaden food. No air or fluffiness is these pancakes. Just wood. My sister fared almost worse than all of us. The waffle, which had not taste of sweet potatoe just the orange color, was denser than both of our brunch entrees. Service was barely present most of the brunch. I noted that when were leaving we were the last in this place and the waitstaff looked ready to go with us.
Needless to say we left with all of our plates half full. Our stomach's questioning the wiseness of the decision to eat even that amount.
I would definantly caution anyone searching for a satisfying brunch to avoid this place.
The Quest continues.....
156 Chambers St, New York 10007
212 267 6740
Food 4
Ambiance 4
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for heavy greasy leaden diner inspired brunch
So I realized when arriving here last Sunday, that I have visited the Morningside Heights branch of this establishment many times before. However, the Morningside heights branch has never left me so sorely disappointed. We arrived there fairly late, my husband, sister and my mother around 3 pm. We were quickly seated at a small corner table ,with a window to the super cramped kitchen. When you enter this place you are reminded of country diners gone awry. To your left, is glass area of baked goods , cakes, cupcakes and cookies that look fresh and delicious. The rest of the decor is a mishmosh of garage finds and colors. Pinks,red,yellow and greens. Well battered and used kitchen items. The menu is fairly priced, most brunch items starting in the ten dollar range with some in the early teens. The food is basic with some attempted creativity thrown in. Plates come heavily loaded and and the food is just plain heavy. My sister had the $11.50 sweet potatoe waffle, my mom the $12 chicken cobb salad, my husband $11.50 blackberry and cherry pancakes , and I had the $10.25 Turkey sausage, cheddar and potatoe omelet. All of our food came out within about 15 minutes, which made me a little suspicious as to how fresh everything was. The plates looked large and potentially appetizing, though clearly this kitchen is not about finesse. Food was just plopped on the plate, diner style. Where to begin on this journey of sublime disappointment. I will start with my mother's skimpy Cobb salad. The thing about Cobb salad is it should be very hard to screw up. Load up the plate with onion, bacon, cheese, tomatoe, avocado and chicken. And voila you have salad. However, when my mom's salad arrived all ingredients were barely there. 4 pieces of tiny chicken, a few tomatoes, smattering of onion, no celery and very little blue cheese . It was amazing that compared to all other brunch items they were so pathetic in the salad. Aside from the general paucity of ingredients, the dressing and taste just were plain not too good. On to my omelet. Greasy and heavy. Like coal landing in my stomach. Some foods are greasy bits of heaven. This wasn't one of them. Barely seasoned, poor quality cheddar. The biscuit was even worse. I knew there was a problem when I picked it up and could sense its weight. Problem No 1. Problem No2 is it tasted as leaden as it looked. My husband's pancakes continued the theme of leaden food. No air or fluffiness is these pancakes. Just wood. My sister fared almost worse than all of us. The waffle, which had not taste of sweet potatoe just the orange color, was denser than both of our brunch entrees. Service was barely present most of the brunch. I noted that when were leaving we were the last in this place and the waitstaff looked ready to go with us.
Needless to say we left with all of our plates half full. Our stomach's questioning the wiseness of the decision to eat even that amount.
I would definantly caution anyone searching for a satisfying brunch to avoid this place.
The Quest continues.....
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Craftbar
Craftbar
900 Broadway St
NY,NY
212 461 4300
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for trendy tasty enough dining in Union Square for couples or groups, no Top Chef here though!
I promise a Brooklyn review soon. I have somehow been hanging out in Manhattan more than usual these days. Anyways we went to Craftbar super early last Friday on our way to a wine class through NYC wine class at 7 pm. Our dinner reservation was for the ungodly hour of 5:30 pm and apparently 3 people called my husband to confirm our open table reservation. With this kind of annoying followup, we expected the place to be packed on our entry and where surprised there was only 1 other table with clients. Now of course I went here to sample the famed cuisine of Tom Collichio, now also know for his co judge role on Top Chef. He owns 2 other places in NYC, Craft steak and Craft, and Craftbar is described as the most casual of all 3. I must say if this is casual cuisine I am very intrigued to find out what his other restaurants look like. When you enter, the space is decidely modern. A little too much for my taste..large red canvases distributed throughout the sleek wood and metal interior with a few pops of green. I think the place is an homage to nature and the waitstaff were dressed in casual teeshirts and pants in brick red and green. Dimly light . Well cushioned faux leather banquet seating. We were quickly seated and perused the fairly small menu .
