Sunday, January 29, 2012

Friday, January 27, 2012 Orsay RESTAURANT WEEK

Orsay
1057 Lexington Avenue
I initially rationalized being seated in the Siberia section of Orsay as an attempt on the part of management to balance the numbers among the wait staff.  Yet,  I suspect that Ed and I were placed on the periphery because we were listed as Restaurant Week patrons. We did not get to see much of the authentic, beautiful Parisian-style main dining room which was somewhat empty when we arrived.
Our engaging waiter saved the day or at least the meal.  The reasonably-priced house white Bordeaux  was quite good and far superior to what one would expect from house wines. Gratefully, Orsay has its act together by ensuring that their delicious bread was replenished throughout the meal. We decided to order from the regular menu. Our shared appetizer of endive salad with Roquefort and walnuts looked like delicatessen cole slaw and was presented in bowls that were way too large.  Bouillabaisse was the special of the day, and although the stew was tasty, both the quantity and selection of fish was limited.  Ed’s dish of grilled scallops and asparagus was bland and was presented on an oversized plate that accentuated the inadequate size of the portion.   
Alas, the frothy well-prepared cappuccino was placed on the table that was still covered with remnants of our dinner.  As we exited through the packed main dining room, we realized that we did not want to belong.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012 Taboon RESTAURANT WEEK

Taboon
773 Tenth Avenue

Arrived early at Taboon, a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spot located in Hell’s Kitchen, and we decided to have a drink at the bar before Heidi and Bernie joined us..  The L-shaped bar was set in the middle of the charming dining room with softly appointed lighting, white-washed wooden tables and white curtains.  The accommodating bartender poured several white wines before I settled on a white Bordeaux.  At the beginning of our journey, we agreed that returning to bars was permissible.   The bar at Taboon is a definite!    
 The wonderful hot, herby loaf of bread that started the meal, served with hummus was a high point. The Black Iron Shrimp appetizer sounded interesting but the two shrimp billed as jumbo were not.  Those who ordered the sizable salad with goat cheese, halumi, olives and red onions were pleased. My main course of the vegetarian grill was tasteless, cold and the portion was miniscule.   The size of the other entrees of salmon zaatar and chicken taboon was decent and was reported to be well prepared. The dessert course received a mixed reception with the chocolate mousse stuffed with ouzo soaked bananas turning out to be the only winner over the sorbets and the bland silan---a layered vanilla ice cream and rice concoction.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012 Fishtail by David Burke RESTAURANT WEEK

Fishtail by David Burke
135 East 62nd Street

Fishtail by David Burke was the first of our Restaurant Week venues.  The friendly maître d’ gently whisked us past the bar area in to the dining room on the second floor of this UES townhouse.  This contemporary room had colorful abstract paintings of fish on one wall and traditional drawings of fish on the other.  Huge yellow and orange cylindrical chandeliers illuminated the room.  The wait staff was top notch.  Our wine by the glass was generously poured from the bottle at our table.  What a lovely touch!   The triangular pieces of butter were flecked with brown sea salt that would satisfy connoisseurs that object to softened butter.  And the rolls were scrumptious and heated to perfection.   The cuisine is billed as American New and from appetizer to dessert, we were pleased.  The timing of the courses was well-timed. The sizable endive salad with olives, candy cane beets with orange spiced dressing was topped with shavings of manchego cheese.  My entrée of moist sea scallops was tasty, but the spicy sausage cornbread stuffing was dry.  For dessert, we shared the delicious spiced apricot shortcake and chocolate torte.   The individually wrapped gifts of caramel popcorn that came with our bill, however, was a minor misstep.    A return visit?  Good food, yet not extraordinary and the ambience did not press us to linger.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012 Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan

Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan
42-47 Main Street    Flushing, New York
When Sam Sifton, food critic of the New York Times, published his Top 10 New Restaurants of 2011, and gave high marks to Hunan Kitchen in Flushing, I was set to go.  Our friends Bonnie and Michael, veterans of the Chinese restaurant scene in Flushing,  joined us.  As we headed over the Triborough Bridge, I had childhood memories of playing at my cousins’ house in Flushing where my aunt and uncle owned a bakery.  But was this Main Street?  Each square inch was filled with Asian stores, lettering and people.   It was a unique world.   Sharing Chinese food requires negotiation, and from Hunan’s exotic menu, we selected several dishes including a BBQ fish dish that Sifton recommended.  The sincere manager, friendly Chinese diners and an ambience that matched the neighborhood made this a truly fun experience.  This overshadowed the interesting, but overly oily food.  As we were leaving, Ed realized that he had lived around the corner on Blossom Avenue until he was eight.  We knew we had to return to this amazing neighborhood and Main Street for additional dining adventures.   


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Friday January 13, 2012 Awash

Awash
947 Amsterdam Avenue
After wandering through the Arts of Africa gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Bernie and Heidi on this Friday night, it seemed appropriate to visit Awash, an Ethiopian restaurant on the UWS.  A well-lit picture of Haile Selassie was positioned to have a watchful eye on the diners.   This authentic neighborhood spot had all the trappings including servers in native garb.  Spongy injera flatbread is used to scoop up a mouthful of the tasty food in this utensil-free environment.   Colorful combination plates of meat and vegetables were served on a pizza tray blanketed with the flatbread.  Extra injera on the side.   A tasting and tactile explosion!  The meal was fun, and the dining experience seemed adventuresome.   Yet, all the dishes looked the same, and we left feeling as if we had experienced it all.

Tuesday, January 10,2012 Ipanema

Ipanema
13 West 46th Street

The evening was supposed to start out at the Campbell Apartments,  a trendy commuter bar that is tucked away above Grand Central Station and is the restored office of John W. Campbell, financier.  Ed and I were meeting my sister Sue and her friend Ron, and Sue texted us that Campbell was way too noisy.  So we met at Madison & Vine, a wine bar nearby.  Pleasant enough place, but the wine was not. The plan was to have dinner at Ipanema, a Brazilian restaurant on West 46th   near Fifth Avenue..
 The narrow room at Ipanema was contemporary and the walls were filled with colorful parrots.  As to the menu, the price points for both the wine and food were reasonable.  Side dishes brimming with rice, fried potatoes and black beans were brought to our table.  One would never go hungry here.  However, my fish stew was a boring dish that lacked variety.   I glanced around the table at the dishes of my fellow diners.   There was a cafeteria- style look to the presentation.  The bread lacked freshness.   The welcoming, friendly staff was the best part of the meal. That should not be minimized. It is a nice feeling to have a “Cheers” moment, and Sue was pleased to be remembered from a previous visit.   Yet, as we walked to the subway, we realized that there were numerous Brazilian restaurants that we could try in the future.   

Monday, January 2, 2012

Friday, December 30, 2011 Amber

Amber
1406 Third Avenue


My friend Evelyne who is an ex parte New Yorker now lives in Michigan and was in NYC for a visit and was staying on the UES.  The UES is foreign territory so I had to rely on Zagat’s for a choice. I had heard about the seafood restaurant ‘Flex Mussels’ but it was booked solid on this Friday evening before New Year’s Eve. We certainly had done the French/Italian route in the last few days so I selected a Pan/Asian restaurant that turned out to be part of a chain.  The ambience looked remarkably like several other Asian restaurants in NYC.  The food presentation and service were above average, but the food quality was mediocre.  If someone out there wants to treat me to a dinner at Sasabune, I am available at a moment’s notice, but in the meantime,  I guess the reality is that at price points that I consider, sushi is usually sushi.  No huge swings in quality either way.