Thursday, May 24 2012 The Mark Restaurant

The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges

25 East 77^th Street

A couple of times a year, we meet with Stephen when he is in NYC on business.  He was staying at the Mark Hotel and had dined at its restaurant several times.  The Mark Restaurant by Jean- Georges with its soft, flattering lighting and comfortable seating appeals to the affluent local neighbors on the UES.  Although Jean- Georges Vongerichten may have wanted to create an exciting venue, he never seems to take a risk at this good, but not great, restaurant.  The menu presents no surprises and this comfort level is appealing to its clientele.  The portions are reasonable and the preparations are well-executed.  Yet, one longs for the imagination of the master chef that created the flagship restaurant in the Trump International Hotel.

The humachi sushi appetizer of thinly-sliced raw fish that was delicately layered with slivers of avocado and served in a soy-yuzi dressing was intriguing.  This dish had a hint of caper that sharpened the delightful mixture. Bread and butter is always worth a mention at Restaurant Epiphany, and here, at the Mark, a large slice of tasty, albeit cold, whole wheat bread was served.  It is not clear why the portion of butter was only enough for one, but more importantly, the wait staff did not seem to notice this deficiency.  Surprisingly, much of the service was not professional.  The entrees were not presented simultaneously, and it made us reminisce for the original Jean Georges delivery.  Fortunately, the seasoning of the entree of salmon bok choy and with ginger–chili vinaigrette subtly and superbly blended the texture of the salmon with the crunchy mouth feel of the bok choy.

The Mark is a place to settle in, have a good meal and walk home.  It is not a restaurant designed for a special occasion unless you are celebrating a slight uptick in your stock portfolio.  The desserts bear this out.  Unfortunately, even the descriptions are boring

Friday May 11, 2012 Candle Cafe West

Candle Café West

2427 Broadway

Candle Café West is the third iteration of a restaurant at this location, and this recent incarnation is vegetarian.  The addition of high-tech, soothing lighting and higher ceilings is a definite improvement to the décor.  The front desk has its act together, and Bob, Linda, Ed and I were seated within minutes of our reservation.  The menu is varied and has noodle dishes, stir-fries, salads and sandwiches.

Perfecting vegetarian cooking is always an up-hill battle.  Ingredients that are healthy do not always lend themselves to presentation.  The seitan chimichurri appetizer that is marinated in citrus-herb was served on skewers and successfully blended the lemon marinade with the salty flavor of the seitan.  Seitan or wheat meat is a protein source for vegetarians, but its limp grey appearance and stringy texture does not lend itself to skewers.

It is always a tricky act for the wait staff to balance the correct level of friendliness with professionalism.  Without skipping a beat, our waiter told us his favorites on the menu and presented those that dared not to order from his list a scowl.  He was one step away from inviting himself to join our party, and although I found it annoying, my fellow diners were pleased.  Candle Café West works hard at perfecting every aspect of the service so perhaps our waiter was following the mantra of the manager.  The entrees arrived simultaneously, and this touch always obviates the need to wait and get angry because food is getting cold.  With this out of the way, we could all focus on our food which got mixed reviews.  The best thing that I could say about my ginger miso stir fry was that it was served hot.  The tasteless overcooked vegetables were combined with miniscule pieces of tofu and served over brown rice. Fortunately, it was a small portion.  However, the Paradise Casserole with gentle layers of sweet potato and black beans served over greens and the Mediterranean Wrap with hummus, tofu, feta cheese and roasted red peppers received kudos.  The “Sweet & Sour Seitan was neither sweet nor sour and was totally devoid of taste.

A restaurant that bills itself as “vegetarian” should be proof to any carnivore that vegetarians can be innovative and serve unique fare.  Candle Café West falls short.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Ozu

Ozu

565 Amsterdam Avenue

“An Evening with Chris Mathews” at the JCC ended at 9:00PM, and a light meal was in order.  We all decided to go to a neighborhood place, and Bobbie suggested Ozu, a vegetarian restaurant on Amsterdam and 87^th Street. I seem to remember that when Bobbie’s studio was on 88^th Street, we met at Ozu for tea.  I should have stopped there.  My appetizer of steamed kale and hijiki topped with carrot dressing would have worked for people on a soft food diet with the pureed ingredients totally lacking in any seasoning and unceremoniously dumped on the plate.  Teeth, however, were required for the bland salmon rolls made with brown rice that was too hard and sushi that was not bite size.  Ed’s tofu was prepared in a way that delicately balanced the coconut and the curry, but it was delivered lukewarm.

Sunday, May 6, 2012 Nonna

Nonna

520 Columbus Avenue

My foodie friend Steve Kaufman recommended Nonna, and since we were having dinner with Helen and Alfred, an Italian restaurant in the neighborhood was perfect..  Nonna met the two main dining requirements for Helen --- reasonably priced and and a menu containing eggplant parmigiana. The bar at Nonna is nicely anointed with soft touches of lighting and liquor bottles that were displayed in a way that allowed the colored contents to glimmer. The restaurant area unfortunately is not a continuation of the bar and is drab and dreary.

Nonna tries hard in the service area, but there is a mismatch at what Noona thinks it can deliver and what it winds up serving. Nonna’s attempt at innovative cuisine turns out to be fussy and does not work.  Ed’s branzino had oranges on top which robbed the poor fish of its natural taste and turned it into a fruity mess.