Prices are average for this level of Manhattan cuisine. Appetizers ranged $9-13 and mains $18-24. The menu leans towards Mediterranean, focus on French and Italian cuisines. Although they have a fairly large wine bottle menu with a good price range, the wines by the glass were more limited although a good range of a few varietals in both red and white categories. We decided to share a half portion of the beet casunzei as our appetizer. I started with a $9.75 glass of the Muscadet white and my husband had $14 Crozes Hermitage white. I later had a $9.75 Manchuela red. The wines were fine, nothing spectacular but ok for simple dinner accompaniments. The Casunzei was essentially beet ravioli. The half moon shaped dough was a little undercooked, beyond al dente firm. It had the suspicious taste of wonton wrappers- often substituted for fresh made pasta. The half portion came out to 4 fairly small ravioli. Not bad for an appetizer portion but for a pasta main, doubling that, would still be puny. The filling was a lovely sweet fresh tasting mix of beet and ground lamb served with a light butter sauce. I found the taste subtle but not as simple or great as the best Italian pastas I have had. I am not sure why American chefs have to make all pasta so complicated. Seems to me the rule of three, or 3 ingrediants maximum which works so well in Italy should work here. On to the mains. I had the toro tuna , essentially a nicoise salad and my husband had the branzino. Both were fairly small portions and not exquisitely fresh. My toro was perfectly cooked but the presentation and taste were very boring and basic. I have had tuna nicoise raised a notch before, and unfortunately for 20 plus dollars a pop this was not that. My husband's branzino was over cooked, not to the point of dehyrdration luckily. His dish was better flavored with more complex spice combinations. But this was definantly no Top Chef moment. For the buzz of this chef, I must say overall I was unimpressed. Its not that the food was bad, it just wasn't top notch by any means. We continued on to the desserts, because we were both still hungry after our puny meal. The dessert selction is skimpy. I am hoping there is no dessert chef with these pathetic dessert options. I opted for an olive cake with ice cream and my husband had the brownie with ice cream. Both came out looking like unkempt messes. My olive honey cake looked strangely like a tiny dunkin donuts muffin. Unfortunately it was half as good as one. Very disappointing. Not very moist or tasty. The brownie was an average brownie with a chocalate sauce that tasted too similar to Herschey's chocalate sauce. The star of both was definantly the ice cream. And would definantly recommend if here getting their trio of icecreams.
I have to say the level of cuisine at this place is not making me want to rush out and spend more dough at Craft or Craftsteak anytime soon.
If you are in Union Square and are dying to sample Collichio cuisine for not outrageous prices in a cool enough atmosphere, check this place out.
The Quest continues.....
900 Broadway St
NY,NY
212 461 4300
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for trendy tasty enough dining in Union Square for couples or groups, no Top Chef here though!
I promise a Brooklyn review soon. I have somehow been hanging out in Manhattan more than usual these days. Anyways we went to Craftbar super early last Friday on our way to a wine class through NYC wine class at 7 pm. Our dinner reservation was for the ungodly hour of 5:30 pm and apparently 3 people called my husband to confirm our open table reservation. With this kind of annoying followup, we expected the place to be packed on our entry and where surprised there was only 1 other table with clients. Now of course I went here to sample the famed cuisine of Tom Collichio, now also know for his co judge role on Top Chef. He owns 2 other places in NYC, Craft steak and Craft, and Craftbar is described as the most casual of all 3. I must say if this is casual cuisine I am very intrigued to find out what his other restaurants look like. When you enter, the space is decidely modern. A little too much for my taste..large red canvases distributed throughout the sleek wood and metal interior with a few pops of green. I think the place is an homage to nature and the waitstaff were dressed in casual teeshirts and pants in brick red and green. Dimly light . Well cushioned faux leather banquet seating. We were quickly seated and perused the fairly small menu .
Prices are average for this level of Manhattan cuisine. Appetizers ranged $9-13 and mains $18-24. The menu leans towards Mediterranean, focus on French and Italian cuisines. Although they have a fairly large wine bottle menu with a good price range, the wines by the glass were more limited although a good range of a few varietals in both red and white categories. We decided to share a half portion of the beet casunzei as our appetizer. I started with a $9.75 glass of the Muscadet white and my husband had $14 Crozes Hermitage white. I later had a $9.75 Manchuela red. The wines were fine, nothing spectacular but ok for simple dinner accompaniments. The Casunzei was essentially beet ravioli. The half moon shaped dough was a little undercooked, beyond al dente firm. It had the suspicious taste of wonton wrappers- often substituted for fresh made pasta. The half portion came out to 4 fairly small ravioli. Not bad for an appetizer portion but for a pasta main, doubling that, would still be puny. The filling was a lovely sweet fresh tasting mix of beet and ground lamb served with a light butter sauce. I found the taste subtle but not as simple or great as the best Italian pastas I have had. I am not sure why American chefs have to make all pasta so complicated. Seems to me the rule of three, or 3 ingrediants maximum which works so well in Italy should work here. On to the mains. I had the toro tuna , essentially a nicoise salad and my husband had the branzino. Both were fairly small portions and not exquisitely fresh. My toro was perfectly cooked but the presentation and taste were very boring and basic. I have had tuna nicoise raised a notch before, and unfortunately for 20 plus dollars a pop this was not that. My husband's branzino was over cooked, not to the point of dehyrdration luckily. His dish was better flavored with more complex spice combinations. But this was definantly no Top Chef moment. For the buzz of this chef, I must say overall I was unimpressed. Its not that the food was bad, it just wasn't top notch by any means. We continued on to the desserts, because we were both still hungry after our puny meal. The dessert selction is skimpy. I am hoping there is no dessert chef with these pathetic dessert options. I opted for an olive cake with ice cream and my husband had the brownie with ice cream. Both came out looking like unkempt messes. My olive honey cake looked strangely like a tiny dunkin donuts muffin. Unfortunately it was half as good as one. Very disappointing. Not very moist or tasty. The brownie was an average brownie with a chocalate sauce that tasted too similar to Herschey's chocalate sauce. The star of both was definantly the ice cream. And would definantly recommend if here getting their trio of icecreams.
I have to say the level of cuisine at this place is not making me want to rush out and spend more dough at Craft or Craftsteak anytime soon.
If you are in Union Square and are dying to sample Collichio cuisine for not outrageous prices in a cool enough atmosphere, check this place out.
The Quest continues.....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Lady Mendl's Tea Salon
Lady Mendl's
56 Irving Pl, New York, NY
(212) 533-4466
Food 6
Ambiance 8
Service 4
Overall 18
Good for half way authentic pricey tea in a proper British setting
So one thing you will learn from reading my blog is that there are certain foods I am ,one might say, obsessed about. All things cue, as in bbq, fall in that catetgory as well as all things pork . Another area of intense obsession is English tea and anything that involves clotted cream. For those who have never tasted clotted cream, I am sure the word clotted and cream do not sound appetizing. In fact, writing this, I must confess it conjures up the image of a rotten dairy product. But clotted cream is like the sinful marriage of butter and whipped cream. Cousins that should not mate but wickedly do. The result in my opinion is one of the few food treasures the British have given humanity. I wonder if the Queen has knighted clotted cream's first maker.Bizarre to say I cannot even recall the first time I tasted clotted cream or sat at my first English tea. All I know is , that despite the fact that I have never experianced love with a man at first site , I am much easier when it comes to food. Love at first bite, sights, whiff- I fell hook line and sinker for the pomp ,circumstance and sheer food delight of my first English tea. Ever since then I have roamed the world in the search for a tea experiance that will sweep me off my feet again. On occasion, I have been know to throw a tea party myself. And while I can make a mean scone and some tasty sandwiches, my personal take is that half of the love affair of high tea is being waited upon, properly and obviously. What girl can resist that!