Alfred orderd the  “Sunday Feast for $19 “ which turned out to be mostly misses. Alfred generously shared this “feast,” and we all wound up having tastes.  The starting course of arancini, a mozzarella-stuffed fried rice ball was heavy and lacked texture.  Unfortunately, this turned out to be no match for the fried dessert of zeppole which was difficult to chew. The courses in between were not much better.  A Caesar salad with  six large croutons was ordinary in its presentation. The best thing one could say about the pasta dish with sausage, beef tips and meatballs was its size, but this odd meat combination was dry and the tomato sauce was non-inspirational.  And, alas the raison d’etre for eating at Nonna in the first place---Helen’s eggplant parmigiana.   Nonna’s rendition lacked the traditional layering of eggplant and gooey cheese and did not make it on to Helen’s top “10” list.

Friday, May 4, 2012 Malecon

Malecon

764 Amsterdam Avenue

We went with Heidi and Bernie to Malecon, a Caribbean restaurant on the UWS that bills itself as “El Rey del Pollo” or “King of the Roast Chicken.”  How right they are!  In the window, there was a rotisserie with chicken in varying degrees of preparation. Inside, on the left, a long line of people were waiting for take-out orders. On the right, wooden tables were filled with families and couples with their dishes overflowing with food and colorful drinks with umbrellas. This Caribbean enclave looked like fun!  The oversized menu offered daily specials and listed over 100 items

Malecon knows its audience and knows that fancy is not their style.  Malecon’s goal is to serve tasty, well-prepared Caribbean food and have its patrons feel comfortable. Where else could a beautiful salad be served with packets of dressing on the side!  Heidi and I each ordered the half chicken which was scrumptious.  All the seasoning exploded together on the bird and each bite was wonderful.  Yet, it was served on a plate that was a size too small so that the chicken required the hands of a surgeon to ensure that it did not fall off the plate.  A side of steamed vegetables accompanied the meal.   Ed ordered the grilled branzino and a side of crispy fried plantains which more than satisfied his palate.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 Mermaid Inn

Mermaid Inn

568 Amsterdam Avenue

A glass of wine after a one hour dental appointment is always a good idea…..especially if it is at night.  Ed and I planned to meet after my dental appointment at The Mark Hotel on 77^th Street and Madison and head to the bar, but by the time we arrived, there were no empty seats and an obnoxious maître d’. It was 7:30, ,and  we were hungry so we decided to try The Mermaid Inn, a popular restaurant that is a block from our home and located  on Amsterdam and 87^th Street.   We had previously dismissed the idea of dining here because our experience at the bar was less than memorable.  Tonight, we were seated immediately in the back room which to that point we did not know existed.  The room had a country inn feel,  and although the seating was rather close,  the noise level was fine. 

It still is not clear why a restaurant chooses to serve wine in a glass that is more appropriate for a dinner at a bar mitzvah.  For those that are knowledgeable about wine, it does not give them the opportunity to swish and for those who just enjoy a glass of wine with their meal, part of the allure is a good pour that is served in an attractive glass.  The Mermaid Inn serves flatbread crackers with butter instead of bread which would be OK if the crackers were fresher and two guests were not allotted four crackers. The service and the timing of the meal was fine.  Mermaid caters to fish lovers, and except for the lone pork chops, the raw bar, appetizers and entrees are from the sea. There are several interesting choices, and Ed chose the grilled whole fish of the day which was a branzino which was well prepared with a crispy outside and tender fish. The entrée does not include a side which brings the price with an added vegetable to a steep $34.   At this price point, it is reasonable to expect well prepared food in a better than average venue.  My meal consisted of two appetizers of mussels and a chopped salad.  Perhaps it was my own lack of adventure that should be blamed for this less than exciting meal.  Yet, the mussels  in a boring red curry broth with smoked bacon and escarole with battling flavors made  this diner feel like the loser.  The main attribute of the salad was that it was big.

I am told that the Sunday lobster special for $24 is worth trying.  Perhaps…………………………

Saturday, March 24, 2012 Wallse

Wallse
344 West 11^th Street

We were having dinner with Jim and Laurie, and it was their turn to venture in to Manhattan from Westchester.  First impressions are lasting, and we were optimistic that this was the case at Wallse, a pricey Austrian nouveau cuisine restaurant in the West Village. When we first walked in to the enchanting dining room with modern posters on white brick walls and lighting that was carefully selected to exemplify coziness,  we were more than hopeful that the old adage would be accurate.  Each bite of our appetizers of gently seared scallops in tomato-clam ragout was sublime, and we waited in anticipation for our entrées.  And waited.   And we finally did the unthinkable in a restaurant at this level---- we asked our server who assured us that our meals would be served in two minutes.  The two minutes came and went, and when we asked our server again, he finally arranged for their arrival.  One can expect a high correlation between the appropriate timing and pacing of the meal and the price-point. This was not the situation at Wallse.  We decided to move on and enjoy our entrée.  We also expected the server to know who had ordered which dish.  Alas, we could have been at any upscale diner in Westchester.

 Laurie ordered the signature dish of Wiener Schnitzel with potato cucumber salad and lingonberries which was a fried blob of veal that unceremoniously filled the plate.  Laurie thought it was tasty, but the presentation was so poor that it left us wondering in which restaurant the pictures of the food on the website were taken.  Both Jim and Ed ordered the pan seared brook trout.  What was presented was an oversized piece of luke-warm salty fish that was plopped on the plate without garnishes or even vegetables.  The vegetables were listed as an a la carte order.  My $42 entrée of smoked squab with foie gras and truffled endive turned out to be so miniscule that a quick calculation clocked it in at about $7 a bite.  That might have been acceptable had the chef been more careful with the salt.

The dessert chef must have been on the same page as the chef.  Not only did the desserts lack the artistic creativity that one would expect here, they screamed out for taste. 

Wallse has a way to go before it reaches the levels of similarly charging brethren.  The best part of the meal was being seated next to Sacha Baron Cohen and his wife Isla Fisher which provided us with endless mealtime conversation and glances.  It should be noted that the timing of their meal was perfect.