Lady Mendl's is a lovely historic inn in a brownstone off of Union Square. The entrance is discreetly marked with a golden address plaque with only the words Lady Mendl's. Definantly not a place to be recognized unless you are in the know. Be forewarned that since they have two tea services at 3 and 5 pm in a fairly small room, reservations are definantly needed. When you enter, you feel immediately that you are visiting the home of your well off British aunt. It is a well preserved, dimly lit brownstone with ornate wood molding, period furniture, elegant gold flowered wallpaper and lovely wood floors. Certainly the first impression is that the door magically transports you into your own private English oasis . Our reservation was confirmed by the host and after a short bit of waiting, we were led to the Tea Salon. The Tea Salon consists of 2 fairly small rooms set up with small tables covered in white tablecloths. Most can fit very tightly two people although there are a few larger tables. Each room can hold about 15 people at most.
The tea is a set five courses for 35 dollars. After sitting, they offered us the option of a glass of champagne for an additional $10 which we declined. The tea menu is varied and offers many options- black to green teas and many herbal flavors as well. I decided on a Lavender Tea and my mother opted for an Black tea with rose petals. Of note, the tea is served in teabags which in my mind is a major no no. Loose leaf measured tea make for a much more delectable tea experaince. Our table was set with lovely gold rimmed china plates and silver plated utensils. Although service was present, throughout the tea there were significant lapses for a place that is cultivating the air of gentility. The wait between each course was fairly long and we were missing simple things like cream or lemon on the table when our teas were brought out or clotted cream and jam when our scones were served. Also the place is somewhat on the cheap side. After I finished my first round of tea which I did not love, I asked to switch to the Lord Mendl, a lapsang souchong tea. At first my waiter hastily told me that it is not permitted to switch teas. When I asked why not, he did end up changing my tea. .As we were leaving, I heard the table next to me complaining that they had been charged for additional scones they had asked for although noone had told them this would be the case. Nickel and diming is not very highbrown in my book.
In any case, back to the tea itself. All tea services I have attended tend to serve the core part of the tea in a tiered serving platter so you can sample the different parts of the tea at will. Typically most teas offer an assortment of tea sandwiches, fresh baked scones and sweet pastries. Some who want to increase the number of courses will add a salad or another savory treat which can be served separate to the core tier. At Lady Mendl's everything is served in sequential order. Once you are done with sanwiches, no going back. I found this lost alot of the charm of a typical service for me.
We started off our tea with a vegetable samosa wrapped in filo dough with a little lettuce. Tasty although mildy undercooked, I would venture that this was not made in house. Then we continued to the sandwiches- 4 choices of an openfaced salmon on pumpernickel or rye bread with butter, cream cheese and cucumber on white bread , turkey on wheat bread, and egg salad on white bread. Your first round you are given 4 portions of your sandwich of choice. All were tasty,although I was surprised at the poor quality of smoked salmon used. You then have the option of one other go around with the sandwiches. Then we had scones, a plain and one with cranberry, served with berry jam and clotted cream. Fairly moist but super tiny. Each was maybe an inch in size. After this ,we were served a mutiple layer crepe cakes, crepes with a lightly flavored whipped cream interspersed. The final course were a few cookies and a chocalate covered strawberry. Overall most of the food was well prepared and tasty, although not the most generous of portions . But that is fairly typical for most teas. Despite some drawbacks, I would say Lady Mendl's is a good bet if you are looking for a unique and historical setting with fairly well prepared tea snacks in the heart of New York City.
The Quest continues
56 Irving Pl, New York, NY
(212) 533-4466
Food 6
Ambiance 8
Service 4
Overall 18
Good for half way authentic pricey tea in a proper British setting
So one thing you will learn from reading my blog is that there are certain foods I am ,one might say, obsessed about. All things cue, as in bbq, fall in that catetgory as well as all things pork . Another area of intense obsession is English tea and anything that involves clotted cream. For those who have never tasted clotted cream, I am sure the word clotted and cream do not sound appetizing. In fact, writing this, I must confess it conjures up the image of a rotten dairy product. But clotted cream is like the sinful marriage of butter and whipped cream. Cousins that should not mate but wickedly do. The result in my opinion is one of the few food treasures the British have given humanity. I wonder if the Queen has knighted clotted cream's first maker.Bizarre to say I cannot even recall the first time I tasted clotted cream or sat at my first English tea. All I know is , that despite the fact that I have never experianced love with a man at first site , I am much easier when it comes to food. Love at first bite, sights, whiff- I fell hook line and sinker for the pomp ,circumstance and sheer food delight of my first English tea. Ever since then I have roamed the world in the search for a tea experiance that will sweep me off my feet again. On occasion, I have been know to throw a tea party myself. And while I can make a mean scone and some tasty sandwiches, my personal take is that half of the love affair of high tea is being waited upon, properly and obviously. What girl can resist that!
Lady Mendl's is a lovely historic inn in a brownstone off of Union Square. The entrance is discreetly marked with a golden address plaque with only the words Lady Mendl's. Definantly not a place to be recognized unless you are in the know. Be forewarned that since they have two tea services at 3 and 5 pm in a fairly small room, reservations are definantly needed. When you enter, you feel immediately that you are visiting the home of your well off British aunt. It is a well preserved, dimly lit brownstone with ornate wood molding, period furniture, elegant gold flowered wallpaper and lovely wood floors. Certainly the first impression is that the door magically transports you into your own private English oasis . Our reservation was confirmed by the host and after a short bit of waiting, we were led to the Tea Salon. The Tea Salon consists of 2 fairly small rooms set up with small tables covered in white tablecloths. Most can fit very tightly two people although there are a few larger tables. Each room can hold about 15 people at most.
The tea is a set five courses for 35 dollars. After sitting, they offered us the option of a glass of champagne for an additional $10 which we declined. The tea menu is varied and offers many options- black to green teas and many herbal flavors as well. I decided on a Lavender Tea and my mother opted for an Black tea with rose petals. Of note, the tea is served in teabags which in my mind is a major no no. Loose leaf measured tea make for a much more delectable tea experaince. Our table was set with lovely gold rimmed china plates and silver plated utensils. Although service was present, throughout the tea there were significant lapses for a place that is cultivating the air of gentility. The wait between each course was fairly long and we were missing simple things like cream or lemon on the table when our teas were brought out or clotted cream and jam when our scones were served. Also the place is somewhat on the cheap side. After I finished my first round of tea which I did not love, I asked to switch to the Lord Mendl, a lapsang souchong tea. At first my waiter hastily told me that it is not permitted to switch teas. When I asked why not, he did end up changing my tea. .As we were leaving, I heard the table next to me complaining that they had been charged for additional scones they had asked for although noone had told them this would be the case. Nickel and diming is not very highbrown in my book.
In any case, back to the tea itself. All tea services I have attended tend to serve the core part of the tea in a tiered serving platter so you can sample the different parts of the tea at will. Typically most teas offer an assortment of tea sandwiches, fresh baked scones and sweet pastries. Some who want to increase the number of courses will add a salad or another savory treat which can be served separate to the core tier. At Lady Mendl's everything is served in sequential order. Once you are done with sanwiches, no going back. I found this lost alot of the charm of a typical service for me.
We started off our tea with a vegetable samosa wrapped in filo dough with a little lettuce. Tasty although mildy undercooked, I would venture that this was not made in house. Then we continued to the sandwiches- 4 choices of an openfaced salmon on pumpernickel or rye bread with butter, cream cheese and cucumber on white bread , turkey on wheat bread, and egg salad on white bread. Your first round you are given 4 portions of your sandwich of choice. All were tasty,although I was surprised at the poor quality of smoked salmon used. You then have the option of one other go around with the sandwiches. Then we had scones, a plain and one with cranberry, served with berry jam and clotted cream. Fairly moist but super tiny. Each was maybe an inch in size. After this ,we were served a mutiple layer crepe cakes, crepes with a lightly flavored whipped cream interspersed. The final course were a few cookies and a chocalate covered strawberry. Overall most of the food was well prepared and tasty, although not the most generous of portions . But that is fairly typical for most teas. Despite some drawbacks, I would say Lady Mendl's is a good bet if you are looking for a unique and historical setting with fairly well prepared tea snacks in the heart of New York City.
The Quest continues
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Les Sans Culottes
Les Sans Culottes
1085 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022-2004
(212) 838-6660
Food 2
Ambiance 6
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for spending your money on some of the worst food the city has to offer
Although I ate there only this past Monday, writing this review makes me feel like I am a tragedy survivor.
There is just a singular word to describe my experiance at this french cuisine travesty: disgusting. The word is neither original or memorable. But it is just. There are few things worse than bad food and bad wine. Les Sans Culottes is a master in both.
Let me back track by saying I had walked by this genteel looking french establishment many times. It always had a good amount of patrons and showcased 3 separate prix fixe meals starting at their basic $25. The menu has many French bistro staples so I figured it was a safe bet. Midtown east and french. Usually a good pairing.
We made a reservation for Monday at 8:30 and arrived slightly early.
Two other tables were there but otherwise the place was deserted. The place has the feel of ghosts. A place whose better days are long past but noone has told them yet they are off the most wanted list. Dingy and dusty. A forgotten attic of treasures. The ambiance must have been charming some years ago I think. The wallpaper and posters. Bright red and black. Small tables nestled closely together. The place was dark and silent. I remarked on entering it felt like we were no longer in NY. At the time, I thought this could be a good thing. By the end of my meal, I wanted my visa burned and revoked.
We settled for the 25 dollar prix fixe.
This started with a appetizer of crudites, terrine and sausages. The terrine was old and crumbly although not horrific in taste, served with cornichons and an off tasting mustard based sauce. 3 types of massive sausages were brought to the table hanging from a 6 inch contraption. We were to take each and slice at will. The sausages were neither french nor good. Some poor deli version of salami. The piece de resistance was their wild crudite platter. Whole vegetable and fruit, not cut or prepared, just tossed into a large basket. The whole thing had the feel of those bad movies showcasing barbarian lords eating big boned meat with their bare hands. I paused fearing my main course would require me to depluck a chicken.
We had ordered wine with our meal. A chardonnay for myself and a cabernet for my husband. My husband took 2 sips of his vinegared wine and stopped, seeking refuge in the stale bread served. My chardonnay was unmemorable but drinkable.
I ordered the trout meuniere. A filet of trout came out, fresh but pan dehydrated beyond compare,served with a lemon acid congealed sauce coating , insipid grey potatoe mash and a tablespoon of fresh vegetables. Looking at the meal, it did not inspire confidance of any tasty revelations. It tasted worse than it looked or smell. After 4 bites I was done and thankful we had feasted elsewhere on a plentiful bar appetizer 1 hour before. My husbands entree was another altitude of problematic. He ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which was served with the same sad sides as my trout. His was also laced with some off white congealed sauce. Both also had been served with an additional side of fries and rice. My husband attempted to eat a third of his chicken and I fancied a taste. What happened next is almost too disturbing to write let alone remember. I reflexively spit it out. The taste was so nauseatingly awful, a strange unfresh melange of chicken,ham and cheese that had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, my reflexes were good enough to have the offending food hit the plate and not the diners next to me. After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, I wanted to leave. I figured the desserts would be as awful as everything else. My husband reminded me that since I was planning on reviewing this place, I should sample it all. So we continued our feeding torture with chocalate mousse and creme caramel. More revelations of badness.
As I left the restaurant dazed and appalled, I wondered how does a place at this magnitude of incompetance at these prices on the Eastside manage to stay in business. Can it really only be tourists who dine here or uninformed NY customers? Writing this review I was shocked to see so many positive reviews ,recent as well, on menupages and tripadvisor about this place. Sometimes a place can have a bad night and be off its game. But the complete lack of anything approaching decent for all three courses leaves me convinced that nothing good can come out of this place. Maybe a new owner and a facelift can reinvent the place and bring it back into its hey day. Until then, book your trip to France with another restaurant.
The Quest continues..................
1085 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022-2004
(212) 838-6660
Food 2
Ambiance 6
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for spending your money on some of the worst food the city has to offer
Although I ate there only this past Monday, writing this review makes me feel like I am a tragedy survivor.
There is just a singular word to describe my experiance at this french cuisine travesty: disgusting. The word is neither original or memorable. But it is just. There are few things worse than bad food and bad wine. Les Sans Culottes is a master in both.
Let me back track by saying I had walked by this genteel looking french establishment many times. It always had a good amount of patrons and showcased 3 separate prix fixe meals starting at their basic $25. The menu has many French bistro staples so I figured it was a safe bet. Midtown east and french. Usually a good pairing.
We made a reservation for Monday at 8:30 and arrived slightly early.
Two other tables were there but otherwise the place was deserted. The place has the feel of ghosts. A place whose better days are long past but noone has told them yet they are off the most wanted list. Dingy and dusty. A forgotten attic of treasures. The ambiance must have been charming some years ago I think. The wallpaper and posters. Bright red and black. Small tables nestled closely together. The place was dark and silent. I remarked on entering it felt like we were no longer in NY. At the time, I thought this could be a good thing. By the end of my meal, I wanted my visa burned and revoked.
We settled for the 25 dollar prix fixe.
This started with a appetizer of crudites, terrine and sausages. The terrine was old and crumbly although not horrific in taste, served with cornichons and an off tasting mustard based sauce. 3 types of massive sausages were brought to the table hanging from a 6 inch contraption. We were to take each and slice at will. The sausages were neither french nor good. Some poor deli version of salami. The piece de resistance was their wild crudite platter. Whole vegetable and fruit, not cut or prepared, just tossed into a large basket. The whole thing had the feel of those bad movies showcasing barbarian lords eating big boned meat with their bare hands. I paused fearing my main course would require me to depluck a chicken.
We had ordered wine with our meal. A chardonnay for myself and a cabernet for my husband. My husband took 2 sips of his vinegared wine and stopped, seeking refuge in the stale bread served. My chardonnay was unmemorable but drinkable.
I ordered the trout meuniere. A filet of trout came out, fresh but pan dehydrated beyond compare,served with a lemon acid congealed sauce coating , insipid grey potatoe mash and a tablespoon of fresh vegetables. Looking at the meal, it did not inspire confidance of any tasty revelations. It tasted worse than it looked or smell. After 4 bites I was done and thankful we had feasted elsewhere on a plentiful bar appetizer 1 hour before. My husbands entree was another altitude of problematic. He ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which was served with the same sad sides as my trout. His was also laced with some off white congealed sauce. Both also had been served with an additional side of fries and rice. My husband attempted to eat a third of his chicken and I fancied a taste. What happened next is almost too disturbing to write let alone remember. I reflexively spit it out. The taste was so nauseatingly awful, a strange unfresh melange of chicken,ham and cheese that had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, my reflexes were good enough to have the offending food hit the plate and not the diners next to me. After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, I wanted to leave. I figured the desserts would be as awful as everything else. My husband reminded me that since I was planning on reviewing this place, I should sample it all. So we continued our feeding torture with chocalate mousse and creme caramel. More revelations of badness.
As I left the restaurant dazed and appalled, I wondered how does a place at this magnitude of incompetance at these prices on the Eastside manage to stay in business. Can it really only be tourists who dine here or uninformed NY customers? Writing this review I was shocked to see so many positive reviews ,recent as well, on menupages and tripadvisor about this place. Sometimes a place can have a bad night and be off its game. But the complete lack of anything approaching decent for all three courses leaves me convinced that nothing good can come out of this place. Maybe a new owner and a facelift can reinvent the place and bring it back into its hey day. Until then, book your trip to France with another restaurant.
The Quest continues..................
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
La Rioja
La Rioja
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
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